Eduardus Hermannus Theresia Maria Nijpels (born 1 April 1950) is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and nonprofit director.
Biography
Nijpels studied Civil law at the Utrecht University obtaining a Master of Studies in Law degree. Nijpels served as chairman of the political youth organisation JOVD from February 1974 until November 1975. Nijpels worked as a civics teacher in Roosendaal from August 1974 until June 1977. After the election of 1977 Nijpels was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives on 8 June 1977 serving as a frontbencher chairing the House Committee on Law enforcement and spokesperson for Justice and the Ombudsman. After the Party Leader and Parliamentary leader Hans Wiegel announced he was stepping down he endorsed Nijpels as his successor and he was anonymously selected as his successor on 20 April 1982.
For the elections of 1982 Nijpels served as lead candidate and following a cabinet formation with Christian-democratic Leader Ruud Lubbers formed the first Lubbers cabinet with Nijpels opting to remain as Parliamentary leader. For the election of 1986 Nijpels again served as lead candidate but shortly thereafter announced that he was stepping down following disappointed election results on 9 July 1986. After a cabinet formation the coalition continued and Nijpels was appointed Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment in the Cabinet Lubbers II taking office on 14 July 1986. After the election of 1989 Nijpels returned to the House of Representatives on 14 September 1989 and served as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Spatial Planning and the Environment. In March 1990 Nijpels was nominated as the Mayor of Breda serving from 1 April 1990 until 1 July 1995 when he was appointed director-general for the Arbodienst of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. In December 1998 Nijpels was nominated as the next Queen's Commissioner of Friesland serving from 1 January 1999 until 1 May 2008.
Nijpels semi-retired from active politics and became active in the private and public sectors as a corporate and non-profit director and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government, and works as a trade association executive serving as Chairman of the Koninklijke NLingenieurs from May 2008 until May 2015, the GeoBusiness association since September 2009 and for the Industry and Employers confederation (VNO-NCW) from July 2008 until March 2015 and became a Member of the Social and Economic Council in August 2014. Nijpels continues to be active an advocate, lobbyist and activist for Environmentalism, Sustainable development, Conservation and Climate change.