Mat Herben

Mathieu "Mat" Herben (born July 15, 1952) is a retired Dutch politician of the dissolved Pim Fortuyn List party.

Mat Herben
Parliamentary leader - LPF House of Representatives
In office August 17, 2006 – November 30, 2006
Preceded by	Gerard van As
Succeeded by	Party Disbanded
Parliamentary leader - LPF House of Representatives
In office October 16, 2002 – October 5, 2004
Preceded by	Harry Wijnschenk
Succeeded by	Gerard van As
Parliamentary leader - LPF House of Representatives
In office May 16, 2002 – August 28, 2002
Preceded by	First
Succeeded by	Harry Wijnschenk
Member of the House of Representatives
In office May 23, 2002 – November 30, 2006
Personal details
Born	Mathieu Herben (1952-07-15) July 15, 1952 The Hague, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	LPF (2002-2006)
Residence	Linschoten, Netherlands
Occupation	Politician Civil servant
Website	Official site

Herben is a Dutch journalist and politician and a member of the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF). In May 2002, the party of the slain populist Pim Fortuyn elected him as its new leader, after the party turned out in force in the parliamentary elections.[1] As of 23 May 2002 he has been a member of LPF's parliamentary party in the House of Representatives of the Staten-Generaal. In 2004 Herben served as the fraction leader as well as the chairman of the party. In the elections held on January 22, 2003 he was the so-called lijsttrekker.

Mat Herben was born in The Hague. From 1977 to 1987 he worked as a journalist and at the Dutch Ministry of Defence. From 1987 to 1990 he was the editor of the Catholic family magazine Manna, and in the 1990s he was also the editor of Sta-Vast, the magazine published by the right-wing organization Oud-Strijders Legioen.[2] In 1993 he founded the local political party Leefbaar Linschoten. From 1990 to 1995 he wrote reviews on classical music and publications about popular medical and social topics. From 1990 tot 2002 he was public relations official, chief editor of diverse magazines and worked again at the Dutch Ministry of Defence. Between March and May 2002 he was spokesman of the Lijst Pim Fortuyn and from May 2002 until October 2004 chairman of this party. In November 2006, he retired as a member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands. Between 2005 and 2009 he was an author for STA-VAST, the magazine of the Dutch right wing conservative organization Oud-Strijders Legioen.

Herben now lives in Linschoten. He is interested in defence, international security and aviation.

In 2018, Herben made a small return to politics in which he was elected as a councilor for the Lokaal Montfoort party.[3]

Herben has been married since 1975 and has one daughter. He is a Catholic and also a Freemason.

Publications

• "De Luchtstrijdkrachten van het Warschaupact en neutraal Europa" (1982)
• "Vijftig jaar vrijmetselarij"
• "Vrij Denken – over religie, politiek en vrijmetselarij" (2005)

References

• (in Dutch) Parlement.com biography

1. "Dutch Right-Wing Party Picks New Leader After Vote Success"
2. "Oud Strijders Legioen houdt ermee op" (in Dutch). 27 March 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
3. "Mat Herben turns up in local politics Montfoort" (in Dutch). 18 January 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2019.

Party political offices
Preceded by Pim Fortuyn	Party leader Pim Fortuyn List 2002	Succeeded by Harry Wijnschenk
Preceded by Harry Wijnschenk	Party leader Pim Fortuyn List 2002-2004	Succeeded by Gerard van As
Preceded by Gerard van As	Party leader Pim Fortuyn List 2006	Succeeded by Party Disbanded
Preceded by First	Parliamentary leader – LPF House of Representatives 2002	Succeeded by Harry Wijnschenk
Preceded by Harry Wijnschenk	Parliamentary leader – LPF House of Representatives 2002-2004	Succeeded by Gerard van As
Preceded by Gerard van As	Parliamentary leader – LPF House of Representatives 2006	Succeeded by Party Disbanded