Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

The Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is the most senior politician within the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Dutch: Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie, VVD) in the Netherlands. The post is currently held by Mark Rutte, who succeeded Jozias van Aartsen after the leadership election of 2006 and who has also been the serving Prime Minister of the Netherlands since the Dutch general election of 2010 and was reelected as Prime Minister of the Netherlands after the Dutch general election of 2012.

History

The Leaders outwardly act as the 'figurehead' and the main representative of the party. Within the party, they must ensure political consensus. At election time the Leader is always the Lijsttrekker (top candidate) of the party list. Outside election time the Leader can serves as the Opposition leader. In the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy the Leader is often the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives. Some People's Party for Freedom and Democracy leaders became a Minister in a Cabinet.

Leader		Period	Age as Leader	Position(s) as Leader	Further position(s)
Pieter Oud	Pieter Oud (1886–1968)	28 January 1948 – 16 May 1963 ()	61–76	Mayor of Rotterdam Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Minister of Finance Minister of State
	Edzo Toxopeus (1918–2009)	16 May 1963 – 1 October 1969 ()	45–51	Minister of the Interior Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Queen's Commissioner of Groningen Member of the Council of State Minister of State
	Molly Geertsema (1918–1991)	1 October 1969 – 1 July 1971 ()	50–52	Mayor of Wassenaar Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Mayor of Warffum Minister of the Interior Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs Queen's Commissioner of Gelderland Member of the Senate
	Hans Wiegel (born 1941)	1 July 1971 – 20 April 1982 ()	29–40	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of the Interior Deputy Prime Minister	Queen's Commissioner of Friesland Member of the Senate
Ed Nijpels	Ed Nijpels (born 1950)	20 April 1982 – 9 July 1986 ()	32–36	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment Mayor of Breda Queen's Commissioner of Friesland
	Rudolf de Korte (born 1936)	9 July 1986 – 15 December 1986 ()	50	Minister of the Interior Minister of Economic Affairs Deputy Prime Minister	Member of the House of Representatives
Joris Voorhoeve	Joris Voorhoeve (born 1945)	15 December 1986 – 30 April 1990 ()	40–44	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs Minister of Defence
	Frits Bolkestein (born 1933)	1 May 1990 - 30 July 1998 ()	57–65	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Minister of Defence European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services
	Hans Dijkstal (1943–2010)	30 July 1998 – 16 May 2002 ()	55–59	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Minister of the Interior Deputy Prime Minister
	Gerrit Zalm (born 1952)	16 May 2002 – 27 November 2004 ()	50–52	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of Finance Deputy Prime Minister	Minister of Economic Affairs
Jozias van Aartsen	Jozias van Aartsen (born 1947)	27 November 2004 – 8 March 2006 ()	56–58	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Minister of Foreign Affairs Mayor of The Hague
Mark Rutte	Mark Rutte (born 1967)	31 May 2006 – Incumbent ()	39–	Undersecretary for Education, Culture and Science Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of General Affairs Prime Minister	Undersecretary for Social Affairs and Employment

See also

• People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

External links

Official

• (Dutch) Official website