Minister of State (Netherlands)
The Minister of State (Dutch: Minister van Staat) is an honorary title in the Netherlands. The title is formally granted together with the style Excellency, by the Monarch, but on the initiative of the cabinet of the Netherlands. It is given on a personal basis, for life rather than for a specified period. The title is granted for exceptional merits, generally to senior politicians at the end of their party career. Ministers of state are often former cabinet members or party leaders. Ministers of State advise the Sovereign in delicate situations, with moral authority but without formal competence. A Minister of State is not part of a cabinet, but may be asked to represent the government for certain events. The Ministers of State have a diplomatic passport. Before World War II it was common for Ministers of State to still have a public function, some notable as Pieter Cort van der Linden and Hendrikus Colijn, were Minister of State while they served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands. After World War II, Louis Beel was the only person who still sat in the cabinet while he was Minister of State.
Current Ministers of State[]
Historical Ministers of State[]
Minister of State | Appointed | State/Local Government Function(s) |
Legislature Function(s) |
Civil/ Diplomatic/ Judiciary Function(s) |
Party Function(s) |
International Function(s) |
Professional Function(s) |
Party | ||
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Dr. Jos van Kemenade (1937–2020) (aged 82) |
5 April 2002 – 19 February 2020 (17 years, 320 days) |
Minister of Education and Sciences (1973–1977) (1981–1982) Mayor of Eindhoven (1988–1992) Queen's Commissioner of North Holland (1992–2002) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1977) (1978–1981) (1982–1984) |
Chairman of the Association of Municipalities (1990–1992) Chairman of the Council for Public Administration (2001–2009) |
Sociologist Pedagogue Researcher Civil servant Author Professor |
Labour Party | |||
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Wim Kok (1938–2018) (aged 80) |
11 April 2003 – 20 October 2018 (15 years, 192 days) |
Minister of Finance (1989–1994) Deputy Prime Minister (1989–1994) Minister of General Affairs (1994–2002) Prime Minister (1994–2002) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1986–1989) (1994) (1998) |
Member of the Social and Economic Council (1972–1986) Chairman of the Trade Union Federation (1976–1986) |
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1986–1989) (1994) (1998) Leader of the Labour Party (1986–2001) |
President of the European Trade Union Confederation (1979–1982) President of the European Council (1997) |
Trade Union leader | Labour Party | |
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Ruud Lubbers (1939–2018) (aged 78) |
31 January 1995 – 14 February 2018 (23 years, 14 days) |
Minister of Economic Affairs (1973–1977) Minister of General Affairs (1982–1994) Prime Minister (1982–1994) Minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs (1989) (1994) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1977) (1977–1982) (1986) (1989) |
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1978–1981) (1981–1982) (1986) (1989) Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal (1982–1994) |
President of the European Council (1986) (1991) President of the World Wide Fund for Nature (1999–2001) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2001–2005) |
Businessperson Economist Diplomat Activist |
Christian Democratic Appeal (Catholic People's Party) | ||
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Dr. Els Borst (1932–2014) (aged 81) |
21 December 2012 – 8 February 2014 (1 year, 49 days) |
Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (1994–2002) Deputy Prime Minister (1998–2002) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1998) |
Member of the Health Council (1986–1994) |
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1998) Leader of the Democrats 66 (1998) |
Physician Medical researcher Health administrator Professor |
Democrats 66 | ||
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Dr. Pieter Kooijmans (1933–2013) (aged 79) |
13 July 2007 – 13 February 2013 (5 years, 215 days) |
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (1973–1977) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993–1994) |
Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on Human Rights and Torture (1985–1993) Judge of the International Court of Justice (1997–2006) |
Lawyer Prosecutor Judge Researcher Diplomat Author Activist Professor |
Christian Democratic Appeal (Anti-Revolutionary Party) | ||||
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Max van der Stoel (1924–2011) (aged 86) |
17 May 1991 – 23 April 2011 (19 years, 341 days) |
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (1965–1966) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1973–1977) (1981–1982) |
Member of the Senate (1960–1963) Member of the House of Representatives (1963–1965) (1967–1973) (1977) (1978–1981) Member of the European Parliament (1971–1973) |
Ambassador to the United Nations (1983–1986) Member of the Council of State (1986–1993) |
Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (1983–1986) High Commissioner on National Minorities of the CSCE (1993–2001) |
Lawyer Researcher Diplomat Civil servant Author Activist Professor |
Labour Party | ||
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Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010) (aged 78) |
24 October 1998 – 11 March 2010 (11 years, 138 days) |
Minister of Defence (1981–1982) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1994–1998) Deputy Prime Minister (1994–1998) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1967–1977) (1986–1994) (1998) Member of the Senate (1983–1986) |
Representative to the Convention on the Future of Europe (2002) |
Leader of the Democrats 66 (1966–1973) (1986–1998) Chairman of the Democrats 66 (1966–1967) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1967–1973) (1986–1994) |
Lawyer Journalist Political pundit Television producer Author Activist |
Democrats 66 | ||
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Edzo Toxopeus (1918–2009) (aged 91) |
22 January 1985 – 3 August 2009 (24 years, 213 days) |
Minister of the Interior (1959–1965) Queen's Commissioner of Groningen (1970–1980) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1956–1959) (1963) (1965–1969) |
Member of the Council of State (1980–1988) |
Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (1963–1969) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1963) (1966–1969) |
President of the Liberal International (1966–1970) |
Lawyer Businessperson Diplomat |
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | |
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Willem Scholten (1927–2005) (aged 77) |
1 July 1997 – 1 January 2005 (7 years, 184 days) |
State Secretary for Finance (1971–1973) Minister of Defence (1978–1980) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1963–1971) (1972–1976) Member of the European Parliament (1973–1976) |
Member of the Council of State (1976–1978) Vice-President of the Council of State (1980–1997) |
Lawyer Economist Businessperson Civil servant |
Christian Democratic Appeal (Christian Historical Union) | |||
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Dr. Jelle Zijlstra (1918–2001) (aged 83) |
30 April 1983 – 23 December 2001 (18 years, 237 days) |
Minister of Economic Affairs (1952–1959) Minister of Finance (1958–1963) (1966–1967) Minister of General Affairs (1966–1967) Prime Minister (1966–1967) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1956) (1959) Member of the Senate (1963–1966) |
Member of the Social and Economic Council (1967–1982) President of the Central Bank (1967–1982) |
Leader of the Anti- Revolutionary Party (1956) (1958–1959) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1956) |
Economist Researcher Businessperson Banker Civil servant Author Professor |
Christian Democratic Appeal (Anti-Revolutionary Party) | ||
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Jonkheer Emiel van Lennep (1915–1996) (aged 81) |
29 April 1986 – 2 October 1996 (10 years, 156 days) |
Treasurer-General of the Ministry of Finance (1951–1969) Member of the Social and Economic Council (1984–1986) |
Secretary-General of the OECD (1969–1984) |
Economist Lawyer Researcher Businessperson Banker Diplomat Civil servant |
Christian Democratic Appeal (Christian Historical Union) | ||||
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Dr. Ivo Samkalden (1912–1995) (aged 82) |
22 January 1985 – 11 May 1995 (10 years, 109 days) |
Minister of Justice (1956–1958) (1965–1966) Minister of the Interior (1966) Mayor of Amsterdam (1967–1977)</small |
Member of the House of Representatives (1959–1960) Member of the Senate (1960–1965) |
Chairman of the Association of Municipalities (1971–1977) |
Lawyer Researcher Civil servant Author Professor |
Labour Party | |||
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(1911–1992) (aged 80) |
29 November 1980 – 27 February 1992 (11 years, 90 days) |
Member of the Senate (1956–1959) |
Member of the Social and Economic Council (1950–1959) Member of the Council of State (1959–1973) Vice-President of the Council of State (1973–1980) |
Trade Union leader Author |
Christian Democratic Appeal (Anti-Revolutionary Party) | ||||
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Willem Drees (1886–1988) (aged 101) |
22 December 1958 – 14 May 1988 (29 years, 144 days) |
Minister of Social Affairs (1945–1948) Deputy Prime Minister (1945–1948) Minister of General Affairs (1948–1958) Prime Minister (1948–1958) Minister of Colonial Affairs (1951) Minister of Finance (1952) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1933–1945) (1946) (1948) (1952) (1956) |
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (SDAP) (1939–1945) Leader of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (1940–1946) Chairman of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (1943–1945) Leader of the Labour Party (1946–1958) |
Accountant Civil servant Historian Author |
Labour Party (Social Democratic Workers' Party) | |||
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Dr. Marga Klompé (1912–1986) (aged 74) |
17 July 1971 – 28 October 1986 (15 years, 103 days) |
Minister of Social Work (1956–1963) Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences (1961–1962) (1963) Minister of Culture, Recreation and Social Work (1966–1971) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1948–1956) (1959) (1963–1966) (1967) Member of the European Coal and Steel Community Parliament (1952–1956) |
Member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (1957–1977) |
Chemist Mathematician Physicist Researcher Teacher Activist |
(Catholic People's Party (1971–1980) | |||
Christian Democratic Appeal (1980–1986) | ||||||||||
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Jaap Burger (1904–1986) (aged 81) |
4 January 1975 – 19 August 1986 (11 years, 227 days) |
Minister for Government Restoration (1943–1944) Minister of the Interior (1944–1945) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1945–1962) Member of the Senate (1963–1970) Member of the European Parliament (1966–1970) |
Member of the Council of State (1970–1979) |
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1951) (1952–1962) Leader of the Labour Party (1958–1962) |
Lawyer Media administrator |
Labour Party (Social Democratic Workers' Party) | ||
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Dr. Eelco van Kleffens (1894–1983) (aged 88) |
4 July 1950 – 17 June 1983 (32 years, 348 days) |
Minister of Foreign Affairs (1939–1946) Minister for Foreign Policy (1946–1947) |
Ambassador to the United States (1947–1949) Ambassador to the United Nations (1947–1949) (1954–1955) Ambassador to Portugal (1950–1956) Permanent Representative to NATO (1956–1958) Permanent Representative to the OECD (1956–1958) Permanent Representative to the European Coal and Steel Community (1958–1967) |
President of the United Nations General Assembly |
Lawyer Diplomat Civil servant |
Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | |||
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Dr. Jan Donner (1891–1981) (aged 89) |
16 December 1971 – 2 February 1981 (9 years, 48 days) |
Minister of Justice (1926–1933) |
Judge of the Supreme Court (1933–1944) (1945–1947) President of the Supreme Court (1947–1961) |
Lawyer Prosecutor Judge Researcher Civil servant Author Professor |
Anti-Revolutionary Party (1971–1980) | ||||
Christian Democratic Appeal (1980–1981) | ||||||||||
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Carl Romme (1896–1980) (aged 83) |
16 December 1971 – 16 October 1980 (8 years, 305 days) |
Minister of Social Affairs (1937–1939) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1933) (1946–1961) Member of the Senate (1937) |
Member of the Council of State (1962–1972) |
Leader of the Catholic People's Party (1946–1961) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1946–1960) |
Lawyer Researcher Civil servant Businessperson Trade association executive Author Professor |
Catholic People's Party (Roman Catholic State Party) (1971–1980) | ||
Christian Democratic Appeal (1980) | ||||||||||
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Dr. Jonkheer Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer (1888–1978) (aged 90) |
28 June 1956 – 16 August 1978 (22 years, 49 days) |
Queen's Commissioner of Groningen (1925–1933) Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1937–1945) |
Ambassador to Belgium (1933–1937) Ambassador to France (1950–1956) Permanent Representative to the OECD (1950–1956) |
Lawyer Diplomat Civil servant |
Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | ||||
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Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977) (aged 74) |
21 November 1956 – 11 February 1977 (20 years, 82 days) |
Minister of the Interior (1945–1947) (1951–1956) Prime Minister (1946–1948) (1958–1959) Minister of General Affairs (1947–1948) (1958–1959) Minister of Colonial Affairs (1947) Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1948–1949) Deputy Prime Minister (1952–1956) Minister of Social Work (1952) Minister of Justice (1956) Minister of Social Affairs and Health (1958–1959) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1946) (1948) |
Member of the Council of State (1958) (1959) Vice-President of the Council of State (1959–1972) |
Lawyer Researcher Diplomat Civil servant Author Professor |
Catholic People's Party (Roman Catholic State Party) | |||
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Jo Cals (1914–1971) (aged 57) |
5 December 1966 – 30 December 1971 (5 years, 25 days) |
State Secretary for Education, Arts and Sciences (1950–1952) Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences (1952–1961) (1962–1963) Minister of General Affairs (1965–1966) Prime Minister (1965–1966) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1948–1950) (1952) (1956) (1959) (1963–1965) |
Chairman of the Mine Council (1950) Chairman of the Council for Arts (1963–1965) |
Lawyer Prosecutor Judge Researcher Civil servant Teacher |
Catholic People's Party (Roman Catholic State Party) | |||
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Pieter Oud (1886–1968) (aged 81) |
9 November 1963 – 12 August 1968 (4 years, 277 days) |
Minister of Finance (1933–1937) Mayor of Rotterdam (1938–1941) (1945–1952) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1917–1933) (1937–1938) (1948–1963) |
Chairman of the Association of Municipalities (1946–1952) |
Leader of the Free-thinking Democratic League (1935–1938) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1937–1938) (1948–1963) Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (1948–1963) Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (1949–1963) |
Lawyer Businessperson Historian Accountant Civil servant Author Professor |
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Free-thinking Democratic League, Labour Party) | ||
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Josef van Schaik (1882–1962) (aged 80) |
15 March 1951 – 23 March 1962 (11 years, 8 days) |
Minister of Justice (1933–1937) Deputy Prime Minister (1933–1937) (1948–1951) Minister for Constitutional Reform (1948–1951) Minister of Transport and Water Management (1948) Minister of the Interior (1949) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1917–1933) (1937–1948) Speaker of the House of Representatives (1929–1933) (1937–1948) |
Chairman of the Mine Council (1932–1933) Member of the Council of State (1951–1957) |
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1937) Leader of the Roman Catholic State Party (1937) |
Lawyer Prosecutor Judge Civil servant |
Catholic People's Party (General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses, Roman Catholic State Party) | ||
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Dr. Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1885–1961) (aged 76) |
5 April 1955 – 7 September 1961 (6 years, 155 days) |
Minister of Justice (1939–1942) (1945) Prime Minister (1940–1945) Minister of Colonial Affairs (1941–1942) Minister of General Warfare (1942–1945) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1948–1956) (1956–1959) |
Lawyer Prosecutor Judge Civil servant Author Professor |
Anti-Revolutionary Party | ||||
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Jonkheer Frans Beelaerts van Blokland (1872–1956) (aged 84) |
22 December 1936 – 27 March 1956 (19 years, 96 days) |
Minister of Foreign Affairs (1927–1933) |
Ambassador to China (1923–1927) Vice-President of the Council of State (1933–1956) Chairman of the Council of Nobility (1947–1956) |
Lawyer Diplomat Civil servant |
Christian Historical Union | ||||
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Piet Aalberse (1871–1948) (aged 77) |
31 December 1934 – 5 July 1948 (13 years, 187 days) |
Minister of Labour (1918–1923) Minister of Labour, Commerce and Industry (1923–1925) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1903–1916) (1925–1937) Speaker of the House of Representatives (1936–1937) |
Member of the Council of State (1937–1946) |
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1931–1936) Leader of the Roman Catholic State Party (1933–1937) |
Lawyer Prosecutor Researcher Civil servant Author Professor |
Catholic People's Party (General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses, Roman Catholic State Party) | ||
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Jonkheer Dirk Jan de Geer (1870–1960) (aged 89) |
31 August 1933 – 12 November 1947 (14 years, 73 days) [Removed] |
Mayor of Arnhem (1920–1921) Minister of Finance (1921–1923) (1923–1933) (1939–1940) Minister of the Interior and Agriculture (1925–1926) Prime Minister (1923–1933) (1939–1940) Minister of General Affairs (1939–1940) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1907–1921) (1922) (1933–1939) |
Leader of the Christian Historical Union (1929–1940) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1933–1939) Chairman of the Christian Historical Union (1933–1939) |
Lawyer Journalist Author |
Christian Historical Union (Christian Historical Voters' League, Christian Historical Party) | |||
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Baron Willem Lodewijk de Vos van Steenwijk (1859–1947) (aged 87) |
11 July 1946 – 12 April 1947 (275 days) |
Member of the Senate (1913–1946) President of the Senate (1929–1946) |
Parliamentary leader in the Senate (1923–1929) |
Lawyer Prosecutor |
Christian Historical Union | ||||
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Hendrikus Colijn (1869–1944) (aged 75) |
31 August 1929 – 18 September 1944 (15 years, 48 days) |
Minister of War (1911–1913) Minister of the Navy (1912–1913) Minister of Finance (1923–1926) (1939) Minister of Colonial Affairs (1925) (1933–1937) Prime Minister (1925–1926) (1933–1939) Minister of Economic Affairs (1934) (1939) Minister of Water Management (1935) Minister of Defence (1935–1937) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1935) Minister of General Affairs (1937–1939) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1909–1911) (1922–1923) (1929–1933) (1937) Member of the Senate (1914–1920) (1926–1929) (1939–1944) |
Leader of the Anti- Revolutionary Party (1920–1944) Chairman of the Anti- Revolutionary Party (1920–1933) (1939–1944) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1922–1923) (1929–1933) Parliamentary leader in the Senate (1926–1929) |
Military officer Businessperson Publisher |
Anti-Revolutionary Party | |||
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Dr. Jonkheer Herman van Karnebeek (1874–1942) (aged 67) |
25 July 1927 – 29 March 1942 (14 years, 247 days) |
Mayor of The Hague (1911–1918) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1918–1927) Deputy Prime Minister (1926–1927) Queen's Commissioner of South Holland (1928–1942) |
Ambassador to the League of Nations (1927–1928) |
President of the Assembly of the League of Nations (1921–1922) |
Lawyer Diplomat Civil servant Author |
Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | |||
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Dr. Dirk Fock (1858–1941) (aged 83) |
24 August 1928 – 17 October 1941 (13 years, 54 days) |
Minister of Colonial Affairs (1905–1908) Governor-General of Suriname (1908–1911) Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1921–1926) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1901–1905) (1913–1920) Speaker of the House of Representatives (1917–1920) Member of the Senate (1929–1935) |
Parliamentary leader in the Senate (1932–1935) |
Lawyer Diplomat Civil servant |
Liberal Union | |||
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Dr. Pieter Cort van der Linden (1846–1935) (aged 89) |
28 January 1915 – 15 July 1935 (20 years, 168 days) |
Minister of Justice (1897–1901) Minister of the Interior (1913–1918) Prime Minister (1913–1918) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1913) |
Member of the Council of State (1902–1913) (1918–1935) |
Lawyer Prosecutor Economist Researcher Historian Civil servant Author Professor |
Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | ||||
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Dr. (1857–1932) (aged 75) |
31 August 1931 – 14 April 1932 (227 days) |
Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences (1918–1925) |
Member of the House of Representatives (1897–1905) (1906–1913) (1914–1918) (1922) (1925–1929) |
Chairman of the Christian Historical Union (1910–1918) Leder of the Christian Historical Union (1921–1929) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1925–1929) |
Minister Theologian Author |
Christian Historical Union |
- European Commissioner for External Relations and Enlargement (1993–1995) European Commissioner for External Relations, Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy (1995–1999)
- Title of Minister of State removed by post-war court on 12 November 1947 after he was tried and found guilty of treason and betrayal for his actions during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II
External links[]
- (in Dutch) Ministers van Staat Rijksoverheid
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