Posted by Henri M
on 3/10/2009, 12:47:01
85.145.85.203
Interesting piece in today's De Volkskrant about ministers being ruled by their agenda and therefore being totally worn-out.
A nice anecdote:
In March 1999 Mrs Els Borst, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport was a guest at the State Banquet in honour of Nelson Mandela, the President of South Africa.
Mandela already was of advanced age and went to bed at 22.00 o'clock. But protocol demanded that the other guests do not leave before the Queen. That could become 01.00 o'clock, Mrs Borst realized. And that while she was expected to appear for a hearing committee early tomorrow.
Suddenly the Queen's Grandmastress came to her: "The Queen is aware that you will have a hard day tomorrow. She would not absolutely not discredit you when you would leave now. She thinks you should go to bed."
Pic: Mrs Els Borst in between the Queen and Freiherr Von Weizsäcker, the German President. 
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