Gijs van Aardenne

Gijsbert Michiel Vredenrijk "Gijs" van Aardenne (18 March 1930 – 10 August 1995) was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businessman.

Van Aardenne attended the Gymnasium Erasmianum in Rotterdam from April 1942 until May 1947 and applied at the Leiden University in June 1947 majoring in Physics and Mathematics and obtaining an Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Bachelor of Mathematics degree in June 1949 and worked as a student researcher before graduating with an Master of Physics degree and Master of Mathematics degree in July 1955. Van Aardenne worked for iron manufacturer Penn en Bauduin in Dordrecht from September 1957 until December 1970 and as Chief executive officer (CEO) from February 1968 until December 1970. Van Aardenne served on the Municipal Council of Dordrecht from April 1964 until November 1972 and served as an Alderman in Dordrecht from July 1970 until February 1971.

Van Aardenne became a Member of the House of Representatives after the resignation of Johan Schlingemann, serving from 18 February 1971 until 10 May 1971 and again following the appointed of Koos Rietkerk as State Secretary for Social Affairs in the Cabinet Biesheuvel I following the election of 1971, taking office on 3 August 1971 serving as a frontbencher chairing the special parliamentary committee for Patent Act Reform and spokesperson for Social Affairs, Social Work, Welfare and deputy spokesperson for Economic Affairs, Media and Culture. After the election of 1977 Van Aardenne was appointed as Minister of Economic Affairs in the Cabinet Van Agt-Wiegel, taking office on 19 December 1977. Van Aardenne served as acting Minister of Finance from 22 February 1980 until 5 March 1980 following the resignation Frans Andriessen. After the election of 1981 Van Aardenne returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 25 August 1981. The Cabinet Van Agt-Wiegel was replaced by the Cabinet Van Agt II following the cabinet formation of 1981 on 11 September 1981 and he continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Economic Affairs, Small business and deputy spokesperson for Finance, Social Affairs and Culture. After the election of 1982 Van Aardenne was again appointed as Minister of Economic Affairs and became Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Lubbers I, taking office on 4 November 1982. In February 1985 Van Aardenne announced that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1986 following the conclusions of a parliamentary inquiry report that he had grossly misinformed the House of Representatives about the Rijn-Schelde-Verolme Shipyards. Following the cabinet formation of 1986 Van Aardenne per his own request asked not to be considered for a cabinet post in the new cabinet, the Cabinet Lubbers I was replaced by the Cabinet Lubbers II on 14 July 1986.

Van Aardenne semi-retired from national politics and became active in the private sector and public sector and occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (Energy Research Centre, NIBC Bank, Society for Statistics and Operations Research, Randstad Holding, Royal Library and the DSM Company) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (KPN, Public Pension Funds PFZW, Cadastre Agency, Staatsbosbeheer, Council for Culture, Statistics Netherlands, Public Pension Funds APB and the Social and Economic Council). Van Aardenne also worked as a trade association executive for the Hospitals association serving as Chairman of the Executive Board from May 1987 until June 1995. After the election of 1994 Van Aardenne together with Klaas de Vries of the Labour Party and Jan Vis of the Democrats 66 were appointed as Informateurs for the cabinet formation of 1994 that resulted in the formation of the Cabinet Kok I. After the cabinet formation Van Aardenne was approached as Minister of Finance in the new cabinet but per his own request asked not to be considered for a cabinet post.

In August 1994 Van Aardenne was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which resulted in him bounded to a wheelchair. Van Aardenne was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1995, taking office on 13 June 1995 but due to the progression of his illness he wasn't able to attend after his inauguration, he died two months later at the age of 65.

Van Aardenne was known for his abilities as a consensus builder and manager. Van Aardenne holds the distinction as the longest-serving Minister of Economic Affairs after World War II with 7 years, 153 days.

Early life

Van Aardenne was the son of a surgeon and studied mathematics and physics at Leiden University. After his studies he was employed at a steel factory in Dordrecht, becoming its general manager from 1967 to 1971.

Politics

He joined the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in 1958 and was a Member of Parliament between 1971 and 1977, and again in 1981. He became minister of economic affairs in the First Van Agt cabinet (1977–81). Nuclear energy and problems in the shipbuilding industry were prominent issues during these years. He took the same post as well as Deputy Prime Minister in the first First Lubbers cabinet (1982–1986).

He got into political trouble for downplaying the financial struggles of the Rijn-Schelde-Verolme shipyard, which would collapse in 1983 in spite of many years of large financial support from the government. For this reason he was omitted from the 1986 Lubbers cabinet.

Van Aardenne remained politically active, amongst others acting in the formation of the first Kok cabinet in 1994 and rejecting the post of minister of finances in that. By then he had been diagnosed with ALS, which bound him to a wheel chair and of which he died in 1995.