Leader
Term of office
Age as leader
Position(s) as leader
Further position(s)
Professional background
Lead candidate
Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010)
14 September 1966 – 1 September 1973 (6 years, 352 days) [ 1]
35–42
Chairman of the Democrats 66 (1966–1967) Member of the House of Representatives (1967–1977, 1986–1994) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1967–1973, 1986–1994) Member of the Senate (1983–1986) Minister of Foreign Affairs Deputy Prime Minister (1994–1998)
Minister of Defence (1981–1982) Member of the House of Representatives (1998) Minister of State (1998–2011)
Journalist
1967 1971 1972 1986 1989 1994
Dr. Jan Terlouw (born 1931)
1 September 1973 – 8 September 1982 (9 years, 7 days) [ 1]
41–50
Member of the House of Representatives (1971–1981) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1973–1981) Minister of Economic Affairs Deputy Prime Minister (1981–1982)
Queen's Commissioner of Gelderland (1991–1996) Member of the Senate (1999–2003)
Nuclear physicist Astrophysicist Mathematician Researcher Author professor
1977 1981 1982
Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (born 1937)
8 September 1982 – 10 November 1982 (63 days) [ 1]
45
Member of the House of Representatives (1977–1982) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1981–1982)
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (1973–1977) Ambassador of the European Union to Japan (1982–1987) Member of the European Parliament (1994–1999) Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries (1999–2002) Minister of Economic Affairs (2003–2006) Deputy Prime Minister (2005–2006)
Lawyer Researcher Professor
Maarten Engwirda (born 1943)
10 November 1982 – 25 January 1986 (3 years, 76 days) [ 1]
39–42
Member of the House of Representatives (1977–1989) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1982–1986)
Member of the House of Representatives (1971–1972) Member of the European Parliament (1971–1973) Member of the European Court of Auditors (1996–2011)
Economist Mathematician civil servant
Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010)
25 January 1986 – 15 February 1998 (12 years, 21 days) [ 1]
54–66
Chairman of the Democrats 66 (1966–1967) Member of the House of Representatives (1967–1977, 1986–1994) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1967–1973, 1986–1994) Member of the Senate (1983–1986) Minister of Foreign Affairs Deputy Prime Minister (1994–1998)
Minister of Defence (1981–1982) Member of the House of Representatives (1998) Minister of State (1998–2011)
Journalist
1967 1971 1972 1986 1989 1994
Dr. Els Borst (1932–2014)
15 February 1998 – 30 May 1998 (104 days) [ 1]
65–66
Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (1994–2002) Member of the House of Representatives (1998) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1998)
Deputy Prime Minister (1998–2002) Minister of State (2012–2014)
Physician Researcher Hospital administrator Professor
1998
Thom de Graaf (born 1957)
30 May 1998 – 22 January 2003 (4 years, 237 days) [ 1]
40–45
Member of the House of Representatives (1994–2003) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1998–2003)
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1997–1998) Minister without Portfolio for the Interior Deputy Prime Minister (2003–2005) Mayor of Nijmegen (2007–2012) Member of the Senate (2011–2018) Parliamentary leader in the Senate (2015–2018) Vice-President of the Council of State (since 2018)
Jurist Researcher Civil servant
2002 2003
Boris Dittrich (born 1955)
22 January 2003 – 3 February 2006 (3 years, 12 days) [ 1]
47–50
Member of the House of Representatives (1994–2006) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (2003–2006)
Member of the Senate (since 2019)
Lawyer Judge Activist
Vacant (3 February 2006 – 24 June 2006) [Note]
Alexander Pechtold (born 1965)
24 June 2006 – 6 October 2018 (12 years, 104 days) [ 1]
40–52
Member of the House of Representatives (2006–2018) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (2006–2018)
Chairman of the Democrats 66 (2002–2005) Mayor of Wageningen (2003–2005) Minister without Portfolio for the Interior (2005–2006)
Auctioneer Art historian Civil servant
2006 2010 2012 2017
Vacant (6 October 2018 – 4 September 2020) [Note]
Sigrid Kaag (born 1961)
4 September 2020 – 12 August 2023 (2 years, 342 days) [ 1]
58–61
Minister of Finance Deputy Prime Minister (since 2022) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (2021–2022) Member of the House of Representatives (2021–2022) Minister of Foreign Affairs (2021) Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation (2017–2021)
United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (2015–2017) United Nations Special Coordinator for Syria (2013–2014)
Diplomat Civil servant
2021
Rob Jetten (born 1987)
12 August 2023 – Incumbent (1 year, 10 days) [ 1]
36–37
Minister for Climate and Energy Policy (since 2022)
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (2021, 2018–2021) Member of the House of Representatives (2017–2022)
Political consultant
2023