Editing Pim Fortuyn (section)

=== Early life and education ===
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn was born on 19 February 1948 in [[Driehuis]] within the Dutch municipality of [[Velsen]], as the third child to a middle class Catholic family. His father was a sales representative for a envelopes and paper company and was involved in local Catholic associations while his mother was a housewife. Fortuyn was raised primarily by his mother as his father was often away for his work.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080521062046/http://www.katholieknieuwsblad.nl/actueel19/kn1920a.htm |title=Pim Fortuyn: 'Ondanks alles ben ik katholiek' |access-date=2025-04-20}}</ref> He first attended a Catholic primary school, where Fortuyn later described his time as "terrible," before graduating from the Mendelcollege secondary school in [[Haarlem]] where he was described as an academically gifted pupil.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/fortuyn-voelde-goed-aan-waar-politieke-reuring-was~bba5de3b/? |title=Fortuyn voelde goed aan waar politieke reuring was |access-date=2025-04-20}}</ref> 

As a youth, Fortuyn initially wanted to train as a priest, but in 1967 he began to study sociology at the [[University of Amsterdam]] and also attended lectures in history, economics and law. He then transferred after a few months to the [[Vrije Universiteit]] in Amsterdam where he continued his degree in sociology and took joint honours classes in public administration.  In 1971 he ended his study with the [[Academic degree]] [[Doctorandus]]. In 1981 he received a doctorate in sociology at the [[University of Groningen]] as a Doctor of Philosophy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603075405/http://www.elsevier.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/asp/artnr/122072/index.html |title=Pim Fortuyn - Oprecht en onmogelijk |access-date=2025-04-20}}</ref>