Berend Jan "Bé" Udink (12 February 1926 – 24 May 2016) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the defunct

Christian Historical Union The Christian Historical Union ( nl, Christelijk-Historische Unie, CHU) was a Protestant Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The CHU is one of the predecessors of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), into which it merged in ...

(CHU) party now merged into the

Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal ( nl, Christen-Democratisch Appèl, ; CDA) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. It was originally formed in 1977 from a confederation of the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolutionary ...

(CDA) party and businessman. Udink applied at the Rotterdam School of Economics in July 1946 majoring in

Economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

and obtaining an

Bachelor of Economics The Bachelor of Economics (BEc or BEcon), or the "Bachelor of Applied Economics", is a bachelor's degree awarded by many universities and colleges for completion of an undergraduate program in economics, econometrics, or applied economics; the ...

degree in June 1948 before graduating with a

Master of Economics The Master of Economics (MEcon or MEc) is a postgraduate master's degree in economics comprising training in economic theory, econometrics, and/or applied economics. The degree is also offered as an MS or MSc, MA or MCom in economics; varian ...

degree in June 1952. Udink also applied at the

University of Lausanne The University of Lausanne (UNIL; french: links=no, Université de Lausanne) in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second oldest in Switzer ...

in August 1946 for a

Class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

Financial economics Financial economics, also known as finance, is the branch of economics characterized by a "concentration on monetary activities", in which "money of one type or another is likely to appear on ''both sides'' of a trade".William F. Sharpe"Financial ...

obtaining an

Bachelor of Accountancy The Bachelor of Accountancy, also known as Bachelor of Accounting, is the principal academic degree in accountancy in several countries, and is often the only (undergraduate) degree recognised for subsequent practice as a professional accountant ...

degree in September 1947. Udink worked as a corporate director of the

Chamber of commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

from October 1953 until July 1962. Udink also worked as an associate professor of Trade economics at the Rotterdam School of Economics from June 1959 until September 1964. Udink worked as corporate director of the Chamber of commerce of

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

from July 1962 until April 1967 serving as executive director from January 1963 until April 1967. Udink served on the Rijnmond Council from September 1965 until April 1967. After the election of 1967 Udink was appointed as Minister for Aid to Developing Countries in the Cabinet De Jong, taking office on 5 April 1967. After the Leader of the Christian Historical Union and

Parliamentary leader A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. They are the ...

of the Christian Historical Union in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

Jur Mellema unexpectedly announced that he was stepping down as Leader of the Christian Historical Union, the Christian Historical Union leadership approached Udink as his successor, Udink accepted and became the Leader of the Christian Historical Union and ''

Lijsttrekker In politics, a lead candidate (; , ) is the leader of a political party in an election to a legislative body. In parliamentary systems, it is often the party's nominee for the position of head of government. In open list electoral systems, it is ...

'' (top candidate) for the election of 1971 on 20 June 1970. The Christian Historical Union suffered a small loss, losing 3 seats and now had 7 seats in the House of Representatives. Udink was subsequently elected as a Member of the House of Representatives and became the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives, taking office on 11 May 1971. The following cabinet formation of 1971 resulted in a coalition agreement between the Christian Historical Union, the

Catholic People's Party The Catholic People's Party ( nl, Katholieke Volkspartij, KVP) was a Catholic Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1945 as a continuation of the Roman Catholic State Party, which was a continuation of ...

(KVP), the

People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( nl, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie ; VVD) is a conservative-liberal Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin ''Politics and Governance in the Netherlands'', Basingstoke (Palgrave) p.49 political party in ...

(VVD), the

Anti-Revolutionary Party The Anti-Revolutionary Party ( nl, Anti-Revolutionaire Partij, ARP) was a Protestant conservative and Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1879 by Abraham Kuyper, a neo-Calvinist theologian and m ...

(ARP) and the

Democratic Socialists '70 The Democratic Socialists '70 ( nl, Democratisch Socialisten '70, DS'70) was a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. History DS'70 was founded on 4 April 1970 as the result of a split from the Labour Party (PvdA). In June 1970, ...

(DS'70) which formed the Cabinet Biesheuvel I with Udink appointed as Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning, taking office on 6 July 1971. On 28 July 1971 Udink announced that he was stepping down as Leader in favor of Parliamentary leader and predecessor Mellema. The Cabinet Biesheuvel I fell just one year later on 19 July 1972 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity with Udink taking over as Minister of Transport and Water Management on 21 July 1972 until it was replaced by the

caretaker Caretaker may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Caretaker'' (film), a 1963 adaptation of the play ''The Caretaker'' * '' The Caretakers'', a 1963 American film set in a mental hospital * Caretaker, a character in the 1974 film '' ...

Cabinet Biesheuvel II with Udink continuing as Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning and Minister of Transport and Water Management, taking office on 9 August 1972. In September 1972 Udink announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1972. The Cabinet Biesheuvel II was replaced by the Cabinet Den Uyl following the cabinet formation of 1972 on 11 May 1973. Udink retired from national politics and became active in the

private sector The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...

, in August 1973 Udink was appointed as

Chief financial officer The chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization that is assigned the primary responsibility for managing the company's finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financ ...

(CFO) and Vice Chairman of the

Board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

of the Overseas Gas and Electric Company (OGEM) from 1 September 1973 until 1 January 1978. In December 1977 Udink was nominated as

Chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

(CEO) and Chairman of the Board of directors of Overseas Gas and Electric Company working from 1 January 1978 until 1 March 1980. Udink remained active in the private sector and

public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, infra ...

and occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (

Zilveren Kruis Zilveren Kruis (Silver Cross) is a Dutch health insurance company, based in Leiden, which was founded in 1949. It is part of the Achmea group which was created in 1995 when it merged with the Avéro-Centraal Beheer Group. The Ziekenhuis Sint Jan ...

Transnational Institute The Transnational Institute (TNI), is an international non-profit research and advocacy think tank that was founded in 1974, Amsterdam, Netherlands. According to their website, the organization promotes a "... just, democratic and sustainable wor ...

Radio Netherlands Worldwide Radio Netherlands (RNW; nl, Radio Nederland Wereldomroep) was a public radio and television network based in Hilversum, producing and transmitting programmes for international audiences outside the Netherlands from 1947 to 2012. Its services i ...

, Energy Research Centre, Stichting IKEA Foundation and

Terre des hommes Terre des hommes, also Terre des Hommes (''Land of People'' or ''Land of Men''), is an international children's rights charitable humanitarian umbrella organization under the aegis of the International Federation of Terre des Hommes (TDHIF), wit ...

) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government ( Public Pension Funds APB,

Staatsbosbeheer Staatsbosbeheer, founded in 1899, is a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves. Staatsbosbeheer currently oversees over 250,000 hectares of land in the Netherlands. Usually this land is open to the public ...

, Council for Culture, Cadastre Agency and the Advisory Council for Spatial Planning) and served as an diplomat and lobbyist for several economic delegations on behalf of the government. Udink was known for his abilities as a negotiator and

debate Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...

r. Udink continued to comment on political affairs until his death at the age of 90.

Biography

Early life

Berend Jan Udink was born on 12 February 1926 in

Deventer Deventer (; Sallands: ) is a city and municipality in the Salland historical region of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands. In 2020, Deventer had a population of 100,913. The city is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, bu ...

in the

Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

Overijssel Overijssel (, ; nds, Oaveriessel ; german: Oberyssel) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name translates to "across the IJssel", from the perspective of the ...

in a

Remonstrant The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that had split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his ...

family. Udink studied

economy An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...

and

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

(1945–1952). After his studied he was employed at the

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...

of Rotterdam and later worked as a teacher at the Economische Hogeschool Rotterdam (Economic College of Rotterdam). Udink, who belonged to the

, was elected in the so-called

Rijnmond Rijnmond () (literally ''Rhine Mouth, Mouth of the Rhine, Rhine Estuary'') is the conurbation surrounding the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Another term used in this context is ''Stadsregio Rotterdam'' (literally ''Rotterdam Urban Region'' ...

raad (Council of Rijnmond), a local council of representatives of Rijnmond, in 1965.

Politics

Two years later, in 1967, he became minister for Development Cooperation in the Cabinet-De Jong, a post he held till 1971. In 1971 he was

lijsttrekker In politics, a lead candidate (; , ) is the leader of a political party in an election to a legislative body. In parliamentary systems, it is often the party's nominee for the position of head of government. In open list electoral systems, it is ...

of the CHU, presenting himself as a conservative and a "

law and order In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...

" politician. In that same year Udink became minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management in the Cabinets-Biesheuvel I and II. His political career ended in 1973. From 1973 till 1978 he was member of the Board of Directors of the Overzeese Gas- en Elektriciteitsmaatschappij N.V. (as Dutch gas and electricity company) and from 1978 till 1980 he served as its president.

Personal

Bé Udink was married and had three children. He belonged to the

Remonstrant Brotherhood The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that had split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his ...

( Arminian Protestant Church).

Decorations

References

External links

;Official *
Drs. B.J. (Bé) Udink
Parlement & Politiek {{DEFAULTSORT:Udink, Bé 1926 births 2016 deaths Businesspeople from Rotterdam Christian Historical Union politicians Commanders of the Order of Orange-Nassau Dutch chief executives in the manufacturing industry Dutch chief executives in the oil industry Dutch corporate directors Dutch expatriates in Switzerland Dutch lobbyists Dutch nonprofit directors Dutch nonprofit executives Erasmus University Rotterdam alumni Erasmus University Rotterdam faculty Grand Officers of the Order of Leopold II Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Leaders of the Christian Historical Union Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands) Ministers for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands Ministers of Housing and Spatial Planning of the Netherlands Ministers of Transport and Water Management of the Netherlands People from Deventer People from Goedereede Politicians from Rotterdam Remonstrants University of Lausanne alumni 20th-century Dutch businesspeople 20th-century Dutch diplomats 20th-century Dutch economists 20th-century Dutch educators 20th-century Dutch politicians