Laurens Jan Brinkhorst

Who is Laurens Jan Brinkhorst?

Laurens Jan Brinkhorst is a Dutch D66 politician.

Brinkhorst was an undersecretary of state of foreign affairs and a minister of agriculture. Furthermore he was the leader of the D66-group in the Second Chamber of the Dutch parliament. He was also a minister of economic affairs in the second Balkenende cabinet. Journalists gave him the nickname Brilly the kid.

He married Jantien Heringa, daughter of Ewardus Heringa and wife Petronela Johanna Roskam. They are the parents of Marius Brinkhorst and the Dutch princess Laurentien Brinkhorst, who married Prince Constantijn in 2001.

Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst was born in the city of Zwolle. After getting his high school diploma he studied law at the University of Leiden. He got his MA in Public Law and Government at Columbia University in New York City. Afterwards he worked at Shearman & Sterling in New York City.

From 1962, and from 1965 as a director, he worked at the Europe-institute at the Rijksuniversiteit Leiden where he became a Reader in 1965 as well. During the period 1967-1973 he was Professor of European Law at the University of Groningen. On 11 May 1973 he became Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet of Den Uyl.