Barend Biesheuvel

Barend Biesheuvel
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office July 6, 1971 – May 11, 1973
Monarch	Juliana
Preceded by	Piet de Jong
Succeeded by	Joop den Uyl
Member of the House of Representatives
In office December 7, 1972 – March 7, 1973
Parliamentary leader - Anti Revolutionary Party House of Representatives
In office November 30, 1972 – March 7, 1973
Preceded by	Wim Aantjes
Succeeded by	Wim Aantjes
Member of the House of Representatives
In office February 23, 1967 – July 6, 1971
Parliamentary leader - Anti Revolutionary Party House of Representatives
In office February 16, 1967 – July 6, 1971
Preceded by	Bauke Roolvink
Succeeded by	Wim Aantjes
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
In office July 24, 1963 – April 5, 1967
Prime Minister	Victor Marijnen (1963-1965) Jo Cals (1965-1966) Jelle Zijlstra (1966-1967)
Preceded by	Victor Marijnen
Succeeded by	Pierre Lardinois
Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs
In office July 24, 1963 – April 5, 1967
Prime Minister	Victor Marijnen (1963-1965) Jo Cals (1965-1966) Jelle Zijlstra (1966-1967)
Preceded by	Henk Korthals
Succeeded by	Joop Bakker
Deputy Prime Minister
In office July 24, 1963 – April 5, 1967 Serving with Anne Vondeling (1965-1966) Jan de Quay (1966-1967)
Prime Minister	Victor Marijnen (1963-1965) Jo Cals (1965-1966) Jelle Zijlstra (1966-1967)
Preceded by	Henk Korthals
Succeeded by	Johan Witteveen
Member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands
In office March 7, 1961 – July 24, 1963
Member of the House of Representatives
In office November 6, 1956 – July 24, 1963
Personal details
Born	Barend Willem Biesheuvel April 5, 1920(1920-04-05) Haarlemmerliede, Netherlands
Died	April 29, 2001(2001-04-29) (aged 81) Haarlem, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Anti Revolutionary Party (1956-1980) Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
Spouse(s)	Mies Meuring (1919-1989)
Alma mater	Vrije Universiteit (LL.M.)
Occupation	Politician Civil servant Chief executive Corporate director
Religion	Reformed Protestant
Nickname(s)	Handsome Barend

Barend Willem Biesheuvel (April 5, 1920 - April 29, 2001) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti Revolutionary Party (ARP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from July 6, 1971 until May 11, 1973.

He previously served as a Member of the House of Representatives from November 6, 1956 until July 24, 1963. And a Member of the European Parliament from March 7, 1961 until July 24, 1963. He became Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister from July 24, 1963 until April 5, 1967 in the Cabinets Marijnen, Cals and Zijlstra. He became the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives from February 16, 1967 until July 6, 1971 and a Member of the House of Representatives from February 23, 1967 until July 6, 1971. After the Dutch general election of 1971, Biesheuvel became Prime Minister of the Netherlands, leading the Cabinets Biesheuvel I and II. After the Dutch general election of 1972 Biesheuvel again served as the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives from November 30, 1972 until March 7, 1973 and a Member of the House of Representatives from December 7, 1972 until March 7, 1973

After his premiership, Biesheuvel retired from active politics and occupied many posts in industry and seats on numerous supervisory boards, including Chairman of the supervisory board for the NIBC Bank, from 1973 until 1991.

Biography

Early life

Barend Willem Biesheuvel was born on April 5, 1920 in Haarlemmerliede in the Netherlands Province of North Holland. After completing his secondary education at local schools, he graduated in law at the Free University of Amsterdam in September 1945. For the next two years Biesheuvel worked in Alkmaar as secretary to the Food Commissioner for the Province of North Holland. In 1947 he became secretary to the Foreign Division of the Agricultural Society (now the Agricultural Board). In 1952 Mr Biesheuvel became general secretary of the Dutch Protestant Farmers and Market Gardeners Union (CBTB) and in 1959 chairman of that organisation. From the same year he was also a member of the Agricultural Board, the Labour Foundation and the boards of the Centrale Raifeissen Bank and Heidemij.

Politics

Barend Biesheuvel as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries at first cabinet meeting of the Cabinet Zijlstra in 1966.

Barend Biesheuvel at the inauguration of his First cabinet in 1971.

Between 1956 and 1963 he represented the Anti Revolutionary Party in the House of Representatives (the lower house of parliament). From 1957 to 1961 he held a seat on the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe and from 1961 to 1963 in the European Parliament.

In the successive administrations headed by Marijnen, Cals and Zijlstra between 24 July 1963 and 5 April 1967 he was Deputy Prime Minister with additional responsibility for matters concerning Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles, and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

In 1967 he returned to the House of Representatives and became leader of the parliamentary Anti Revolutionary Party. During the same period he also chaired the Shipbuilding Board and the Committee on Government Information Reform.

Finally, from July 6, 1971 to May 11, 1973, Biesheuvel was Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Minister of General Affairs in the government that bore his name.

Trivia

Following his political career, Biesheuvel went on to occupy many other positions in the public and private sectors. Among other things, he was chairman of the supervisory board of the National Investment Bank, a member of the supervisory boards of OGEM and KLM, and chaired the working party on the Netherlands Antilles, the national advisory committee on the relationship between the electorate and policy-making, the Provisional Council for Transport, Public Works and Water Management and the Interministerial Coordinating Committee on North Sea Affairs (ICONA). Barend Biesheuvel died in a hospital in Haarlem after a long illness on 29 April 2001, he was 81.

Decorations

• Order of Orange-Nassau
  • Officer (April 27, 1962)
  • Grand Officer (April 17, 1967)
  • Grand Cross (March 21, 1991)
• Order of the Netherlands Lion
  • Commander (June 8, 1973)

External links

• Mr. B.W. Biesheuvel (Ministry of General Affairs)
• (Dutch) Mr. B.W. (Barend) Biesheuvel (Parlement & Politiek)

Party political offices
Preceded by Sieuwert Bruins Slot	Party leader Anti Revolutionary Party 1963-1973	Succeeded by Wim Aantjes
Preceded by Bauke Roolvink	Parliamentary leader - Anti Revolutionary Party House of Representatives 1967-1971	Succeeded by Wim Aantjes
Preceded by Wim Aantjes	Parliamentary leader - Anti Revolutionary Party House of Representatives 1972-1973	Succeeded by Wim Aantjes
Government offices
Preceded by Henk Korthals	Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs 1963-1967	Succeeded by Joop Bakker
Preceded by Victor Marijnen	Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries 1963-1967	Succeeded by Pierre Lardinois
Preceded by Piet de Jong	Minister of General Affairs 1971-1973	Succeeded by Joop den Uyl
Political offices
Preceded by Piet de Jong	Prime Minister of the Netherlands 1971-1973	Succeeded by Joop den Uyl
Business positions
Preceded by Unknown	Chairman of the NIBC Bank 1973-1991	Succeeded by Unknown