Frans
Timmermans

Having grown up in Paris, Brussels, Rome, and Heerlen, Frans Timmermans has the Netherlands in his roots and Europe in his heart. He studied in Nijmegen and Nancy, where he majored in European Law, French Literature, and History. Timmermans started his professional career as a diplomat at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987, with positions in the European Integration Department and a posting in Moscow. He later worked for Hans van den Broek, European Commissioner for External Relations, and Max van der Stoel, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. From 2007 to 2010, Timmermans was Minister for European Affairs, and from 2012 to 2014 he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. On 1 November 2014, Frans Timmermans became First Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, Rule of Law and Charter of Fundamental Rights. Since 1 December 2019, he is the Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal.