Jan de Koning

Jan de Koning (31 August 1926 – 8 October 1994) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and later the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and social geographer.

De Koning joined the Dutch resistance against the German occupation in September 1943, at the time barely 17 years old. Following the end of World War II, he volunteered and enlisted in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army as a corporal serving in the Dutch East Indies from August 1945 until June 1948. He studied Social geography at the Utrecht University and obtained a Master of Social Science degree. He worked as a trade association executive for the Christian Farmers and Gardeners association (CBTB) from February 1955 until May 1971 and as a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences from November 1961 until January 1964. In the 1969 Senate election, De Koning was elected to the Senate on 16 September 1969, and served as a frontbencher and spokesperson for agriculture. After the 1971 general election, he was elected to the House of Representatives on 10 May 1971 and served as a frontbencher and spokesperson for agriculture and development cooperation. He was also selected as a Member of the European Parliament on 22 September 1971 and dual served in both positions and served as Party Chairman from 11 May 1973 until 13 December 1975.

After the 1977 general election, De Koning was appointed Minister for Development Cooperation in the Van Agt–Wiegel cabinet, taking office on 19 December 1977. After the 1981 general election, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Van Agt II cabinet taking office on 11 September 1981. The cabinet fell just seven months into its term and was replaced by the caretaker Van Agt III cabinet, with De Koning retaining his position and also taking over the portfolio of Netherlands Antilles Affairs, taking office on 29 May 1982. After the 1982 general election, De Koning was appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and also retained the portfolio of Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs in the Lubbers I cabinet, taking office on 4 November 1982. After the 1986 general election, De Koning again continued his offices in the Lubbers II cabinet. He was appointed acting Minister of the Interior following a cabinet reshuffle, serving from 3 February 1987 until 6 May 1987. In July 1989, De Koning announced that he would not stand for the 1989 general election and declined to serve in new cabinet.

De Koning continued to be active in politics and in December 1989 was nominated as a member of the Council of State on 1 January 1990. De Koning also became active in the public sector as non-profit director and serves on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government, and worked as a distinguished professor of Social geography at the University of Groningen from January 1991. In August 1994, De Koning was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died just three months later in October 1994 at the age of 68. De Koning was known for his abilities as a skilful manager and effective consensus builder. He holds the distinction as the longest-serving Minister of Social Affairs with 7 years, 3 days in Dutch history.

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