| Joop den Uyl August 9, 1919 - December 24 1987 | |||||
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| Prime Minister of the Netherlands | |||||
Johannes Marten "Joop" den Uyl (August 9, 1919 - December 24, 1987) was a Dutch politician, prime minister of the Netherlands from 1973 until 1977, as a member of the socialist PvdA party.
He was seen as idealistic, but also polarizing politician. Den Uyl was one of the more controversial dutch politicians. One either loved him or hated him. Followers of his idealistic policies called him 'Ome Joop' (uncle Joe). He was critized for creating a budget deficit (which became a major problem for future cabinets) and polarizing dutch politics. He is seen as the most important dutch figure head of the 'maakbare samenleving' (the is mogelijk de belangrijkste representant van het idee van de maakbare samenleving (the makeable society, the idea that government action can transform society).
Carreer Den Uyl was born in a reformed family. His father, Johannes den Uyl, was basketweaver and died when Den Uyl was only 10. Den Uyl attended the Christian Lyceum in Hilversum form 1931 to 1936. Following, he studied Economics at the University of Amsterdam. In 1942 he attained the doctorandustitel. Until 1945 he was civil servant at the National Buro for Prices of Chemical Products of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. During that period he was involved in the illegal Parool-groep, which published a resistance newspaper. After the Second World War he worked for Het Parool en Vrij Nederland, an other resistance papers. From januari 1949 til 1963 he was head of the Wiardi Beckman Stichting, the scientific buro of the Dutch Labour Party.
In 1953 Den Uyl was elected to the city council of Amsterdam and in 1956 he was elected in to Parliament. In 1963 he became alderman for economic affairs in Amsterdam, resigning his parliamentary seat. He resigned that post in 1965 to become minister of economic affairs in the Cabinet Cals. The cabinet fell in 1966. During his ministry he decided to close the coalmines of Limburg, which lead to great unemployment. Following the parliament elections of 1967, he became leader of the PvdA in parliament.
Den Uyl's PvdA won the 1973 elections in alliance with the progressive liberal D'66 and radical christian PPR, but failed to achieve a majority in parliament. He entered a cabinet with the christian-democratic KVP and ARP after long negotiations. The cabinet was seen as a fighting cabinet. The biggest problem his cabinet faced was the 1973 oil boycot following the dutch support of Israel in the Yom Kippur war. Den Uyl said in speech on national television that "things would never return to the way they were" and implemented a carless sunday and rationing of oil.
In 1977 the cabinet fell due to a conflict between Den Uyl and the KVP minister of Justice van Agt. The PvdA entered the elections with the motto "Vote for the Minister-President". The elections were overshadowed by a train-hijacking by Moluccan freedom fighters in De Punt. The PvdA won by a landslide (it got over 33% percent of the votes) and 53 seats. But it was a pyrrhic victory: Den Uyl's allies, the progressive liberals and the radical christians nearly lost all their seats. The CDA, a new party that was formed by Den Uyl's former coalition-members KVP and ARP (joined by the smaller CHU, formed a cabinet with liberal VVD after 208 days of negotiations with the PvdA.
After being oppoision leader from 1977 to 1981, Den Uyl returned to government in 1981. The PvdA formed a coalition with CDA and D'66. Den Uyl became vice-minister president and minister for Social Affairs and Employment. Van Agt, a political enemy of Den Uyl's, lead this cabinet. The cabinet was in constant conflict and fell after eight monts. The elections of 1983 were won by the CDA and their allies the VVD. Den Uyl returned to parliament and lead the PvdA until 1986. He left politics after the elections of 1986, which he won. He was succeded as leader of the PvdA by Wim Kok. He died in 1987, aged 68 from a braintumor.
Den Uyl was married to Liesbeth Den Uyl. They had 3 sons and 4 daughters. Of those Saskia Noorman-den Uyl became a member of parliament for the PvdA and Zander Den Uyl be came a leading figure in ABVAKABO, one of the dutch Labour unions.