Leo de Block

Leo de Block (14 August 1904 – 4 January 1988) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and businessman.

Leo de Block
Leo de Block in 1967
Minister of Economic Affairs
In office
5 April 1967  7 January 1970
Prime MinisterPiet de Jong
Preceded byJoop Bakker
Succeeded byJohan Witteveen (Ad interim)
State Secretary for Transport
and Water Management
In office
22 November 1966  5 April 1967
Prime MinisterJelle Zijlstra
Preceded bySiep Posthumus
Succeeded byMike Keyzer
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
In office
3 September 1963  5 April 1967
Serving with
Isaäc Nicolaas
Diepenhorst

(1963–1965)
Max van der Stoel
(1965–1966)
Prime Minister
Preceded byHans van Houten
Succeeded byHans de Koster
Personal details
Born
Leo de Block

(1904-08-14)14 August 1904
The Hague, Netherlands
Died4 January 1988(1988-01-04) (aged 83)
The Hague, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Political partyChristian Democratic Appeal
(from 1980)
Other political
affiliations
Catholic People's Party
(until 1980)
Spouse(s)
Delphine van Lede
(m. 1944; his death 1988)
Children3 daughters
Alma materLeiden University
(Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
OccupationPolitician · Civil servant · Jurist · Economist · Businessman · Banker · Financial analyst · Corporate director · Nonprofit director

De Block attended the Ignatius Gymnasium in Amsterdam from April 1917 until May 1923 and applied at the Leiden University in June 1923 majoring in Law and obtaining an Bachelor of Laws degree in June 1925 before graduating with an Master of Laws degree in July 1929. De Block worked as a financial analyst for the Amsterdamsche Bank from September 1923 until October 1928 and for the Incasso Bank from October 1928 until August 1945 and for the Management Institute from August 1945 until July 1946. De Block worked as Chief executive officer (CEO) of the Incasso Bank from July 1946 until February 1947. De Block worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of Finance from February 1947 until May 1959 as Director-General of the department of Budgetary Affairs from February 1947 until March 1953 and as Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance from March 1953 until April 1959 and for the Ministry of Economic Affairs as Director-General of the department for General Economic Policy from April 1959 until May 1960. In May 1960 he was nominated as Chief financial officer (CFO) of KLM.

After the election of 1963 De Block was appointed as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Marijnen, taking office on 3 September 1963. The Cabinet Marijnen fell on 27 February 1965 after a disagreement in the coalition about reforms to the public broadcasting system and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1965 when it was replaced by the Cabinet Cals with De Block continuing as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, taking office on 4 May 1965. The Cabinet Cals fell on 14 October 1966 after the Leader of the Catholic People's Party Norbert Schmelzer had proposed a motion that called for a stronger austerity policy to further reduce the deficit was seen an indirect motion of no confidence and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1966 when it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Zijlstra with De Block remaining State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and also appointed as State Secretary for Transport and Water Management and dual served in those positions, taking office on 22 November 1966. In December De Block announced that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1967. Following the cabinet formation of 1967 De Block was appointed as Minister of Economic Affairs in the Cabinet De Jong, taking office on 5 April 1967. On 7 January 1970 De Block resigned after he disagreed with the cabinets decision to increase the wages in the metal industry but another reason was criticism on his leadership in the handling of the rising inflation after the introduction of the Value-added tax (BTW).

De Block semi-retired from in national politics and became active in the private sector and public sector and occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (DSM Company, ING Group, Robeco and Van Lanschot) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (Cadastre Agency, Dutch Transport Safety Board and the Advisory Council for Foreign Affairs).

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon barHonourCountryDateComment
Commander of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Netherlands 6 February 1970
Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 30 April 1984

References

    Official
    Civic offices
    Preceded by
    Unknown
    Director-General for
    Industrialization of the
    Ministry of Economic Affairs

    1959–1960
    Succeeded by
    Unknown
    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Hans van Houten
    State Secretary for
    Foreign Affairs

    1963–1967
    Served alongside:
    Isaäc Nicolaas
    Diepenhorst
    (1963–1965)
    Max van der Stoel (1965–1966)
    Succeeded by
    Hans de Koster
    Preceded by
    Siep Posthumus
    State Secretary for Transport
    and Water Management

    1966–1967
    Succeeded by
    Mike Keyzer
    Preceded by
    Joop Bakker
    Minister of Economic Affairs
    1967–1970
    Succeeded by
    Johan Witteveen
    Ad interim
    Business positions
    Preceded by
    Unknown
    CEO of the
    Incasso Bank

    1946–1947
    Succeeded by
    Unknown
    Preceded by
    Unknown
    CFO of KLM
    1960–1963
    Succeeded by
    Unknown
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