Petrus Josef Sietse "Piet" de Jong (born April 3, 1915) is a retired Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from April 5, 1967 until July 6, 1971.
A veteran submarine commander of World War II. De Jong graduated from the Royal Netherlands Naval College in 1934 and joined the Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service and served on HNLMS O 24 during World War II, he ended the war as the commanding officer of that vessel, the HNLMS O 24 was one of the few Dutch submarines that survived the war. During his service in World War II he was awarded the Bronze Cross twice, the first time in 1940 and for the second time in 1943 and was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross of the United Kingdom for his services during War.
After World War II De Jong continued to serve in the Royal Netherlands Navy, commanding two frigates and serving as aide-de-camp to Queen Juliana. He eventually rose to the rank of Captain but retired from active service a year later when he was asked by the Catholic People's Party to serve on their behalf as State Secretary for Defence dealing with matters of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
He served as State Secretary for Defence from June 25, 1959 until July 24, 1963 in the Cabinet De Quay. He later became Minister of Defence serving from July 24, 1963 until April 5, 1967 in the Cabinets Marijnen, Cals and Zijlstra. After the Dutch general election of 1967, De Jong became Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Minister of General Affairs, leading the Cabinet de Jong. He also served as acting Minister of Economic Affairs from January 7, 1970 until January 14, 1970 following the resignation of Leo de Block, he was succeeded by Roelof Nelissen. The resignation of De Block marked the only change in the Council of Ministers during the full term of the cabinet.
Despite his popularity, the Catholic People's Party refused to nominate him as the lijsttrekker (top candidate) for the Dutch general election of 1971 because of his alleged "conservative image" and he was replaced by his Minister of Education and Science Gerard Veringa who had a more "progressive image". After his premiership, De Jong remained in active politics and became the Parliamentary leader of the Catholic People's Party in the Senate and a Member of the Senate serving from May 11, 1971 until September 17, 1974 and finally retiring from active politics at the age of fifty nine. Following the end of his active political career, De Jong occupied numerous seats on supervisory boards in the business and industry world.
De Jong is known for his dry wit and his abilities as a team leader with perspective and pragmatism. His cabinet was the first cabinet after World War II that completed a full term without any internal conflicts. As of 2012, he is the oldest and earliest serving former Prime Minister of the Netherlands and is one of the oldest living state leaders at the age of 97. Over forty years after he left office, De Jong continues to comment on political affairs as an elder statesman.
Famous quotes containing the word jong:
“There is a rhythm to the ending of a marriage just like the rhythm of a courtship—only backward. You try to start again but get into blaming over and over. Finally you are both worn out, exhausted, hopeless. Then lawyers are called in to pick clean the corpses. The death has occurred much earlier.”
—Erica Jong (b. 1942)