The mayor who snubbed Putin – Eberhaard van der Laan, 62

Eberhaard van der Laan, the former mayor of Amsterdam who once snubbed Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s laws on gay “propaganda”, has died after a long battle with lung cancer.

Mr Van der Laan, 62, led for seven years before stepping down last month.

“Amsterdam weeps for its dear mayor and all of the Netherlands mourns,” said Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.

A lawyer and member of the Labour Party, Mr Van der Laan was a government minister for housing and integration for two years before being appointed mayor in July 2010.

He made headlines in April 2013 when he said he was too busy to meet Mr Putin during the Russian president’s visit to Amsterdam.

The move was widely seen as a snub because of Russian legislation banning gay “propaganda”.

Rainbow flags flew at half-mast around the city during Mr Putin’s visit.

Soon after taking office, Mr Van der Laan won respect for personally reaching out to parents of children abused by a paedophile in an Amsterdam day care centre.

He also showed his tough side by cracking down on youth crime and antisocial behaviour.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander called Mr Van der Laan “a driven mayor with a heart for his city and a fiery belief in a society to which everybody belongs”.

Last month Mr Van der Laan he wrote an open letter to all Amsterdam residents announcing he was setting aside his work.

He closed the letter with a line that underscored his affection for the city and its residents: “Take good care of our city and of each other. Farewell.”

Following the announcement, hundreds of people gathered outside his official residence, and applauded him.

Mr Van der Laan is survived by his wife, Femke, and five children.

Mr Van der Laan.