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. In the Democrats 66 the Leader is often the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives. Some Democrats 66 leaders became a Minister in a Cabinet.
| Leader | Term of office | Age as Leader | Position(s) as Leader | Further position(s) | Lijsttrekker | | | Hans van Mierlo
(1931–2010) | 14 September 1966 –
1 September 1973
({{Age in years and days|1966|09|14|1973|09|01}}) [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
(1994–1998)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1994–1998) | Minister of Defence
(1981–1982)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1998)
Minister of State
(1998–2011) | 1967 |
| 1971 |
| 1972 |
| 1986 |
| 1989 |
| 1994 |
| | Dr.
Jan Terlouw
(born 1931) | 1 September 1973 –
8 September 1982
({{Age in years and days|1973|09|01|1982|09|08}}) [1] | 41–50 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1971–1981)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1973–1981)
Minister of Economic Affairs
(1981–1982)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1981–1982) | Queen's Commissioner
of Gelderland
(1991–1996)
Member of the Senate
(1999–2003) | 1977 |
| 1981 |
| 1982 |
| Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
(born 1937) | | 10 November 1982
({{Age in years and days>1982|09|08|1982|11|10}}) [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) |
| Maarten Engwirda
(born 1943) | | 25 January 1986
({{Age in years and days>1982|11|10|1986|01|25}}) [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) |
| | Hans van Mierlo
(1931–2010) | 25 January 1986 –
15 February 1998
({{Age in years and days|1986|01|25|1998|02|15}}) [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
(1994–1998)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1994–1998) | Minister of Defence
(1981–1982)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1998)
Minister of State
(1998–2011) | 1967 |
| 1971 |
| 1972 |
| 1986 |
| 1989 |
| 1994 |
| Dr.
Els Borst
(1932–2014) | | 30 May 1998
({{Age in years and days>1998|02|15|1998|05|30}}) [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) | 1998 |
| | Thom de Graaf
(born 1957) | 30 May 1998 –
22 January 2003
({{Age in years and days|1998|05|30|2003|01|22}}) [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 for Government Reform
and Kingdom Relations
(2003–2005)
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) | 2002 |
| 2003 |
| Boris Dittrich
(born 1955) | | 3 February 2006
({{Age in years and days>2003|01|22|2006|02|03}}) [1] 47–50 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1994–2006)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2003–2006) | Senate Candidate
(2019) |
Vacant
(3 February 2006 – 24 June 2006) |
| | Alexander Pechtold
(born 1965) | 24 June 2006 –
6 October 2018
({{Age in years and days|2006|06|24|2018|10|06}}) [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 for Government Reform
and Kingdom Relations
(2005–2006) | 2006 |
| 2010 |
| 2012 |
| 2017 |
Vacant
(since 6 October 2018) |
|
1. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 {{cite news|url=http://www.parlement.com/id/vhnnmt7m19zr/politiek_leider_van_een_partij|title=Politiek leider van een partij|accessdate=2012-11-03|work=Parlement&Politiek}}