Hans van Baalen

Cornelis Johannes " Hans " van Baalen ( born June 17, 1960 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch politician of the Volkspartij voor de Vrijheid Democracy (VVD ).

Life

After his schooling in Krimpen aan den IJssel studied van Baalen law at Leiden University. From 1999 to 2002 and again from 2003 to 2009 van Baalen was a deputy in the Second Chamber of the States General. Since 2009 he is member of the European Parliament. In October 2009 he took over the presidency of the Liberal International. He is a colonel in the reserve and was in this capacity in 2002 in international missions in Bosnia.

Hans van Baalen is married and has one son.

In Nicaragua, van Baalen is persona non grata after he had met by statements of parties there with the military to discuss a rebellion against the then incumbent government.