Jan Terlouw

Jan Cornelis Terlouw (born 15 November 1931) is a retired Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 (D66) party. Terlouw a physicist by occupation, worked as a nuclear physics researcher for the research institute Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) from 1958 until 1971. Terlouw also worked as a researcher for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1960 until 1962 and for the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) from 1965 until 1966. Terlouw was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the Dutch general election of 1971 serving from 11 May 1971 until 11 September 1981. After the Dutch general election of 1972 Hans van Mierlo, the Leader of the Democrats 66 and Parliamentary leader of the Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives, announced that he was stepping down after disappointing results in the election. Terlouw was elected to succeed him and became Leader of the Democrats 66 and Parliamentary leader of the Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives on 1 September 1973. For the Dutch general election of 1977 Terlouw became the Lijsttrekker (top candidate), with the Democrats 66 winning two seats. For the Dutch general election of 1981, Terlouw again as Lijsttrekker won nine seats and the following cabinet formation resulted in a coalition agreement with the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and Labour Party (PvdA) was made which formed the Cabinet Van Agt II, with Terlouw becoming became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs serving from 11 September 1981 until 4 November 1982.