Fons van der Stee

Alphonsus Petrus Johannes Mathildus Maria "Fons" van der Stee (30 July 1928 – 9 September 1999) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) and later the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and economist.[1]

Fons van der Stee
Fons van der Stee in 1979
Minister of Finance
In office 5 March 1980 – 4 November 1982
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Gijs van Aardenne (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Onno Ruding
Minister for Netherlands Antilles Affairs
In office 19 December 1977 – 11 September 1981
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Gaius de Gaay Fortman
Succeeded by	Joop den Uyl
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
In office 1 November 1973 – 5 March 1980
Prime Minister	Joop den Uyl (1973–1977) Dries van Agt (1977–1980)
Preceded by	Tiemen Brouwer
Succeeded by	Gerrit Braks
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 8 June 1977 – 8 September 1977
In office 12 December 1972 – 11 May 1973
Parliamentary group	Catholic People's Party
State Secretary for Finance
In office 11 May 1973 – 1 November 1973 Serving with Aar de Goede
Prime Minister	Joop den Uyl
Preceded by	Himself
Succeeded by	Martin van Rooijen
In office 14 July 1971 – 12 March 1973 Serving with Willem Scholten
Prime Minister	Barend Biesheuvel
Preceded by	Ferd Grapperhaus
Succeeded by	Himself
Member of the Senate
In office 11 May 1971 – 14 July 1971
Parliamentary group	Catholic People's Party
Chairman of the Catholic People's Party
In office 30 March 1968 – 14 July 1971
Leader	Norbert Schmelzer (1968–1971) Gerard Veringa (1971)
Preceded by	Piet Aalberse Jr.
Succeeded by	Dick de Zeeuw
Personal details
Born	Alphonsus Petrus Johannes Mathildus Maria van der Stee 30 July 1928 Zevenbergen, Netherlands
Died	9 September 1999 (aged 71) The Hague, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
Other political affiliations	Catholic People's Party (until 1980)
Spouse(s)	Tonny Kramers ​ ​ (m. 1957; died 1993)​
Alma mater	Radboud University Nijmegen (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
Occupation	Politician · Jurist · Economist · Financial adviser · Tax advisor · Businessman · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Lobbyist

Van der Stee applied at the Radboud University Nijmegen in June 1950 majoring in Tax law and obtaining an Bachelor of Laws degree in June 1952 before graduating with an Master of Laws degree on 29 February 1956. Van der Stee worked as a tax advisor in Arnhem from May 1956 until July 1971. Van der Stee served as Chairman of the Catholic People's Party from 30 March 1968 until 14 July 1971. Van der Stee was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1971, taking office on 11 May 1971.

After the election of 1971 Van der Stee was appointed as State Secretary for Finance in the Cabinet Biesheuvel I, taking office on 14 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 Van der Stee continuing as State Secretary for Finance, taking office on 9 August 1972. Van der Stee was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1972, taking office on 12 December 1972 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 for Finance on 12 March 1973. Following the cabinet formation of 1972 Van der Stee was again appointed as State Secretary for Finance in the Cabinet Den Uyl, taking office on 11 May 1973. Van der Stee was appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries following the resignation of Tiemen Brouwer, taking office on 1 November 1973. The Cabinet Den Uyl fell on 22 March 1977 after four years of tensions in the coalition and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. After the election of 1977 Van der Stee returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 8 June 1977 but again because of the dualism customs in Dutch politics he subsequently resigned as Member of the House of Representatives on 8 September 1977. Following the cabinet formation of 1977 Van der Stee remained Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and was also appointed as Minister for Netherlands Antilles Affairs in the Cabinet Van Agt–Wiegel, taking office on 19 December 1977. Van der Stee was appointed as Minister of Finance following the resignation of Frans Andriessen, taking office on 5 March 1980. In December 1980 Van der Stee announced that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1981. Following the cabinet formation of 1981 Van der Stee continued as Minister of Finance in the Cabinet Van Agt II, 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 with Van der Stee remaining as Minister of Finance on 29 May 1982. In June 1982 Van der Stee announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1982. The Cabinet Van Agt III was replaced by the Cabinet Lubbers I following the cabinet formation of 1982 on 4 November 1982.

Van der Stee retired after spending 14 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 (General Bank of the Netherlands, Tulip Computers, Apollo Vredestein and the HMC Westeinde Hospital).

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre	Holy See	11 November 1971
	Grand Officer of the Honorary Order of the Palm	Suriname
	Commander of the Legion of Honour	France		[2]
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	9 December 1982

References

1. "Met Van der Stee was altijd te praten over een 'deal'" (in Dutch). Volkskrant. 10 September 1999. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
2. "Plooibare Van der Stee zat in vijf kabinetten" (in Dutch). Reformatorisch Dagblad. 10 September 1999. Retrieved 28 September 2019.

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Mr. A.P.J.M.M. (Fons) van der Stee Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Mr. A.P.J.M.M. van der Stee (KVP) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal