Former Dutch prime minister Piet de Jong celebrates his 100^th birthday on Friday. De Jong was prime minister from 1967 to 1971 and is regarded by some as the most ‘under-rated’ Dutch prime minister in history.

De Jong is said to be the oldest living ex-prime minister in the world. Apart from poor eyesight, he is in good health.

A member of the Catholic people’s party KVP, De Jong’s centre-right administration was responsible for modernising the divorce laws, making universities more democratic and introducing value added tax (btw).

De Jong was a submarine captain in the navy before getting involved in politics and is said to have asked himself about potential ministers ‘would I want to have this person on board?’.

Five years ago De Jong criticised his party – by then known as the CDA – for forming an alliance with the anti-immigration PVV.