Wim van Eekelen

**Willem Frederik "Wim" van Eekelen** (5 February 1931 – 25 June 2025) was a Dutch politician and diplomat. He was a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). He also was a political scientist.

Van Eekelen died on 25 June 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands at the age of 94.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Wim van Eekelen
- **image**: Wim van Eekelen 1978 (1).jpg
- **imagesize**: 250px
- **caption**: Wim van Eekelen in 1978
- **office**: Senate (Netherlands), Member of the Senate
- **term start**: 13 June 1995
- **term end**: 10 June 2003
- **parliamentarygroup**: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, People's Party for
 Freedom and Democracy
- **office1**: List of Secretaries General of the Western European Union, Secretary General of the
 Western European Union
- **term start1**: 15 May 1989
- **term end1**: 15 November 1994
- **predecessor1**: Alfred Cahen
- **successor1**: José Cutileiro
- **office2**: List of Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands, Minister of Defence
- **term start2**: 14 July 1986
- **term end2**: 6 September 1988
- **primeminister2**: Ruud Lubbers
- **predecessor2**: Job de Ruiter
- **successor2**: Piet Bukman <small>(_Ad interim_)</small>
- **office3**: List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands#List of State Secretaries for Foreign Affairs, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
- **term start3**: 5 November 1982
- **term end3**: 14 July 1986
- **primeminister3**: Ruud Lubbers
- **predecessor3**: Hans van den Broek
- **successor3**: René van der Linden
- **office4**: List of Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands#List of State Secretaries for Defence, State Secretary for Defence
- **term start4**: 20 January 1978
- **term end4**: 11 September 1981
- **primeminister4**: Dries van Agt
- **alongside4**: Cees van Lent
- **predecessor4**: Cees van Lent
- **successor4**: Bram Stemerdink
 Jan van Houwelingen (politician), Jan van Houwelingen
- **office5**: House of Representatives (Netherlands), Member of the House of Representatives
- **term start5**: 3 June 1986
- **term end5**: 14 July 1986
- **term start6**: 25 August 1981
- **term end6**: 5 November 1982
- **term start7**: 8 June 1977
- **term end7**: 20 January 1978
- **parliamentarygroup7**: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, People's Party for
 Freedom and Democracy
- **birthname**: Willem Frederik van Eekelen
- **birth place**: Utrecht (city), Utrecht, Netherlands
- **death place**: The Hague, Netherlands
- **nationality**: Netherlands, Dutch
- **party**: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, People's Party for
 Freedom and Democracy
 <small>(from 1955)</small>
- **alma mater**: Utrecht University
 <small>(Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, Doctor of Philosophy)</small>
 Princeton University
 <small>(Bachelor of Social Science, Master of Social Science)</small>
- **occupation**: Politician · Diplomat · Civil service, Civil servant · Jurist · Political science, Political scientist · Research, Researcher · Political consulting, Political consultant · Board of directors, Corporate director · Nonprofit organization, Nonprofit director · Lobbying, Lobbyist · Author
- **branch**: Royal Netherlands Army
- **serviceyears**: 1956–1957 (Conscription)
 1957–1961 (Military reserve force, Reserve)
- **rank**:  Lieutenant
- **unit**: Regiment Huzaren van Boreel
- **battles**: Cold War