Hans Wiegel, a former leader of the right-wing Liberal VVD and deputy prime minister, has died at the age of 83, his family has told the Telegraaf.

Amsterdam-born Wiegel led the VVD from 1971 to 1982 and is credited with transforming the party into a broader movement with support beyond the traditional upper middle class.

As opposition leader to the left-wing Den Uyl government, Wiegel gained national recognition with a new political style focused on what he called “the people in the country”. He was widely regarded as a gifted debater, known for his humour and plain, accessible language.

With Wiegel as lead candidate, the VVD rose from 16 seats in 1971 to 28 seats in the 1977 general election. Party membership also grew significantly, from 40,000 to over 100,000.

Current VVD party leader Dilan Yesilgöz responded to his death on the radio programme Sven op 1, calling him “a great statesman, with enormous impact on our party and on the country”.

“His death affects us all. We will miss him deeply,” she said. Yesilgöz said Wiegel “opened up the party” and showed that “we are here for everyone”. He was also able to explain politics clearly: “No complicated language, never speaking down to people.”

In 1977, Wiegel became deputy prime minister in the Van Agt government. He had promised to “clean up the mess” after the Den Uyl years, but the sweeping cuts to public spending he had vowed to make never fully materialised.

Wiegel left national politics in 1982 to become king’s commissioner in Friesland. From there, he remained a vocal presence, often criticising the party leadership.

After stepping down as commissioner in 1994, he returned to national politics as a member of the senate for five years. In 1999, he caused a brief political crisis by voting against the introduction of a corrective referendum, going against the government’s position.

Wiegel formally retired from politics in 2000 at the age of 58, but continued to appear regularly in the media, including as a columnist for the Telegraaf.