oa Afscheid van een politicus

Death of a politician. Media, public engagement, and party politics after the passing of Joop den Uyl in 1987

This article concerns the politics surrounding the death and public commemoration of former prime minister and former party leader Joop den Uyl in December 1987. Taking its cue from scholarship that suggests that deaths of political leaders provide the basis for political community formation, it argues that Den Uyl’s death should be interpreted as a political moment in its own right. It explores how the Dutch Labour Party orchestrated Den Uyl’s public commemoration with a well-attended and live televised memorial service, and analyses the party’s political and ideological goals in doing so. Unlike most scholarship on the deaths of politicians, this article looks beyond the intricacies of the memorial ceremony and examines the death of Den Uyl in its wider social setting. By analysing media representation and public engagement, it sheds light on the affective bonds between ordinary citizens and the dead politician, and identifies the complexities of the evolving relationships that form the fabric of post-war media democracies.