THE HAGUE -- Former European Commissioner and Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs (FM) Hans van den Broek died at the age of 88, his family confirmed to Dutch news agency ANP on Monday.

The former Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) politician suffered from a form of dementia for some time. He was minister of foreign affairs in three governments of Dutch Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers, between 1982 and 1993.

Van den Broek was commissioner in two different European Commissions. From 1993 until 1994 he served in the Third Delors Commission for external Relations and Enlargement. Since 1994 he had the same portfolios in the Santer Commission and also was responsible for Neighborhood Policy until 1999.

"Hans van den Broek was a Trans-Atlanticist and European at heart," current Dutch FM Caspar Veldkamp wrote on social media platform X.