A romantic philosopher, a Bohemian, a charismatic revolutionary, the Dutch JFK - the epithets in today's obituaries point to an extraordinary personality in Dutch politics. To a larger-than-life character perhaps, who'll be remembered for breaking the political deadlock in the 1960s, large enough to be mourned in extensive multi-page newspaper articles about his significance and influence in The Hague and abroad.

First and foremost, former defence and foreign minister Hans van Mierlo, who died at the age of 78, was a mercurial and symbolic figure, a comeback kid who re-emerged on the political scene in the 1980s and '90s when the chips were down for the rollercoaster party he founded back in the turbulent '60s.

And every time, he managed to reinvigorate his fellow Democrats and the ideals they stood for: more democracy, a sustainable and harmonious society, a stronger commitment to Europe, and emphasis on equality, the power of the individual and basic human rights. Fundamental liberal stuff in essence, but presented each time with new vigour. Like in 1966, when the antiquated Dutch political system seemed paralysed and increasingly irrelevant.

Wind of change
At the time, young Hans van Mierlo had yet to formulate his ideas. But his charismatic leadership was sufficient to offer an alternative to the political establishment of the day, when parties were often defined along traditional religious lines. A year after it was founded, D66 won seven seats in the 150-member parliament.

Once inside parliament, Mr Van Mierlo was soon forced to explain what his new party stood for. What did he actually mean by Democrats 66? And to what extent, if at all, did his movement differ from the mainstream left or right? "With a gun to my chest, I'll opt for Labour," he said in dramatic fashion, a statement that would damage his stature within the anti-dogmatic section of his party and cost him votes in the next election.

In 1981, Mr Van Mierlo unexpectedly returned to the political limelight, serving for a year as minister of defence in what he called a "disastrous" coalition government with the two main traditional powers in Dutch politics: the Christian Democrats and Labour. What had happened to the new revolutionary current in Dutch politics? D66 voters were at a loss and support for the party slumped to an all-out low.

With his party on the brink of extinction, Hans van Mierlo sat down to hammer out the party line. Twenty years late perhaps, but the document was well received and brought him back to the party leadership in 1986.

Rebound
Popular support for D66 shot up in the 1990s and so did the number of seats in parliament. Backed up by 24 MPs, Mr Van Mierlo managed to achieve the seemingly impossible: sidelining the Christian parties, leading to the creation of a so-called purple government, the first Dutch coalition cabinet since 1918 not to include a religious party.

From 1994 he served as foreign minister until retiring from active political life in 1998. Since then, he's served as the party's political conscience and the standard-bearer of what he saw as genuine democracy: a system based on individual freedom, basic human rights and an international outlook.

When it comes to actual legislation, Mr Van Mierlo may not have left an impressive legacy, but he certainly managed to prise open the Dutch political system and make politics and politicians more accessible. Hans van Mierlo was the embodiment of this new openness and the first charismatic leader in the Netherlands whose personality at times was more important than the ideas he stood for.