39 Facts About Frans Timmermans

Frans Timmermans has been Leader of the Labour Party since 2023.

Frans Timmermans was the lead candidate of the Party of European Socialists for President of the European Commission in the European election that was held in May 2019.

Frans Timmermans was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands from 2012 to 2014 in the Second Rutte cabinet and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 2007 to 2010 in the Fourth Balkenende cabinet, in charge of European Affairs.

Frans Timmermans was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the Labour Party from 1998 to 2007 and again from 2010 to 2012.

Frans Timmermans was a civil servant in the diplomatic service of the Netherlands from 1987 to 1998, when he became active in politics.

Frans Timmermans was born on 6 May 1961 in Maastricht to a Roman Catholic family.

Frans Timmermans's parents divorced during his childhood, after which his father was mostly absent because of his diplomatic career.

Frans Timmermans attended elementary school in Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, Belgium, before attending, from 1972 to 1975, the private Saint George's English School in Rome.

In 1980, Frans Timmermans entered the Radboud University Nijmegen, where he graduated with an MA degree in French literature in 1985.

On 1 August 1987, Frans Timmermans was discharged from military service in the Royal Netherlands Army.

Frans Timmermans joined the Dutch Civil Service as an officer in the Integration Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in The Hague.

Frans Timmermans moved from this post a year later on 15 March 1995, to become Senior Advisor and Private Secretary to Max van der Stoel, the High Commissioner for National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Frans Timmermans served as the Deputy Chairman of the Commission for Foreign Affairs from November 2001 until September 2002, when he became the Chairman of the Commission for Economic Affairs until 18 March 2003, when he again became the Deputy Chairman of the Commission for Foreign Affairs, serving until 22 February 2007.

Frans Timmermans represented the House of Representatives in the Convention on the Future of Europe from March 2002 until July 2003.

Frans Timmermans served as a Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 21 September 1998 until 22 February 2007.

Frans Timmermans was reelected to the House of Representatives after the Dutch general elections of 2002 and 2003.

Frans Timmermans became Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and was responsible for the co-ordination of government policy towards the European Union, and was conferred the diplomatic title of Minister of European Affairs during international visits.

Frans Timmermans was returned to the House of Representatives, being installed on 17 June 2010.

The next day Frans Timmermans flew to Kyiv to meet with President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to discuss the matter, following which, on 21 July 2014, Frans Timmermans addressed the United Nations Security Council in New York.

Frans Timmermans delivered an emotional speech which was widely praised by the international community.

Frans Timmermans's speech called for Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and the International Community to help bring the victims home and start an investigation to make sure that those responsible are brought to justice.

Frans Timmermans acknowledged this later on in a letter to the Dutch parliament.

In pointing out this connection, Frans Timmermans alludes to the responsibility that Europe has to maintain positive relations with Israel.

Frans Timmermans believes the Netherlands should help fortify security guarantees for Israel, but cautions that Israel must be willing to give Palestinians full and equal rights in the West Bank and in Gaza.

On 1 November 2014, Frans Timmermans took office as First Vice President in Juncker's European Commission, and served as President Juncker's first deputy and right-hand man.

Frans Timmermans' portfolio comprised Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, Rule of Law and Charter of Fundamental Rights.

In October 2018, Frans Timmermans announced his candidacy for the office of President of the European Commission ahead of the 2019 European election.

Frans Timmermans was formally nominated as the PES Common Candidate in Madrid in February 2019.

Frans Timmermans said he intended to challenge the dominance of the EPP by building a left coalition in the European Parliament.

Frans Timmermans's party finished second in the election behind the EPP, but after having discussed the parliamentary lead candidates Manfred Weber, Timmermans and occasionally Margrethe Vestager of the three largest European parties in the parliament several times, the European Council initially intended to nominate Timmermans for the office of commission president mostly because of Weber's alleged missing experience on the international stage.

In 2019, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen requested Frans Timmermans continue in his role as First Vice President while designating him as one of the three new Executive Vice Presidents of the European Commission.

Frans Timmermans was responsible for a European Green Deal and a European Climate Law in their first hundred days in office.

On 30 March 2021, Frans Timmermans said in a tweet after talking to Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg that "The Commission remains committed" to making the Common Agricultural Policy "fulfill the objectives" of the European Green Deal.

Frans Timmermans's candidacy was met with widespread approval from both parties, including Labour Party leader Attje Kuiken and GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver.

Frans Timmermans resigned from the European Commission on the same day, and was replaced in his role as Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal by fellow vice president Maros Sefcovic.

Frans Timmermans ruled out working with the PVV, remarking that "we will never form a coalition with parties that pretend that asylum seekers are the source of all misery".

Frans Timmermans has talked about his struggle with morbid obesity in interviews.

Frans Timmermans said that he had his weight under control until around 2015, after which he was no longer able to control his eating behaviour.

Frans Timmermans's condition remained manageable under the assistance of medical specialists and medicine, but it deteriorated following his 2023 move back to the Netherlands.