Frits BOLKESTEIN

Nationality

Dutch

Personal details

Born 1933
Married, three children.

Education

• Barlaeus Gymnasium, Amsterdam
• 1951 - 1953: Oregon State College, USA - mathematics
• 1955 - 1959: Gemeentelijke Universiteit Amsterdam - mathematics and physics, philosophy and Greek
• 1964: Economics (first part) - University of London
• 1965: Master at Law - University of Leiden

Professional Career

• 1960 - 1976: Shell Group : Posts in East Africa, Honduras, El Salvador, London, Indonesia and Paris
• 1973 - 1976: Director Shell Chimie, Paris

Political Career

• 1978 - 1982: Member of Parliament for the V.V.D. (Liberals)
• 1986 - 1988: Idem
• 1989 - 1999: Idem
• 1982 - 1986: Minister for Foreign Trade
• 1986 - 1988: Chairman Atlantic Commission (in the Netherlands)
• 1988 - 1989: Minister of Defense
• 1990 - 1998: Chairman of the V.V.D. Parliamentary Group
• 1996 - 1999: President of Liberal International
• 1999 - 2004: Member of the European Commission
• 2004 - today "Think-tank" Amsterdam

Other details

• Member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (London)
• Author of books and articles on a wide range of topics
• Member of the Supervisory Council of the Dutch Central Bank
• Visiting professor at the Universities of Leiden and Delft
• Non-executive director of the Group Air France/KLM

Biography

Former European Commissioner for the internal market, taxation and the customs union

Frits Bolkestein studied mathematics, philosophy, Greek and economics at the Universities of Oregon (USA), Amsterdam and London. In 1965 he received his master’s degree in law at the University of Leiden.

From 1960 to 1976 Frits Bolkestein held several posts within the Shell Group in East Africa, Central America, Indonesia, London and Paris.

He started his political career in 1978. For many years Frits Bolkestein served as a Member of Parliament for the VVD, the Dutch Liberal Party. He was Minister of Foreign Trade and Minister of Defence. In 2003, he received an honorary doctorate in law of the University of Bradford. In 2004, he became a visiting professor in ‘Intellectual Backgrounds of Political Developments’ at the Universities of Leiden and Delft.

He was a member of the European Commission from September 1999 until November 2004, responsible for the internal market, taxation and the customs union.

At present Frits Bolkestein is president of the Telders-foundation, the think-tank connected with the VVD, member of the supervisory board of the Central Bank of The Netherlands and non-executive director of Air France-KLM.