Frits Korthals Altes

Titia Kist

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(m. 1965;div. 1985)​

Hendrika Matthijssen

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(m. 1985)​

His Excellency Frits Korthals Altes
Korthals Altes in 2001
President of the Senate
In office 11 March 1997 –2 October 2001
Children	3 sons
Residence(s)	Rotterdam, Netherlands
Alma mater	Leiden University (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
Occupation	Politician · Jurist · Lawyer · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Editor · Author

Frederik "Frits" Korthals Altes (born 15 May 1931) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and jurist. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 26 October 2001.

Biography

Korthals Altes attended the Barlaeus Gymnasium in Amsterdam from June 1937 until July 1943 and applied at the Leiden University in June 1951 majoring in Law and obtaining a Bachelor of Laws degree in June 1953 before graduating with a Master of Laws degree in July 1957. Korthals Altes worked as a lawyer in Rotterdam from August 1957 until November 1982. Korthals Altes served as Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy from 15 March 1975 until 22 May 1981. Korthals Altes was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1981, taking office on 10 June 1981. After the election of 1982 Korthals Altes was appointed as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Lubbers I, taking office on 4 November 1982. Korthals Altes served as acting Minister of the Interior from 20 February 1986 until 12 March 1986 following the death of Koos Rietkerk. After the election of 1986 Korthals Altes continued as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Lubbers II, taking office on 14 July 1986. Korthals Altes again served as acting Minister of the Interior from 26 January 1987 until 3 February 1987 during a medical leave of absence of Kees van Dijk until Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Jan de Koning took over as acting Minister of the Interior. Korthals Altes was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1986, taking office on 14 September 1989. The Cabinet Lubbers II was replaced by the Cabinet Lubbers III on 7 November 1989 and he continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher.

In April 1991 Korthals Altes announced that he wanted to return to the Senate. After the Senate election of 1991 Korthals Altes was elected again as a Member of the Senate, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives the day he was installed as a Member of the Senate, taking office on 11 June 1991 serving as a frontbencher chairing several parliamentary committees. Korthals Altes 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 (Unilever, KPN, Randstad NV, Arcadis, Carnegie Foundation, Stichting INGKA Foundation, and the Institute of International Relations Clingendael) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government. Following the Senate election of 1991 Korthals Altes was selected as Parliamentary leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the Senate, taking office on 13 June 1995. Korthals Altes was nominated as President of the Senate following the appointed of Herman Tjeenk Willink as Vice-President of the Council of State, taking office on 11 March 1997. In September 2001 Korthals Altes announced his retirement from national politics. He resigned as President of the Senate and a Member of the Senate on 2 October 2001.

With his resignation from the senate in 2001, he was nominated as Minister of State. Earlier in 1997, the VVD gave him an honorary membership. The Dutch Queen nominated Korthals Altes, alongside Rein Jan Hoekstra (CDA), as informateur , after a first round of talks between the CDA and Labour Party (PvdA) to form a new cabinet failed. The second Balkenende cabinet between the VVD, CDA and D66, was installed in May 2003.

Korthals Altes chaired a commission in 2007 that looked into the Dutch election process. The final report of the commission advised the government to abandon electronic voting machines, as they lack a paper trail.

Honours and appointments

Appointments

•   Netherlands: Minister of State with style of Excellency (26 October 2001)

National

• Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau (20 November 1989)
• Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (13 May 1981)

Foreign

•   Belgium: Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (6 July 1986)
•   France:
  • Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (28 February 2000)
  • Grand Officer of the Order of Legion of Honour (6 February 1984)
•   Germany: Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (30 May 1985)
•   Japan: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (12 May 2000)
•   Luxembourg: Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown (15 November 1983)
•   Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (2 October 1989)
•   Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (1 December 1998)

Other memberships

•   Netherlands: Honorary Member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (23 May 1997)

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Mr. F. (Frits) Korthals Altes Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Mr. F. Korthals Altes (VVD) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal

Party political offices
Preceded by Haya van Someren	Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 1975–1981	Succeeded by Jan Kamminga
Preceded by David Luteijn	Parliamentary leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the Senate 1995–1997	Succeeded by Leendert Ginjaar
Political offices
Preceded by Job de Ruiter	Minister of Justice 1982–1989	Succeeded by Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Preceded by Koos Rietkerk	Minister of the Interior Ad interim 1986 1987	Succeeded by Rudolf de Korte
Preceded by Kees van Dijk		Succeeded by Jan de Koning Ad interim
Preceded by Herman Tjeenk Willink	President of the Senate 1997–2001	Succeeded by Gerrit Braks