Henk Krol

Henricus Cornelis Maria "Henk" Krol (; born 1 April 1950) is a Dutch journalist, publisher, entrepreneur, activist and politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2013, and again from 2014 to 2021. Having served as the leader of 50PLUS, he left the party in 2020, due to disagreements with the rest of the party's leadership. Since 2023, Krol has been a member of Belang van Nederland (BVNL).

Career Krol served as the main spokesman for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in the House of Representatives from 1978 until 1985. He was editor-in-chief of the magazine Gay Krant, which he founded in 1980. Between March 2011 and September 2012, he was a member of the Provincial Council of North Brabant.

For the 2012 general election Krol was the lead candidate for the pensioners' party 50PLUS. Krol was the parliamentary leader of 50PLUS in the House of Representatives from 13 September 2012 until 4 October 2013 and a Member of the House of Representatives from 20 September 2012 until 4 October 2013.

On 4 October 2013, de Volkskrant published an article alleging that Krol withheld pension money from his employees from 2004 until 2007, and then again in 2009, while working for the Gay Krant. De Volkskrant said that the tip-off leading to the article had come via Publeaks NL, a new Dutch anonymous whistleblowing initiative. The same day, Krol announced his resignation from the House of Representatives in a letter, admitting that he made 'many mistakes'. Although he did not address the allegations directly, he concluded that "it is impossible for me to continue in my function as representative". He was replaced in the House of Representatives by Martine Baay-Timmerman on 29 October 2013.

He was elected with preferential votes for the Ouderen Appèl party to the municipal council of Eindhoven in March 2014. Krol returned to the House of Representatives on 10 September 2014, when Martine Baay-Timmerman went on sick leave.

After disagreements with the party board of 50PLUS, Krol resigned from his leadership position and exited the party. He founded the Party for the Future together with fellow independent member of the House of Representatives Femke Merel van Kooten, but left the party a few months later. He unsuccessfully participated in the 2021 general election with the progressive conservative party Henk Krol List , which he had established on 18 October 2020. In the 2023 general election, Krol was the second candidate of the right-wing to far-right party Belang van Nederland, but did not win a seat.

Electoral history

Decorations