Els Borst
Encyclopedia
Else Borst-Eilers (22 March 1932) is a former Dutch
Politician
, she led D66
in the 1998 election campaign and served as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport for eight years, and the last four as Deputy Prime Minister
. Before entering politics she had a career in medicine
.
of Amsterdam
graduating in 1950. The same school was attended by People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(VVD) leader Frits Bolkestein
, who was one class below her. Following graduation she studied medicine graduating in 1958. She took special courses on pediatric medicine
and immunohaematology
when she as assistant-physician at the "Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis" in Amsterdam. In 1965 she started writing her thesis, while working as a medical scientist at Utrecht University
, researching immunohaematology. In 1972 she received her Ph.D.
at the University of Amsterdam following research on the development and prevention of rhesus
immunisation
. In 1969 she was the head of the Bloodbank of the University Hospital of Utrecht
, and in 1976 she became medical director of that hospital. In 1986 she left this position to become vice-chair of the Health Council, which she combined from 1992 with a position as professor in "evaluating medical actions" at the University of Amsterdam. In the Health Council she chaired the committees on immunisation, genetics
and medical ethics
. Borst held several other positions in the medical world: she was chairperson of the College for Blood Transfusion as well as of the Committee on Research in Medical Ethics.
In 1968 she joined D66, and was active as a rank-and-file member. In 1976 for instance, when D66 had lost nearly all its members and performed particularly bad in the polls, Borst was a volunteer in the promotion and revitalization campaign of the party, led by Jan Terlouw
.
. As a minister, Borst was known for two things, for introducing progressive legislation in medical ethics and for her attempts to reform the medical system to better cope with the aging population.
In 2001 she implemented a law legalizing Euthanasia in the Netherlands
under certain extraordinary conditions, and only when extensive protocols had been followed by the physician, and subject to an obligation of full reporting to a governing body.
The law ' onMouseout='HidePop("39153")' href="/topics/Euthanasia">euthanasia
and assisted suicide) is considered her most important contribution in polictics.
In other medical ethical question, she also showed her progressive standpoints:
She faced political problems preparing the Dutch medical system for the aging of the population
. An important part of her reforms of the medical system was to integrate the health insurance
system (which had a public and private part), achieving that all citizens would pay the same amount for the same coverage. Although her ministry's budget was drastically increased during this period, she still had to limit the budgets of the hospitals. This led to a problem of long waiting lists for simple medical procedures. From both the political left and the political right she was criticized for what was seen as her mismanagement of the medical system. Pim Fortuyn
put it dramatically when in an Elsevier
column he wrote that "Borst is worse than bin Laden
", because she had caused more deaths than the September 11, 2001 attacks
.
In the 1998 elections
Borst succeeded Hans van Mierlo
as lijsttrekker
for D66. She was parachuted by the party's leadership in a press-conference where Van Mierlo announced her candidacy with the words: "It has become a girl, and we call her Els." Words which were similar to those that parents use to announce the birth of their new born child. Although Borst lost the elections -her party lost ten of its twenty-four seats- she remained the minister of Health, and became deputy-prime-minister. During the formation talks Borst served as fractievoorzitter of D66 for one week (7 May - 14 May 1998), and as formateur
.
After the parliamentary inquiry in the El Al Flight 1862
(Bijlmer Plane Crash), Borst faced a motion of no confidence
in June 1999. The inquiry committee had concluded that Borst and her ministry of Health did not react well to the health problems of survivors of the disaster. The motion was rejected by parliament after an eighteen hour long debate.
After a 2001 interview in the NRC Handelsblad
Borst also faced another motion of no-confidence. In the interview she had said "It has been done" (Dutch: "Het is volbracht") on completing the law on euthanasia. Which according to the Bible
are the last words of Jesus
, on the cross. The orthodox Protestant parties ChristianUnion
(ChristenUnie or CU) and Reformed Political Party
(SGP), who had opposed euthanasia were insulted by this. Although the motion was not carried by parliament, Borst made her apologies for those words to parliament.
During her ministry she became member of the Institute of Medicine
in Washington
and fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
in Edinburgh
.
and Liberation Day
Committees. She also holds many positions in the medical world, she is chairperson of the board of NIVEL (National Institute for Scientific Research in Medicine) and chairperson of the Federation of Dutch Cancer Patients Organizations and chair of the advisory board of the Brain Foundation of the Netherlands.
Politics of the Netherlands
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
Politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, she led D66
Democrats 66
Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
in the 1998 election campaign and served as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport for eight years, and the last four as Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the official Deputy of the Head of Government of the Netherlands. In the absence of the Prime Minister the deputy prime minister takes over his functions, such as chairing the Cabinet of the Netherlands...
. Before entering politics she had a career in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
.
Education and Academic Career
Borst attended the Barlaeus GymnasiumBarlaeus Gymnasium
The Barlaeus Gymnasium is a well-known secondary school in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It is one of the five categorial gymnasia in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the other four being Vossius Gymnasium, Ignatius Gymnasium, Het 4e gymnasium and Cygnus Gymnasium...
of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
graduating in 1950. The same school was attended by People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
(VVD) leader Frits Bolkestein
Frits Bolkestein
Frederik "Frits" Bolkestein is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from 16 January 1978, until 5 November 1982, when he became State Secretary for Economic Affairs from 5 November 1982, until 14 July...
, who was one class below her. Following graduation she studied medicine graduating in 1958. She took special courses on pediatric medicine
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
and immunohaematology
Immunohaematology
Immunohematology, more commonly known as blood banking is a branch of hematology which studies antigen-antibody reactions and analogous phenomena as they relate to the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of blood disorders. A person employed in this field is referred to as an immunohematologist...
when she as assistant-physician at the "Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis" in Amsterdam. In 1965 she started writing her thesis, while working as a medical scientist at Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
, researching immunohaematology. In 1972 she received her Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
at the University of Amsterdam following research on the development and prevention of rhesus
Rhesus blood group system
The Rh blood group system is one of thirty current human blood group systems. Clinically, it is the most important blood group system after ABO. At Present, the Rh blood group system consists of 50 defined blood-group antigens, among which the 5 antigens D, C, c, E, and e are the most important...
immunisation
Immunization
Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an agent ....
. In 1969 she was the head of the Bloodbank of the University Hospital of Utrecht
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
, and in 1976 she became medical director of that hospital. In 1986 she left this position to become vice-chair of the Health Council, which she combined from 1992 with a position as professor in "evaluating medical actions" at the University of Amsterdam. In the Health Council she chaired the committees on immunisation, genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
and medical ethics
Medical ethics
Medical ethics is a system of moral principles that apply values and judgments to the practice of medicine. As a scholarly discipline, medical ethics encompasses its practical application in clinical settings as well as work on its history, philosophy, theology, and sociology.-History:Historically,...
. Borst held several other positions in the medical world: she was chairperson of the College for Blood Transfusion as well as of the Committee on Research in Medical Ethics.
In 1968 she joined D66, and was active as a rank-and-file member. In 1976 for instance, when D66 had lost nearly all its members and performed particularly bad in the polls, Borst was a volunteer in the promotion and revitalization campaign of the party, led by Jan Terlouw
Jan Terlouw
Jan Cornelis Terlouw is a Dutch scientist, politician, and author.- Background :Jan Terlouw was born in Kamperveen, Overijssel. He was the eldest son in his family, he has two brothers and two sisters and grew up in the Veluwe...
.
Political Career
In 1994 Borst became minister of Health for D66 in the First cabinet of Wim KokFirst cabinet of Wim Kok
The First cabinet of Wim Kok , also called the "Purple Coalition" because of its social-democrat and liberal components, was a Dutch government formed by the political parties PVDA, VVD and D66. D66 had won its greatest political victory with the slogan that the Christian Democratic Appeal should...
. As a minister, Borst was known for two things, for introducing progressive legislation in medical ethics and for her attempts to reform the medical system to better cope with the aging population.
In 2001 she implemented a law legalizing Euthanasia in the Netherlands
Euthanasia in the Netherlands
Euthanasia in the Netherlands is regulated by the "Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Act" from 2002. It states that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are not punishable if the attending physician acts in accordance with criteria of due care...
under certain extraordinary conditions, and only when extensive protocols had been followed by the physician, and subject to an obligation of full reporting to a governing body.
The law ' onMouseout='HidePop("39153")' href="/topics/Euthanasia">euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
and assisted suicide) is considered her most important contribution in polictics.
In other medical ethical question, she also showed her progressive standpoints:
- In 1994 she strengthened the rights of patients, giving them the right to information and privacy, and the explicit right to refuse treatment.
- In 1996 she implemented the law on organ donationOrgan donationOrgan donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
. As a result of the law, all Dutch citizens are asked when whether they wanted to become organ donor when they are 18 years old. - In 2001 the law on foetalFetusA fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
tissue was passed, which legalized the scientific use of foetal tissue for medical research applications, if the parents agreed and if the foetal tissue was the result of an abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
or miscarriageMiscarriageMiscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
. - In 2002 she prevented xenotransplantationXenotransplantationXenotransplantation , is the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another. Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or xenotransplants...
. - She also defended the Dutch system of soft drugsDrug policy of the NetherlandsThe drug policy of the Netherlands officially has four major objectives:# To prevent recreational drug use and to treat and rehabilitate recreational drug users.# To reduce harm to users....
.
She faced political problems preparing the Dutch medical system for the aging of the population
Demographics of the Netherlands
This article is about the demographic of the Netherlands, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.-Population size:...
. An important part of her reforms of the medical system was to integrate the health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
system (which had a public and private part), achieving that all citizens would pay the same amount for the same coverage. Although her ministry's budget was drastically increased during this period, she still had to limit the budgets of the hospitals. This led to a problem of long waiting lists for simple medical procedures. From both the political left and the political right she was criticized for what was seen as her mismanagement of the medical system. Pim Fortuyn
Pim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
put it dramatically when in an Elsevier
Elsevier
Elsevier is a publishing company which publishes medical and scientific literature. It is a part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has operations in the United Kingdom, USA and elsewhere....
column he wrote that "Borst is worse than bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
", because she had caused more deaths than the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
.
In the 1998 elections
Dutch general election, 1998
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on 6 May 1998.-Result:...
Borst succeeded Hans van Mierlo
Hans van Mierlo
Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo was a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 . In 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters founded the Democrats 66...
as lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
for D66. She was parachuted by the party's leadership in a press-conference where Van Mierlo announced her candidacy with the words: "It has become a girl, and we call her Els." Words which were similar to those that parents use to announce the birth of their new born child. Although Borst lost the elections -her party lost ten of its twenty-four seats- she remained the minister of Health, and became deputy-prime-minister. During the formation talks Borst served as fractievoorzitter of D66 for one week (7 May - 14 May 1998), and as formateur
Formateur
A formateur is a politician who is appointed by the head of state to lead the formation of a coalition government, after either a general election or the collapse of a previous government. The role of the formateur is especially important in the politics of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg,...
.
After the parliamentary inquiry in the El Al Flight 1862
El Al Flight 1862
On 4 October 1992, El Al Flight 1862, a Boeing 747 cargo plane of the Israeli airline El Al, crashed into the Groeneveen and Klein-Kruitberg flats in the Bijlmermeer neighbourhood of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For the location in the Bijlmermeer, the crash is known in Dutch as the "Bijlmerramp"...
(Bijlmer Plane Crash), Borst faced a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in June 1999. The inquiry committee had concluded that Borst and her ministry of Health did not react well to the health problems of survivors of the disaster. The motion was rejected by parliament after an eighteen hour long debate.
After a 2001 interview in the NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad, often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The newspaper was created on October 1, 1970, from merger of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad . In 2006 a morning newspaper, nrc•next, was launched...
Borst also faced another motion of no-confidence. In the interview she had said "It has been done" (Dutch: "Het is volbracht") on completing the law on euthanasia. Which according to the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
are the last words of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, on the cross. The orthodox Protestant parties ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
(ChristenUnie or CU) and Reformed Political Party
Reformed Political Party
The Reformed Political Party is an orthodox Protestant Dutch political party. The term Reformed is not a reference to political reform, but is a synonym for Calvinist. The SGP is the oldest political party in the Netherlands in its current form, and for its entire existence has been in opposition...
(SGP), who had opposed euthanasia were insulted by this. Although the motion was not carried by parliament, Borst made her apologies for those words to parliament.
During her ministry she became member of the Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
Life after Politics
Before the 2002 elections she retired from political life. On 8 February 2003 she became honorary member of D66. Borst still has many positions in public life, serving as member of the Remembrance of the DeadRemembrance of the Dead
Remembrance of the Dead is held annually on May 4 in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of World War II....
and Liberation Day
Liberation Day (The Netherlands)
In the Netherlands, Liberation Day is celebrated each year on May 5th, to mark the end of the occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II....
Committees. She also holds many positions in the medical world, she is chairperson of the board of NIVEL (National Institute for Scientific Research in Medicine) and chairperson of the Federation of Dutch Cancer Patients Organizations and chair of the advisory board of the Brain Foundation of the Netherlands.