Frits Korthals Altes

Frederik "Frits" Korthals Altes (born 15 May 1931) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and jurist. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 26 October 2001.

His Excellency Frits Korthals Altes
Frits Korthals Altes in 2001
President of the Senate
In office 11 March 1997 – 2 October 2001
Preceded by	Herman Tjeenk Willink
Succeeded by	Gerrit Braks
Parliamentary leader in the Senate
In office 13 June 1995 – 11 March 1997
Preceded by	David Luteijn
Succeeded by	Leendert Ginjaar
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 14 September 1989 – 11 June 1991
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Minister of the Interior
In office 26 January 1987 – 3 February 1987 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Kees van Dijk
Succeeded by	Jan de Koning (Ad interim)
In office 20 February 1986 – 12 March 1986 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Koos Rietkerk
Succeeded by	Rudolf de Korte
Minister of Justice
In office 4 November 1982 – 7 November 1989
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Job de Ruiter
Succeeded by	Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Member of the Senate
In office 11 June 1991 – 2 October 2001
In office 10 June 1981 – 4 November 1982
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
In office 15 March 1975 – 22 May 1981
Leader	Hans Wiegel
Preceded by	Haya van Someren
Succeeded by	Jan Kamminga
Personal details
Born	Frederik Korthals Altes 15 May 1931 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (from 1956)
Spouse(s)	Titia Kist ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1985)​ Hendrika Matthijssen ​ ​ (m. 1985)​
Children	3 sons
Residence	Rotterdam, Netherlands
Alma mater	Leiden University (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
Occupation	Politician · Jurist · Lawyer · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Editor · Author

Korthals Altes attended the Barlaeus Gymnasium in Amsterdam from June 1937 until July 1943 and applied at the Leiden University in June 1951 majoring in Law and obtaining an Bachelor of Laws degree in June 1953 before graduating with an Master of Laws degree in July 1957. Korthals Altes worked as a lawyer in Rotterdam from August 1957 until November 1982. Korthals Altes served as Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy from 15 March 1975 until 22 May 1981. Korthals Altes was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1981, taking office on 10 June 1981. After the election of 1982 Korthals Altes was appointed as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Lubbers I, taking office on 4 November 1982. Korthals Altes served as acting Minister of the Interior from 20 February 1986 until 12 March 1986 following the death of Koos Rietkerk. After the election of 1986 Korthals Altes continued as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Lubbers II, taking office on 14 July 1986. Korthals Altes again served as acting Minister of the Interior from 26 January 1987 until 3 February 1987 during a medical leave of absence of Kees van Dijk until Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Jan de Koning took over as acting Minister of the Interior. Korthals Altes was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1986, taking office on 14 September 1989. The Cabinet Lubbers II was replaced by the Cabinet Lubbers III on 7 November 1989 and he continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher.

In April 1991 Korthals Altes announced that he wanted tot return to the Senate. After the Senate election of 1991 Korthals Altes was elected again as a Member of the Senate, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives the day he was installed as a Member of the Senate, taking office on 11 June 1991 serving as a frontbencher chairing several parliamentary committees. Korthals Altes also became active in the private sector and public sector and occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (Unilever, KPN, Randstad Holding, Arcadis, Carnegie Foundation, Stichting INGKA Foundation, and the Institute of International Relations Clingendael) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government. Following the Senate election of 1991 Korthals Altes was selected as Parliamentary leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the Senate, taking office on 13 June 1995. Korthals Altes was nominated as President of the Senate following the appointed of Herman Tjeenk Willink as Vice-President of the Council of State, taking office on 11 March 1997. In September 2001 Korthals Altes announced his retirement from national politics. He resigned as President of the Senate and a Member of the Senate on 2 October 2001.

Biography

Early life

Frederik Korthals Altes was born on 15 May 1931 in Amsterdam. He worked as a lawyer from 1957 until 1982.

Politics

After the second Lubbers cabinet fell because of a parliamentary motion of no confidence by the VVD faction, new elections were called, and Korthals Altes was elected to the Dutch House of Representatives. In 1991, he was elected back again to the Dutch Senate, where he became a Chairman of the Senate in 1997. From 1990 to 1997, he was also practising law again, with the Dutch firm Nauta Dutilh.

With his resignation from the senate in 2001, he was nominated as Minister of State. Earlier in 1997, the VVD gave him an honorary membership. From 1997 until 2001, he was President of the Senate. The Dutch Queen nominated Korthals Altes, alongside Rein Jan Hoekstra (CDA), as informateur, after a first round of talks between the CDA and Labour Party (PvdA) to form a new cabinet failed. The second Balkenende cabinet between the VVD, CDA and D66, was installed in May 2003.

Korthals Altes chaired a commission in 2007 that looked into the Dutch election process. The final report of the commission advised the government to abandon electronic voting machines, as they lack a paper trail.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown	Luxembourg	15 November 1983
	Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour	France	6 February 1984
	Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit	Germany	30 May 1985
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown	Belgium	6 July 1986
	Grand Cross of the Order of Merit	Portugal	2 October 1989
	Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	20 November 1989	Elevated from Officer (13 May 1981)
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic	Spain	1 December 1998
	Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit	France	28 February 2000
	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure	Japan	12 May 2000
Awards
Ribbon bar	Awards	Organization	Date	Comment
	Honorary Member	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	23 May 1997
Honorific Titles
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Minister of State	Netherlands	26 October 2001	Style of Excellency

References

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Mr. F. (Frits) Korthals Altes Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Mr. F. Korthals Altes (VVD) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal