His prime minister, Ruud Lubbers, aspired to the presidency of the European Commission.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne: Going Dutch | The

So on the summit's second day, its chairman, Ruud Lubbers, the Dutch prime minister, presented a greatly watered-down social chapter.

ECONOMIST: From the archive

Thinking (and the UNHCR's job) broadened under Ruud Lubbers, a former Dutch prime minister, who managed in his time (2001-2005) as head of the agency to breathe new life into some old buzzwords: repatriation, reintegration and rehabilitation.

ECONOMIST: Repatriating refugees