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.^[1][2]

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			Term of office	Age as Leader	Position(s) as Leader	Further position(s)	Lijsttrekker
		Pieter Oud (1886–1968)	28 January 1948 – 16 May 1963 (7008482695200000000♠15 years, 108 days) [1]	61–76	Mayor of Rotterdam Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Minister of Finance Minister of State	1948 1952 1956 1959
		Edzo Toxopeus (1918–2009)	16 May 1963 – 1 October 1969 (7008201268800000000♠6 years, 138 days) [1]	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	1963 1967
		Molly Geertsema (1918–1991)	1 October 1969 – 1 July 1971 (7007551448000000000♠1 year, 273 days) [1]	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	1971
		Hans Wiegel (born 1941)	1 July 1971 – 20 April 1982 (7008340891200000000♠10 years, 293 days) [1]	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	1972 1977 1981
		Ed Nijpels (born 1950)	20 April 1982 – 9 July 1986 (7008133142400000000♠4 years, 80 days) [1]	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	1982 1986
		Rudolf de Korte (born 1936)	9 July 1986 – 15 December 1986 (7007137376000000000♠159 days) [1]	50	Minister of the Interior Minister of Economic Affairs Deputy Prime Minister	Member of the House of Representatives
		Joris Voorhoeve (born 1945)	15 December 1986 – 30 April 1990 (7008106423200000000♠3 years, 136 days) [1]	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 Member of the Council of State	1989
		Frits Bolkestein (born 1933)	30 April 1990 – 30 July 1998 (7008260323200000000♠8 years, 91 days) [1]	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	1994 1998
		Hans Dijkstal (1943–2010)	30 July 1998 – 16 May 2002 (7008119728800000000♠3 years, 290 days) [1]	55–59	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Minister of the Interior Deputy Prime Minister	2002
		Gerrit Zalm (born 1952)	16 May 2002 – 27 November 2004 (7007799632000000000♠2 years, 195 days) [1]	50–52	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of Finance Deputy Prime Minister	Director of the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis Minister of Economic Affairs	2003
		Jozias van Aartsen (born 1947)	27 November 2004 – 8 March 2006 (7007402840000000000♠1 year, 101 days) [1]	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 (born 1967)	31 May 2006 – Incumbent (7008331992000000000♠10 years, 190 days) [1]	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	2006 2010 2012 2017

See also

• People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

References

External links

Official

• (Dutch) Official website

People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Leaders	Oud Toxopeus Geertsema Wiegel Nijpels De Korte Voorhoeve Bolkestein Dijkstal Zalm Van Aartsen Rutte
Chairmen	Stikker Oud Van der Pols Van Someren Korthals Altes Kamminga Ginjaar Van Leeuwen-Schut Hoekzema Eenhoorn Van Zanen Opstelten Korthals Keizer
Parliamentary leaders in the Senate	Molenaar Van Riel Van Someren Zoutendijk Luteijn Korthals Altes Ginjaar Van den Broek-Laman Trip Rosenthal De Graaf Hermans Jorritsma
Parliamentary leaders in the House of Representatives	Oud Toxopeus Geertsema Toxopeus Geertsema Wiegel Rietkerk Wiegel Nijpels Voorhoeve Bolkestein Dijkstal Zalm Van Aartsen Van Beek Rutte Blok Rutte Zijlstra
Party organizations	Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy Telders Foundation Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group Liberal International