Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Dutch Influential Immigration Politician Bolkestein Dies At 91
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – Frits Bolkestein, one of the most influential Dutch conservative-liberal politicians who was among the first to publicly challenge immigration policies in the Netherlands, has died at the age of 91.
The former Dutch minister and European commissioner of the European Union, who voted for the left-leaning Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA) or Labour Party in his younger days, worked for oil giant Shell before moving on to become a legislator of the conservative-liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in 1977.
He was junior economic affairs minister in Ruud Lubbers’ first cabinet and defense minister in the second after a cabinet reshuffle.
In 1990, he became VVD leader and was instrumental in forming the first cabinet led by the PvdA’s Wim Kok, although he opted to remain in parliament.
From 1999 to 2004, he was the European commissioner for the internal market and taxation.
Bolkestein’s career was not without controversies. In 2010, he called for the legalization of all drugs in an article in the Dutch NRC daily entitled “Save the nation, allow drugs,” a stance he reiterated in 2020.
Also, that year, he suggested that orthodox Jews should leave the Netherlands because of rising anti-semitism in the first of many outspoken comments he made on immigration.
He was also criticized for his financial support for Soumaya Sahla, a convicted terrorist who later became an academic and adviser on deradicalization.
The author of many books, his most recent “Bij het scheiden van de markt” about politics and society, was published in 2019.
Bolkestein passed away in Laren in the Rosa Spier Huis care home, where he had lived for several years, officials said.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A Dutch community remained in shock Saturday after a 13-year-old girl was detained following the discovery of her parents’ bodies in their home in the northern Netherlands.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a 90-day state of emergency Saturday, empowering the military to clear road blockades after nearly 50 days of anti-government protests that have included widespread road blockades, leaving at least 14 people dead and crippling the nation’s economy.
A powerful thunderstorm system sweeping across Western Europe killed at least one person in the Netherlands, injured several others in Belgium and Germany, and caused widespread damage as nearly 190,000 lightning flashes illuminated the skies, authorities said Saturday.
Israeli strikes killed at least 10 people in Lebanon on Saturday despite a ceasefire that took effect hours earlier, officials said, with Israel claiming it was responding to attacks by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire that was to begin Friday afternoon, Worthy News learned.
At least 10 people, including four children, were injured in a Russian strike on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian authorities said Friday. In southern Ukraine, the State Emergency Service reported that one person was killed and four others were injured in a separate Russian attack on the Odesa region.
President Donald Trump signed the temporary peace deal with Iran ahead of schedule Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles in France, kicking off negotiations over a final nuclear deal.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com