Louw de Graaf

In this Dutch name, the surname is de Graaf, not Graaf.

Louw de Graaf (12 April 1930 – 15 July 2020) was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and later the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and trade union leader.

Louw de Graaf
Louw de Graaf in 1979
Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
In office 3 February 1987 – 6 May 1987 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Jan de Koning
Succeeded by	Jan de Koning
In office 29 May 1982 – 4 November 1982
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Joop den Uyl
Succeeded by	Jan de Koning
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 3 June 1986 – 14 July 1986
In office 16 September 1982 – 5 November 1982
In office 10 June 1981 – 29 May 1982
State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment
In office 6 May 1987 – 1 October 1989
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Himself
Succeeded by	Elske ter Veld
In office 5 November 1982 – 3 February 1987 Serving with Annelien Kappeyne van de Coppello (1982–1986)
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Piet van Zeil
Succeeded by	Himself
In office 28 December 1977 – 11 September 1981
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Jan Mertens
Succeeded by	Ien Dales Hedy d'Ancona
Member of the Social and Economic Council
In office 1 July 1970 – 28 December 1977
Chairman	Jan de Pous
Personal details
Born	(1930-04-12)12 April 1930 Kootstertille, Netherlands
Died	15 July 2020(2020-07-15) (aged 90) Heerenveen, Netherlands
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
Other political affiliations	Anti-Revolutionary Party (1951–1980)
Occupation	Politician · civil servant · Nonprofit director · Trade union leader

De Graaf worked as a trade union leader for the Christian National Trade Union Federation (CNV) from September 1955 until December 1977 and served as General-Secretary from May 1970 until December 1977.

After the election of 1977 De Graaf was appointed as State Secretary for Social Affairs in the Van Agt–Wiegel cabinet, taking office on 28 December 1977. De Graaf was elected to the House of Representatives in the election of 1981, taking office on 10 June 1981. Following the cabinet formation of 1981 De Graaf was not given a cabinet post in the new cabinet, the Van Agt–Wiegel cabinet was replaced by the Van Agt II cabinet on 11 September 1981 and he continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher and deputy spokesperson for social affairs and employment. On 12 May 1982 the Van Agt II cabinet fell just seven months into its term and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the first cabinet formation of 1982 when it was replaced by the caretaker Van Agt III cabinet with De Graaf's appointment as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, taking office on 29 May 1982.

De Graaf (left) in 1982 as Minister of Social Affairs

After the election of 1982, De Graaf returned to the House of Representatives, taking office on 16 September 1982. Following the second cabinet formation of 1982 De Graaf was again appointed as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment in the Lubbers I cabinet, taking office on 5 November 1982. After the election of 1986 De Graaf again returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 3 June 1986. Following the cabinet formation of 1986 De Graaf continued as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment in the Lubbers II cabinet, taking office on 14 July 1986. De Graaf served as acting Minister of Social Affairs and Employment from 3 February 1987 until 6 May 1987 following the appointment of Jan de Koning as acting Minister of the Interior during a medical leave of absence of Kees van Dijk. The Lubbers II cabinet fell on 3 May 1989 following a disagreement in the coalition about the increase of tariffs and excises and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. In July 1989 De Graaf announced that he would not stand for the election of 1989.

In September 1989 De Graaf was nominated as a Chairman of the Supervisory board of the National Health Care Institute, he resigned as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment the same day he was installed as chairman, serving from 1 October 1989 until 1 July 2003.

Decorations

Honours

Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	30 April 1977
	Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	20 November 1989

External links

Official

• L. (Louw) de Graaf Parlement & Politiek (in Dutch)