Simon van Slingelandt

Simon van Slingelandt (January 14, 1664, Dordrecht - December 1, 1736, The Hague) was Grand Pensionary of Holland from July 17, 1727 to December 1, 1736.

Before becoming grand pensionary Van Slingelandt wrote several reports as preparation for the second Great Assembly (Dutch "Tweede Grote Vergadering ", a kind of Constitutional Convention to reform the constitution of the Dutch Republic, 28 november 1716-14 september 1717), in which he proposed to give the "Raad van State" (Council of State) more power. He was convinced of the necessity to restrict the power of the cities and the provinces and to strengthen the central power of the republic. The Great Assembly however ended in failure when nothing came from Van Slingelandts proposed reforms.

He was in the centre of power of the United Provinces, being the grand pensionary of Holland, which contributed sixty percent of the tax income of the republic. Van Slingelandt was a staunch republican, who wanted to keep the House of Orange out of the centre of power. He was a strong advocate of an alliance with Great Britain; otherwise, he thought, the United Provinces wouldn't survive. He mediated peace between Great Britain and Austria in 1732 and between France and Austria in 1736.

ource

* [http://home.zonnet.nl/d.van.duijvenbode/geschmin.htm Regeringsleiders van de Nederlanden]
* [http://www.spanishsuccession.nl/slingelandt.html Short biography]