23 Facts About Hans Smolders

Hans Smolders worked as a refrigeration mechanic until he sold his company in 2001.

Hans Smolders served in this position for less than a year.

Since then, Smolders has been active in local politics in his hometown of Tilburg, having been a member of the municipal council for most of this period.

Hans Smolders sold his company, called "Smol Koeling", in 2001, causing him to declare himself financially independent.

Hans Smolders was a candidate in the 2002 general election as a member of the Pim Fortuyn List.

Hans Smolders was the 16th person on the candidate list of that party.

Hans Smolders was elected to the House again in the 2021 general election on behalf of Forum for Democracy.

Hans Smolders said he would stop as party leader because of the incident.

Hans Smolders joined the local Tilburg Elderly Party at the end of 2004, saying he would be active within the party and opened up the possibility of running for a seat in the Tilburg municipal council for that party.

Hans Smolders participated with his own party, List Hans Smolders, in the March 2006 municipal elections.

Hans Smolders's party won 5 out of 39 seats in the Tilburg municipal council, and he became a member of the council.

Hans Smolders was the 19th person on the candidate list of the party One NL, which was founded a few months before the elections.

When Hans Smolders was investigated for corruption, he said the investigation was started by Vreeman as an excuse for mistakes Vreeman had made regarding the renovation of a local theater.

Hans Smolders re-entered politics in 2014, when he participated again with his party List Hans Smolders in the municipal elections.

Hans Smolders said it was his duty as a citizen to stop mismanagement.

Hans Smolders's party won five out of the 45 seats in the Tilburg municipal council, causing Smolders to become a member of the council once more.

In 2017, Hans Smolders was chosen "politician of the year" by the readers of the local news website Tilburgers.

Hans Smolders appeared on the ballot during the 2019 Dutch provincial elections as lijstduwer of Forum for Democracy in the province North Brabant.

In 2007, the mayor, Ruud Vreeman, filed charges against Hans Smolders for leaking confidential information about alleged drug trade in a nightclub.

Hans Smolders defended himself by saying the information should not have been confidential in the first place.

In October 2009, Hans Smolders was investigated after he was accused of leaking a report about the Midi Theater to several media outlets.

Hans Smolders was not prosecuted, as no evidence was found he was behind the leaking.

Hans Smolders said that he suspected Vreeman had been bribed into supporting the project, and that he wanted to test whether he would be able to get a bribe from the company.