27 Facts About Hans Wiegel

Hans Wiegel served as chairman of the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy from November 1965 until October 1966.

Hans Wiegel became a member of the House of Representatives shortly after the 1967 general election, taking office on 18 April 1967.

Hans Wiegel was unanimously selected as his successor, taking office on 1 July 1971.

Hans Wiegel served as Queen's Commissioner from 16 June 1982 until 1 February 1994.

Hans Wiegel continued to be active in politics and was elected to the Senate after the 1995 Senate election, taking office on 13 June 1995.

In March 2000 Hans Wiegel unexpectedly announced his retirement and resigned from the Senate on 1 April 2000.

Hans Wiegel semi-retired from active politics at 58 but continued to be active in the private and public sectors as a corporate and non-profit director and lobbyist.

Hans Wiegel worked as a occasional mediator for coalition agreements and political crises, and as a political pundit and columnist for De Telegraaf, Algemeen Dagblad and WNL.

Hans Wiegel was known for his abilities as a skilful debater and effective negotiator and continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until he suffered a minor stroke in August 2019 which forced him to undergo rehabilitation.

Hans Wiegel holds the distinction as the second youngest-serving party leader and parliamentary leader at the age of 29 and the youngest-serving Deputy Prime Minister at the age of 36.

Hans Wiegel was active within the youth wing of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy, of which he had been a member since 1961.

In 1967 Hans Wiegel was elected to the House of Representatives, where he served as spokesperson for local government affairs.

In 1999, Hans Wiegel caused a brief cabinet crisis by voting against the constitutional revision that would make national referendums possible.

Hans Wiegel led the VVD in the general elections of 1972,1977 and 1981.

Hans Wiegel was awarded honorary membership of the VVD and became Queen's Commissioner of Friesland from 16 June 1982 until 1 February 1994.

In 1986 Hans Wiegel was asked to return to the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, but he refused.

On 8 March 2006, the day after a poor showing of the VVD in the 2006 municipal elections, Hans Wiegel issued a press statement to the effect that he would not return to Dutch politics.

On 22 November 2007, Hans Wiegel called for a broad liberal movement consisting of the VVD, the Party for Freedom of Geert Wilders, Rita Verdonk's Proud of the Netherlands and the Democrats 66.

On 15 September 2009 he repeated these words in the morning bulletin Goodmorning Netherlands Hans Wiegel then called his party should seek cooperation with the Party for Freedom.

Thirty years after leaving national politics, Hans Wiegel was still mentioned often as a potential Prime Minister.

Hans Wiegel still is very popular among VVD party members in the Netherlands.

Hans Wiegel has "threatened" to return to national politics a number of times, usually resulting in the VVD going up in the polls.

On 12 April 2010, during a broadcast of the TV programme De Wereld Draait Door, Hans Wiegel humoristic joked to be the best Prime Minister the Netherlands never had.

Hans Wiegel married his first wife Jacqueline Francina "Pien" Frederiks was born on 9 September 1954 and on 1 June 1973.

Hans Wiegel was twenty-six years old, and left her two young children behind Erik and Marieke.

From 2006 until 2010 Hans Wiegel had a relationship with Madelon Spoor.

On 6 August 2019 Hans Wiegel announced that he had suffered a light stroke at his home and that he would be undergoing rehabilitation in the next few months.