Former VVD leader and Deputy Prime Minister Hans Wiegel passes away at 83

Former VVD leader and Deputy Prime Minister Hans Wiegel has passed away at 83 years of age, his family confirmed a report by De Telegraaf. “We are proud of who he was and what he meant to many people. To us, he was the sweetest father that we could have wished for,” they said in response to the news.

Wiegel’s daughter, Marieke, said that the former politician had been struggling with his health for a while and that he eventually died of old age in his home. She is proud of how Wiegel lived his life as a “self-made man” and was always thinking of his family while doing so. "He was attached to life and always saw the joy in something," she said about her father.

He is survived by his two children, Marieke and Eric, and two grandchildren. Wiegel was married twice in his life. Both of his wives passed away due to an accident.

Wiegel was born in Amsterdam. He was active in the JOVD during his youth and went into the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, in 1966. He worked his way up to becoming a party leader in parliament within four years.

Under his stewardship, the VVD grew into a wide-ranging liberal party. The VVD went from having 16 seats to 22 in the Tweede Kamer elections of 1972.

Wiegel was known for being a harsh critic of the country’s prime minister, Joop den Uyl, in the years that followed. One of Wiegel’s comments towards Van Uyl during a parliamentary debate has been remembered in history. “Sinterklaas exists, there he is, sitting behind the table,” he said while pointing towards Den Uyl.

The VVD rose to 28 seats in parliament in 1977 under Wiegel. Although the PvdA was the biggest winner of the election, the party was kept out of a new Cabinet. The liberal party entered into government with the CDA, and Wiegel became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior in the first Cabinet of Dries van Agt.

Wiegel often showed himself to be a witty politician during debates. On one occasion, when a member of the public shouted “asshole” towards him he responded “nice of you to introduce yourself. My name is Wiegel.”

Wiegel returned in 1981 as a member of parliament and party leader, but left national politics after less than a year. He became Queen's Commissioner in Friesland, a position he would hold for 12 years.

He re-joined the national politics scene on one more occasion, joining the Eerste Kamer, otherwise known as the Dutch Senate, in 1995. He caused a small crisis within the Cabinet four years later when he was the only VVD senator to vote against a bill for a corrective referendum, thereby torpedoing the proposal.

Wiegel worked as a columnist for De Telegraaf during his later years, but he quit his work with the newspaper at 80 years of age in 2022.

“Hans Wiegel was the face of an era. Together with contemporaries such as Dries van Agt and Joop den Uyl, he added colour to Dutch politics for many years," Prime Minister Dick Schoof said in response to the news of Wiegel’s passing.

"Wiegel was sharp during the debates, but he always did it with humor and personal appreciation for his opponent," said Schoof. "I will remember him with a smile and with great respect. My thoughts go out to his relatives."

The current VVD leader, Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, also praised Wiegel, saying that the former party leader was a master at making politics clear enough for everyone to understand. “Wiegel knew better than anyone how to make politics understandable and how to translate it into what political decisions meant for people at home. Never unnecessarily complicated, never condescending."

Yesilgoz-Zegerius added that her party is deeply affected by Wiegel’s passing and fondly remembers his role in establishing the group as an important liberal party. "Hans Wiegel remained interested and involved, even after his active career. A man of stature, an example to us all. We will miss him."