Thom de Graaf
Encyclopedia
Thomas Carolus de Graaf (ˈtoːmɑs də ˈɣraːf; born 11 June 1957) is a Dutch
jurist and politician. He is a member of social liberal
party
Democrats 66
(D66). Since January 2007 he has been mayor
of the city of Nijmegen and since 7 June 2011 also a member of the Senate. Previously he was Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
and Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations.
and studied law at the Catholic University Nijmegen
where he obtained his LL.M.
in 1981. He was a member
of the House of Representatives in the period 1994-2003, where he also held the post of party leader and faction chairperson for D66 from 1997 onwards. He sat as vice-chairman in the parliamentary inquiry commission that looked into the investigative methods used by the Dutch interregional police force, leading to the resignation in 1994 of the Minister for Internal Affairs, Ed van Thijn
.
De Graaf served in the second Balkenende cabinet
as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations from 23 May 2003 until 23 March 2005. In 2005, de Graaf resigned, after the introduction of democratically-elected mayor
s had been rejected in the Senate, with a deciding vote cast by the Labour Party faction under guidance by Ed van Thijn. The proposal was especially important as it had become a symbol of the overnment reform that D66 had wanted since its creation. Alexander Pechtold
took his place in the cabinet.
In 2007, De Graaf became mayor of Nijmegen, as successor of Guusje ter Horst. De Graaf's father, Theo de Graaf, was a KVP member of parliament and from 1968 until 1977 mayor of Nijmegen.
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Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
jurist and politician. He is a member of social liberal
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
party
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
Democrats 66
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...
(D66). Since January 2007 he has been mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the city of Nijmegen and since 7 June 2011 also a member of the Senate. Previously he was Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
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...
and Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations.
Biography
De Graaf is born in AmsterdamAmsterdam
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...
and studied law at the Catholic University Nijmegen
Radboud University Nijmegen
Radboud University Nijmegen is a public university with a strong focus on research in Nijmegen, the Netherlands...
where he obtained his LL.M.
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
in 1981. He was a member
Legislator
A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
of the House of Representatives in the period 1994-2003, where he also held the post of party leader and faction chairperson for D66 from 1997 onwards. He sat as vice-chairman in the parliamentary inquiry commission that looked into the investigative methods used by the Dutch interregional police force, leading to the resignation in 1994 of the Minister for Internal Affairs, Ed van Thijn
Ed van Thijn
Eduard "Ed" van Thijn is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from February 23, 1967 until September 11, 1981. When Joop den Uyl became Prime Minister, Van Thijn became the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives,...
.
De Graaf served in the second Balkenende cabinet
Second Balkenende cabinet
The second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands formed on 27 May 2003. It consisted of three political parties: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Christian Democratic Appeal , and Democrats 66 , which is the smallest of the three.On 29 June 2006, D66 dropped its support for...
as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations from 23 May 2003 until 23 March 2005. In 2005, de Graaf resigned, after the introduction of democratically-elected mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
s had been rejected in the Senate, with a deciding vote cast by the Labour Party faction under guidance by Ed van Thijn. The proposal was especially important as it had become a symbol of the overnment reform that D66 had wanted since its creation. Alexander Pechtold
Alexander Pechtold
Alexander Pechtold is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006...
took his place in the cabinet.
In 2007, De Graaf became mayor of Nijmegen, as successor of Guusje ter Horst. De Graaf's father, Theo de Graaf, was a KVP member of parliament and from 1968 until 1977 mayor of Nijmegen.
External links
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