Jim Janssen van Raaij
James "Jim" Leonard Janssen van Raay (June 1, 1931 - February 11, 2010) was a Dutch lawyer and politician.
Jim Janssen van Raaij | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) | |
| House of Representatives Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 2002–2003 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Leonard Janssen van Raaij 6 January 1932 Muntok, Dutch East Indies |
| Died | The Hague 11 February 2020 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Political party | Pim Fortuyn List (2002-2003) |
| Other political affiliations | Union 55+ (1996-1999) Christian Democratic Appeal (1980-1996) Christian Historical Union (1980) |
| Occupation | Politician, lawyer |
Biography
Van Raaij was born in 1931 in Mentok, then part of the Dutch East Indies.[1] As a teenager he was placed in a civilian internment camp run by the Japanese during the Second World War. He arrived in the Netherlands in 1946 and started a career as a lawyer. In 1961 he was involved in the foundation of the Association of Contract Players, a union for professional football players in the Netherlands. Van Raaij died in early 2020 at the age of 77 in a hospital in The Hague.
Politics
Van Raaij became involved in the Christian Historical Union and was appointed as its national secretary. In 1980, he was a founding member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). In 1979, he was elected as an MEP to the European Parliament for the CDA but became an independent in 1996 due to alleged financial misdeeds. He joined the Union for Europe group as an independent MEP and supported a number of eurosceptic proposals including voting against the introduction of the Euro currency. At the same time he also joined the Union 55+ party but continued to serve as an independent in the European parliament until his term ended.[2]
In 2002, he joined the newly created Pim Fortuyn List and was third on the candidate list for the 2002 general election. He was elected to the House of Representatives on May 15, 2002. Van Raaij had more professional political experience than other LPF members and was vice-chairman of the standing committee for Foreign Affairs. He ran for president of the House of Representatives, but lost to Frans Weisglas. He would retire from politics at the 2003 election due to disputes with new LPF leader Mat Herben.[3][4]