Frits Bolkestein

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Frits Bolkestein

Frederik (Frits) Bolkestein (born April 4, 1933 in Amsterdam ) is a Dutch politician ( VVD ). He was EU Commissioner from 1999 to 2004 and in 2004 delivered the much-discussed draft of the European Services Directive (also often referred to as the “ Bolkestein Directive ”).

Life and work

Frits Bolkestein in the Second Chamber in 1980

His grandfather was the minister Gerrit Bolkestein . After graduating from high school , Frits Bolkestein studied mathematics and physics at the University of Amsterdam and in the USA , then philosophy and Greek , also in Amsterdam. Between 1960 and 1976, Bolkestein worked for the chemical company Shell . Here he worked as a manager in various positions in the field, including in Africa , Indonesia , Honduras , El Salvador , Great Britain and France . There he was a board member of Shell Chemie in Paris for three years . Early in his career at Shell, he also studied law at Leiden University and economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science .

Bolkestein is married and has three children.

Political party

Bolkestein was from 1978 to 1999 a member of the Liberals ( VVD ) in the Dutch parliament, from 1982 to 1986 Minister of Commerce of the Netherlands and from 1988 to 1989 Minister of Defense . From 1990 to 1998 he was group leader of the VVD in the Dutch parliament. He is considered a representative of the right wing.

From 1996 to 1999 he was President of the Liberal International . He was also an advisor to the Mont Pelerin Society .

In the EU Commission Prodi he was responsible for the internal market , taxes and customs union .

Political activities

The last important official act he presented was the draft of a European Services Directive .

He gained more attention on the internet through his unrestricted advocacy of software patenting and a negotiating trick on May 18, 2004 in the EU Council of Ministers . Frits Bolkestein presented his abbreviation of a German amendment proposal as "modified in a slightly technical manner". In the version presented by Frits Bolkestein, however, only the words "new and" have been added.

In 2002 he attended the 50th Bilderberg Conference in Chantilly, Virginia .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. https://de.scribd.com/doc/169382128/Bilderberg-Meetings-Conference-Report-2002 Bilderberg Protocol 2002