Jan Terlouw

January Cornelis Terlouw (* November 15, 1931 in Kamperveen ) is a Dutch physicist, politician Democraten 66 ( D66 ) and book author.

Life and work

Science

Terlouw studied Natural Sciences in Utrecht, where he received his doctorate in 1963 ( the title of his dissertation, published in 1964: Experimental study of a highly ionized steady-state cesium plasma). From the late 50s to the early 70s, he was mainly responsible for various research projects in the field of plasma physics, amongst other things two years at MIT employed.

Politics and Administration

In 1967 he joined the left-liberal party Democraten 66. In 1970 he was chosen for them in the municipal council of Utrecht, in 1971, he was Member of Parliament ( Tweede Kamer ). In 1973, he was Chairman of the Group, which amounted to de facto the role of party leader. Under his leadership, the party took in the second half of the 70s a significant upswing in voter support. When the D66 after the successful election of 1981, when they first received more than 10 % of the vote, participating in a coalition government with the CDA and the PvdA, was Terlouw Economy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. After the premature rupture of the tripartite coalition presented the D66 with the CDA a minority cabinet, lost in the election of 1982, however, nearly two-thirds of their voters and mandates. As a consequence, to Terlouw withdrew from politics. His experiences during this time he summarized in the political diary Naar zeventien zetels en terug (ISBN 90-204-3435-7 ). A leading role in his party, he took over only once in the years 1999 to 2003, when he was Deputy Chairman of its Group in the First Chamber. In the intervening time, he held various positions and offices in the administrative area. He was from 1983 to 1991 Secretary General of the European Conference of Transport Ministers and subsequently from 1991 to 1996 Commissioner of the Queen for the province of Gelderland.