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Frans Willy Weisglas (born 8 August 1946) is a retired Dutch politician, diplomat and economist. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 16 May 2002 until 30 November 2006. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 16 September 1982 until 30 November 2006.[1]
Frans Weisglas | |
|---|---|
 Weisglas in 2010 | |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 28 May 2002 – 30 November 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven |
| Succeeded by | Gerdi Verbeet |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 16 September 1982 – 30 November 2006 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frans Willy Weisglas 8 August 1946 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Political party | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (from 1967) |
| Spouse |
Nynke Kuperus (m. 1973) |
| Residence(s) | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Alma mater | Erasmus University Rotterdam (Bachelor of Economics, Master of Economics) |
| Occupation | Politician · Diplomat · Civil servant · Economist · Nonprofit director · Political pundit |
| Website | (in Dutch) fransweisglas.nl |
Early life
Weisglas studied economics at the Erasmus University, in Rotterdam, obtaining a degree in 1970.
Politics
After his graduation, he worked for some years for the Dutch foreign service, being part of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations (1970–1977). He then worked as a secretary to the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation (1978–1981). In 1982, he became an elected member of the House of Representatives, where he focused on foreign and European affairs.
In 2002, Weisglas was elected Speaker of the House, after Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven of the Labour Party stepped down. He was the first Speaker of the House to be elected (and re-elected in 2003) by a democratic vote among parliamentarians without requiring royal approval.
On 15 August 2006 he announced that he would not be a candidate in the 2006 Dutch general election, ending his 24-year-old career as a politician. His last day as Speaker of the House was on 30 November 2006.[2]
Trivia
He is an ambassador for Terre des hommes.
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| Honours | ||||
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
_-_Ribbon_bar.svg){kind=small} |
Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 28 April 1995 | |
 |
Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown | Luxembourg | 24 April 2006 | |
 |
Commander of Order of Leopold | Belgium | 4 July 2006 | |
 |
Grand Cordon of Order of Independence | Jordan | 30 October 2006 | |
 |
Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 29 November 2006 | |
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