Dries van Agt, Christian Democratic Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1977 to 1982, died by euthanasia while “hand in hand” with his wife. They were both 93 years old.
This news was made public on Friday by the Rights Forum, an organization founded by a politician concerned with human rights. According to reports, the couple died on Monday and will be buried in a private ceremony in the city of Nijmegen, located in the eastern part of the country.
“He died hand in hand with his beloved wife Eugenia van Agt-Krekelberg, a support person with whom he was together for over seventy years and whom he always called ‘my girl’,” the statement said.
Both had been suffering from serious health problems for some time. In 2019, Van Agt suffered a brain hemorrhage while giving a speech at a Palestinian memorial ceremony. He has not fully recovered since then.
Rutte: My political great-grandfather
“Van Agt, initially a traditional Dutch Christian Democrat, became increasingly progressive after leaving politics, eventually leaving his party in 2017 over ideological differences with Israel and the Palestinians,” the Associated Press describes.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called Van Agt his ‘great-great-grandfather in office’. “With his flowery and unique language, clear convictions and excellent presence, Dries van Agt gave color and substance to Dutch politics in times of polarization,” Rutte said in a statement.
The Dutch royal family also had their say. “He took on administrative responsibilities in turbulent times and managed to inspire many with his striking personality and colorful style,” King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Beatrix said in a joint statement.
Van Agt was an activist of the Catholic People’s Party and the Christian Democratic Appeal. From July 1971 to September 1977 he was Minister of Justice, from May 1973 also Deputy Prime Minister and from April to May 1973 he temporarily held the position of Minister of Culture. In December 1977, Dries van Agt became Prime Minister, a position he held until November 1982. From May 1982 he was also Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
