Edzo Toxopeus

Edzo Hendrik Toxopeus (19 February 1918 – 23 August 2009) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and jurist. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 22 January 1985.

His Excellency Edzo Toxopeus
Edzo Toxopeus in 1966
Member of the Council of State
In office 1 November 1980 – 1 March 1988
Vice President	Willem Scholten
Queen's Commissioner of Groningen
In office 16 February 1970 – 1 November 1980
Monarch	Juliana (1970–1980) Beatrix (1980)
Preceded by	Cees Fock
Succeeded by	Henk Vonhoff
President of the Liberal International
In office 15 April 1966 – 25 April 1970
Preceded by	Giovanni Malagodi
Succeeded by	Gaston Thorn
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives
In office 12 March 1966 – 1 October 1969
Preceded by	Molly Geertsema
Succeeded by	Molly Geertsema
In office 2 July 1963 – 24 July 1963
Preceded by	Roelof Zegering Hadders
Succeeded by	Molly Geertsema
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
In office 30 March 1963 – 1 October 1969
Deputy	See list Roelof Zegering Hadders (1963–1969) Molly Geertsema (1963–1969) Johan Witteveen (1967–1969)
Preceded by	Pieter Oud
Succeeded by	Molly Geertsema
Minister of the Interior
In office 19 May 1959 – 14 April 1965
Prime Minister	Jan de Quay (1959–1963) Victor Marijnen (1963–1965)
Preceded by	Teun Struycken as Minister of the Interior, Property and Public Sector Organisations
Succeeded by	Jan Smallenbroek
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 21 September 1965 – 1 November 1969
In office 2 July 1963 – 24 July 1963
In office 6 November 1956 – 19 May 1959
Parliamentary group	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Personal details
Born	Edzo Hendrik Toxopeus (1918-02-19)19 February 1918 Amersfoort, Netherlands
Died	23 August 2009(2009-08-23) (aged 91) Oegstgeest, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (from 1948)
Other political affiliations	Freedom Party (1946–1948)
Spouse(s)	Alberta Ufkes (m. 1944; her death 2005)
Children	1 son and 1 daughter
Alma mater	Utrecht University (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
Occupation	Politician · Diplomat · Jurist · Lawyer · Businessman · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Lobbyist
Military service
Allegiance	Netherlands
Branch/service	Royal Netherlands Army
Years of service	1944–1945 (Active duty) 1945–1948 (Reserve)
Rank	Lieutenant
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Market Garden Battle of Groningen

Toxopeus applied at the Utrecht University in June 1936 majoring in Law and obtaining an Bachelor of Laws degree in July 1938 before graduating with an Master of Laws degree in July 1942. Toxopeus worked as a legal adviser for a law-firm in Breda from July 1942 until October 1944. Following the Liberation of the Southern-Netherlands in October 1944 Toxopeus joined the military reserve force of the Royal Netherlands Army as a Lieutenant and served as a military lawyer for the military justice system of the Royal Netherlands Army from November 1944 until August 1945. Toxopeus worked as a criminal defense lawyer in Breda from August 1945 until May 1959. Toxopeus served on the Municipal Council of Breda from September 1949 until May 1959.

Toxopeus became as a Member of the House of Representatives after the number of seats in the House of Representatives was increased from 100 to 150 shortly after the election of 1956, taking office on 6 November 1956 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Law enforcement, Housing and Spatial Planning, Civil Service, Local Government Affairs, Ombudsman and deputy spokesperson the Interior, Justice and Provincial Government Affairs. After the election of 1959 Toxopeus was appointed as Minister of the Interior in the Cabinet De Quay, taking office on 19 May 1959. After the Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Parliamentary leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives Pieter Oud announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1963, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy leadership approached Toxopeus as candidate to succeed him, Oud had also approached incumbent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Water Management Henk Korthals as his successor but without the endorsement of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy leadership Korthals withdrew his name for consideration and Toxopeus became the Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Lijsttrekker (top candidate) for the election, taking office on 30 March 1963. The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy suffered a small loss, losing 3 seats and now had 16 seats in the House of Representatives. Toxopeus subsequently returned as a Member of the House of Representatives and became Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives, taking office on 2 July 1963. The following cabinet formation of 1963 resulted in a continuation of the coalition agreement between the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, the Catholic People's Party (KVP), the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) which formed the Cabinet Marijnen with Toxopeus opting to remain as Minister of the Interior, taking office on 24 July 1963. The Cabinet Marijnen fell on 27 February 1965 after a disagreement in the coalition about reforms to the public broadcasting system and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1965 when it was replaced by the Cabinet Cals on 14 April 1965. Toxopeus subsequently returned as a Member of the House of Representatives after Johan Witteveen was elected as Member of the Senate, taking office on 21 September 1965 but approached incumbent Parliamentary leader Molly Geertsema to continue as Parliamentary leader and he continued to serve in the House of Representatives as frontbencher chairing the parliamentary committee for the Interior, the parliamentary committee for Law enforcement and the special parliamentary committee for Constitutional Amendments concerning the Crown and spokesperson for General Affairs, the Interior, Law enforcement, Provincial Government Affairs and deputy spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Civil Service, Local Government Affairs and Kingdom Relations and subsequently returned as Parliamentary leader, taking office on 12 March 1966. Toxopeus also served as President of the Liberal International from 15 April 1966 until 25 April 1970. For the election of 1967 Toxopeus served for a second and final time as Lijsttrekker. The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy made a small win, gaining 1 seat and now had 17 seats in the House of Representatives. The following cabinet formation of 1967 resulted in a coalition agreement between the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union which formed the Cabinet De Jong with Toxopeus opting to remain in the House of Representatives instead of accepting a cabinet post in the new cabinet and he continued to serve in the House of Representatives as Parliamentary leader. On 1 October 1969 Toxopeus unexpectedly announced he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader and endorsed his long serving Deputy Geertsema as his successor and continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a backbencher until his resignation on 1 November 1969.

Toxopeus remained in active in national politics, in December 1969 he was nominated as the next Queen's Commissioner of Groningen, taking office on 16 February 1970. Toxopeus 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 (Carnegie Foundation, Atlantic Association and the Institute of International Relations Clingendael) and served on several state commissions and as an diplomat and lobbyist for several economic delegations on behalf of the government and as an advocate and activist for Human rights, Humanitarianism, Democracy and for European integration presiding over several commissions for the European Union. In October 1970 Toxopeus was nominated as a Member of the Council of State, he resigned as Queen's Commissioner the day he was installed as a Member of the Council of State, taking office on 1 November 1980.

Toxopeus was known for his abilities as a manager and negotiator. Toxopeus continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until his death at the age of 91 and holds the distinction as the longest-serving Minister of the Interior after World War II with 5 years, 330 days.