Wim Meijer (Labour Party)

This article is about the Labour Party politician. For the Pacifist Socialist Party politician, see Wim Meijer (Pacifist Socialist Party).

Wim Meijer
Meijer in 1981
Queen's Commissioner of Drenthe
In office 1 January 1989 – 1 January 1993
Monarch	Beatrix
Preceded by	Ad Oele
Succeeded by	Margreeth de Boer
Leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives
In office 11 September 1981 – 16 September 1982
Preceded by	Joop den Uyl
Succeeded by	Joop den Uyl
State Secretary for Culture, Recreation and Social Work
In office 11 May 1973 – 8 September 1977
Prime Minister	Joop den Uyl
Preceded by	Henk Vonhoff
Succeeded by	Jeltien Kraaijeveld-Wouters Gerard Wallis de Vries
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 8 June 1977 – 1 January 1989
In office 11 May 1971 – 11 May 1973
Personal details
Born	Willem Meijer (1939-08-16) 16 August 1939 Harkstede, Netherlands
Political party	Labour Party (since 1958)
Spouses	Betty Smittenberg ​ (divorced)​ Tjarda Harmsma ​ (divorced)​ Gerdi Verbeet ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	1 son, 1 daughter (first marriage) 2 stepsons (third marriage)
Residence(s)	Amsterdam Garderen
Occupation	Politician · Civil servant · Businessman · Banker · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Social worker · Activist

Willem "Wim" Meijer (born 16 August 1939) is a retired Dutch politician and businessman. He is a member of the Labour Party (PvdA).

Meijer worked as a social worker in Hengelo from April 1964 until May 1971. Meijer served on the Municipal Council of Hengelo from June 1966 until July 1970. Meijer also was active as a political activist and was one of the leaders of the New Left movement in the Netherlands which aimed to steer the Labour Party more to the Left. Meijer was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1971, taking office on 11 May 1971. After the election of 1972 Meijer was appointed as State Secretary for Culture, Recreation and Social Work in the Cabinet Den Uyl, taking office on 11 May 1973. The Cabinet Den Uyl fell on 22 March 1977 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. After the election of 1977 Meijer returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 8 June 1977 but he was still serving in the cabinet and because of dualism customs in the constitutional convention of Dutch politics he couldn't serve a dual mandate he subsequently resigned as State Secretary on 8 September 1977. After the election of 1981 the Leader of the Labour Party and Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives Joop den Uyl was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Cabinet Van Agt II, Meijer was selected as his successor as Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives, taking office on 11 September 1981. The Cabinet Van Agt II fell just seven months into its term on 12 May 1982 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Van Agt III on 29 May 1982. After the election of 1982 Den Uyl subsequently returned as a Member of the House of Representatives and as Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives on 16 September 1982.

On 14 October 1988 Meijer was nominated as Queen's Commissioner of Drenthe, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives the same day he was installed as Queen's Commissioner of Drenthe, taking office on 1 January 1989.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	11 April 1978
	Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	30 December 1992

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) W. (Wim) Meijer Parlement & Politiek