Els Borst

Els ( e) Borst -Eilers ( born March 22, 1932 in Amsterdam, † February 10, 2014 in Bilthoven ) was a Dutch physician and politician.

She studied medicine from 1950 to 1958 in Amsterdam. In the years 1958 to 1965, she specialized in the areas of Pediatrics and Immunohematology and worked as an assistant doctor. From 1965 to 1969 she was a research assistant at the University of Utrecht. Subsequently, she worked at the blood bank of the Academic Teaching Hospital in Utrecht, the medical lead she held from 1975 to 1986. From 1986 to 1994 she was vice-chairman of the Dutch Health Council.

Borst- Eilers was already since 1968 a member of the Democraten 66 ( D66 ). When her party in 1994 formed a coalition government with the PvdA and VVD, she was appointed Minister of Health. She led the D66 as the top candidate in the general election of 1998, abandoned after the poor performance of the democrats (loss of ten seats ) on the group's presidency and a more leading role in the party, but it turned for a second term as Secretary of available and had also held the office of Deputy Prime Minister until July 2002.

During her eight -year term basic medical and ethical issues were discussed in the Netherlands, including euthanasia and embryo research. Under their auspices, a law was put in place, no longer presented the euthanasia under certain conditions punishment. This brought her a massive hostility. Although it was attributed to a high level of expertise, their office was not undisputed leadership and she had to ask twice a vote of no confidence. Your active political career ended after the general election of 2002, when the coalition of Social Democrats, Left - and right-wing liberals was discontinued.

Els Borst -Eilers was made an honorary member of the D66 in 2003. In December 2012, her the honorary title of Minister van was awarded State. She died 81 years old in February 2014, initially unexplained circumstances. Her body was found in the garage of their home. According to the results of a forensic examination was Borst -Eilers victim of a violent crime.