Norbert Schmelzer
Wilhelm Klaus Norbert "Norbert" Schmelzer (22 March 1921 – 14 November 2008) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and economist.[1]
Norbert Schmelzer | |
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Norbert Schmelzer in 1966 | |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | |
Prime Minister | Barend Biesheuvel |
Preceded by | Joseph Luns |
Succeeded by | Max van der Stoel |
Member of Senate | |
In office 11 May 1971 – 6 July 1971 | |
Parliamentary group | Catholic People's Party |
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives | |
In office 7 December 1963 – 28 April 1971 | |
Preceded by | Wim de Kort |
Succeeded by | Cor Kleisterlee Jr. |
Parliamentary group | Catholic People's Party |
Leader of the Catholic People's Party | |
In office 7 December 1963 – 25 February 1971 | |
Deputy | See list
|
Preceded by | Wim de Kort |
Succeeded by | Gerard Veringa |
Member of the House of Representatives | |
In office 2 July 1963 – 11 May 1971 | |
In office 20 March 1959 – 19 May 1959 | |
Parliamentary group | Catholic People's Party |
State Secretary for General Affairs | |
In office 19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963 | |
Prime Minister | Jan de Quay |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
State Secretary for the Interior, Property and Public Sector Organisations | |
In office 29 October 1956 – 19 May 1959 | |
Prime Minister | Willem Drees (1956–1958) Louis Beel (1958–1959) |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Theo Bot as State Secretary for the Interior |
Personal details | |
Born | Wilhelm Klaus Norbert Schmelzer 22 March 1921 Rotterdam, Netherlands |
Died | 14 November 2008 87) Sankt Ingbert, Germany | (aged
Nationality | Dutch |
Political party | Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980) |
Other political affiliations | Catholic People's Party (1952–1980) |
Spouse(s) | Carla Mutsaerts
(m. 1950; div. 1977)Daphne Mary Nieuwenhuizen
(m. 1977; |
Children | 3 sons and 2 daughters (first marriage) |
Alma mater | Tilburg Catholic Economic University (Bachelor of Economics, Master of Economics) |
Occupation | Politician · Diplomat · Civil servant · Economist · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Political pundit · Lobbyist · Composer · Poet · Author |
Schmelzer attended the gymnasium of the Jesuit Sint Aloysius College in The Hague from June 1933 until July 1939 and applied at the Tilburg Catholic Economic University in July 1939 majoring in Economics. On 10 May 1940 Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands and the government fled to London to escape the German occupation. During the German occupation Schmelzer continued his study obtaining an Bachelor of Economics degree in June 1941 before graduating with an Master of Economics degree in September 1945. Schmelzer worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of Economic Affairs from February 1947 until October 1956 for the department for Financial and Economic Policy from February 1947 until August 1951 and the department for European and International Policy from August 1951 until October 1956.
After the election of 1956 Schmelzer was appointed as State Secretary for the Interior in the Cabinet Drees III, taking office on 29 October 1956. The Cabinet Drees III fell on 11 December 1958 continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1958 when it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Beel II with Schmelzer continuing as State Secretary for the Interior, taking office on 22 December 1958. Schmelzer was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1959, taking office on 20 March 1959. Following the cabinet formation of 1959 Schmelzer was appointed as State Secretary for General Affairs in the Cabinet De Quay, taking office on 19 May 1959. The office of State Secretary for General Affairs was created specially for Schmelzer and was considered as a de facto Deputy Prime Minister. After the election of 1963 Schmelzer returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 2 July 1963. Following the cabinet formation of 1963 Schmelzer per her own request asked not to be considered for a cabinet post in the new cabinet, he was seen as a rising star by the Catholic People's Party leadership and was considered as the favorite son to succeed Wim de Kort as the next Leader of the Catholic People's Party. The Cabinet De Quay was replaced by the Cabinet Marijnen on 24 July 1963 he continued serving in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher. In November 1963 the Leader of the Catholic People's Party and Parliamentary leader of the Catholic People's Party in the House of Representatives De Kort announced he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives, the Catholic People's Party leadership approached Schmelzer as his successor, Schmelzer accepted and became the Leader and Parliamentary leader, taking office on 7 December 1963. On 27 February 1965 the Cabinet Marijnen fell and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity and Schmelzer was appointed as Formateur. Following a failed cabinet formation attempt he approached former Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences Jo Cals as a candidate for Prime Minister, Cals accepted and was appointed as Formateur to form a new cabinet. The following cabinet formation of 1965 resulted in a coalition agreement between the Catholic People's Party, the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) which formed the Cabinet Cals on 14 April 1965.
On 14 October 1966 Schmelzer proposed a motion in the House of Representatives that called for a stronger financial and economic policy to further reduce the deficit from the Cabinet Cals, Prime Minister Cals saw this as an indirect motion of no confidence from his own party against his cabinet and announced the resignation of the cabinet that same day, the crisis would eponymous be called the Night of Schmelzer. The Cabinet Cals continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1966 when it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Zijlstra on 22 November 1966.[2]
For the election of 1967 Schmelzer served as Lijsttrekker (top candidate). The Catholic People's Party suffered a small loss, losing 8 seats but retained its place as the largest party and now had 42 seats in the House of Representatives. The following cabinet formation of 1967 resulted in a coalition agreement between the Catholic People's Party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) which formed the Cabinet De Jong on 5 April 1967.[3][4] In February 1971 Schmelzer unexpectedly announced that he was stepping down as Leader and that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1971 but wanted to run for the to the Senate. Schmelzer was elected as a Member of Senate after the Senate election of 1971, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives the same day he was installed as a Member of Senate, taking office on 11 May 1971. Following the cabinet formation of 1971 Schmelzer was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Biesheuvel I, taking office on 6 July 1971. The Cabinet Biesheuvel I fell just one year later on 19 July 1972 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Biesheuvel II with Schmelzer continuing as Minister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 9 August 1972. In September 1972 Schmelzer announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1972. The Cabinet Biesheuvel II was replaced by the Cabinet Den Uyl following the cabinet formation of 1973 on 11 May 1973.
Schmelzer retired after spending 16 years in national politics and 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 (Douwe Egberts, Akzo, Heijmans, Netherlands Atlantic Association and the Institute of International Relations Clingendael) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (KPN, Public Pension Funds PFZW and the Cadastre Agency) and served as an diplomat and lobbyist for several economic delegations on behalf of the government and the European Economic Community. Schmelzer was also a prolific composer, pianist and poet having written more than a dozen compositions and poems since 1973.
Schmelzer was known for his abilities as a debater and negotiator. Schmelzer continued to comment on political affairs until his death at the age of 87 and holds the distinction as the first State Secretary for the Interior and the first and only State Secretary for General Affairs.[5]
Decorations
Honours | ||||
Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre | Holy See | 1957 | ||
Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown | Belgium | 1959 | ||
Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour | France | 1964 | ||
Grand Officer of the Order of the Oak Crown | Luxembourg | 1969 | ||
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit | Portugal | 1971 | ||
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic | Spain | 1971 | ||
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit | Germany | 1971 | ||
Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George |
United Kingdom | 1972 | ||
Grand Officer of the Order of the Liberator | Venezuela | 1972 | ||
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Elephant | Thailand | 11 February 1973 | ||
Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 8 June 1973 | ||
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 15 March 1991 | Elevated from Grand Officer (27 July 1963) | |
Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit | France | |||
References
- "Norbert Schmelzer overleden" (in Dutch). Parool. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- "Kabinetscrisis 1966: de Nacht van Schmelzer" (in Dutch). Parlement & Politiek. 10 December 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- (in Dutch) P. J. S. (Piet) de Jong 5 April 1967 – 6 juli 1971, Geschiedenis24, 9 December 2005
- (in Dutch) De putschisten zijn onder ons, De Groene Amsterdammer, 28 October 2005
- "De Nacht die de Nederlandse politiek veranderde" (in Dutch). Historiek.net. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Norbert Schmelzer. |
- Official
- (in Dutch) Drs. W.K.N. (Norbert) Schmelzer Parlement & Politiek
- (in Dutch) Drs. W.K.N. Schmelzer Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal
Party political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Wim de Kort |
Parliamentary leader of the Catholic People's Party in the House of Representatives 1963–1971 |
Succeeded by Cor Kleisterlee Jr. |
Leader of the Catholic People's Party 1963–1971 |
Succeeded by Gerard Veringa | |
Preceded by Wim de Kort 1963 |
Lijsttrekker of the Catholic People's Party 1967 |
Succeeded by Gerard Veringa 1971 |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Office established |
State Secretary for the Interior, Property and Public Sector Organisations 1956–1959 |
Succeeded by Theo Bot as State Secretary for the Interior |
State Secretary for General Affairs 1959–1963 |
Succeeded by Office abolished | |
Preceded by Joseph Luns |
Minister of Foreign Affairs 1971–1973 |
Succeeded by Max van der Stoel |