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 serve 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
({{Age in years and days|1948|01|28|1963|05|16}}) [1] | 61–76 | Mayor of Rotterdam
(1945–1952)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1948–1963)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1948–1963)
Chairman of the People's Party
for Freedom and Democracy
(1949–1963) | Member of the House
of Representatives
(VDB)
(1917–1933) (1937–1938)
Minister of Finance
(VDB)
(1933–1937)
Leader of the Free-thinking
Democratic League
(1935–1938)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(VDB)
(1937–1938)
Mayor of Rotterdam
(VDB)
(1938–1941)
Minister of State
(1963–1968) | 1948 |
| 1952 |
| 1956 |
| 1959 |
| | Edzo Toxopeus
(1918–2009) | 16 May 1963 –
1 October 1969
({{Age in years and days|1963|05|16|1969|10|01}}) [1] | 45–51 | Minister of the Interior
(1959–1965)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1963) (1965–1969)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1963) (1966–1969)
President of the
Liberal International
(1966–1970) | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1956–1959)
Queen's Commissioner
of Groningen
(1970–1980)
Member of the
Council of State
(1980–1988)
Minister of State
(1985–2009) | 1963 |
| 1967 |
| Molly Geertsema
(1918–1991) | | 1 July 1971
({{Age in years and days>1969|10|01|1971|07|01}}) [1] 50–52 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1959–1971)
Mayor of Wassenaar
(1961–1971)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1969–1971) | Mayor of Warffum
(1953–1957)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1963–1966)
Minister of the Interior
(1971–1973)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1971–1973)
Minister for Suriname and
Netherlands Antilles Affairs
(1973)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1973) (1973)
Queen's Commissioner
of Gelderland
(1973–1983)
Member of the Senate
(1983–1987) | 1971 |
| | Hans Wiegel
(born 1941) | 1 July 1971 –
20 April 1982
({{Age in years and days|1971|07|01|1982|04|20}}) [1] | 29–40 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1967–1977) (1981–1982)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1971–1977) (1981–1982)
Minister of the Interior
(1977–1981)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1977–1981) | Queen's Commissioner
of Friesland
(1982–1994)
Member of the Senate
(1995–2000) | 1972 |
| 1977 |
| 1981 |
| | Ed Nijpels
(born 1950) | 20 April 1982 –
9 July 1986
({{Age in years and days|1982|04|20|1986|07|09}}) [1] | 32–36 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1977–1986)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1982–1986) | Minister of Housing,
Spatial Planning and
the Environment
(1986–1989)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1989–1990)
Mayor of Breda
(1990–1995)
Queen's Commissioner
of Friesland
(1999–2008) | 1982 |
| 1986 |
| Dr.
Rudolf de Korte
(born 1936) | | 15 December 1986
({{Age in years and days>1986|07|09|1986|12|15}}) [1] 50 | Minister of the Interior
(1986)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1986)
Minister of Economic Affairs
(1986–1989)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1986–1989) | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1977–1986) (1989–1995) |
| Dr.
Joris Voorhoeve
(born 1945) | | 30 April 1990
({{Age in years and days>1986|12|15|1990|04|30}}) [1] 40–44 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1982–1991)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1986–1990) | Minister for Suriname and
Netherlands Antilles Affairs
(1994–1998)
Minister of Defence
(1994–1998)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1998–1999)
Member of the
Council of State
(1999–2011) | 1989 |
| | Frits Bolkestein
(born 1933) | 30 April 1990 –
30 July 1998
({{Age in years and days|1990|04|30|1998|07|30}}) [1] | 57–65 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1989–1999)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1990–1998)
President of the
Liberal International
(1996–2000) | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1978–1982) (1986–1988)
State Secretary for
Economic Affairs
(1982–1986)
Minister of Defence
(1988–1989)
European Commissioner
for Internal Market and
Taxation and Customs
(1999–2004) | 1994 |
| 1998 |
| Hans Dijkstal
(1943–2010) | | 16 May 2002
({{Age in years and days>1998|07|30|2002|05|16}}) [1] 55–59 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1998–2002)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1998–2002) | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1982–1986) (1986–1994)
Minister of the Interior
(1994–1998)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1994–1998) | 2002 |
| Gerrit Zalm
(born 1952) | | 27 November 2004
({{Age in years and days>2002|05|16|2004|11|27}}) [1] 50–52 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(2002–2003)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2002–2003)
Minister of Finance
(2003–2007)
Deputy Prime Minister
(2003–2007) | Director of the Bureau for
Economic Policy Analysis
(1989–1994)
Minister of Finance
(1994–2002)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1998)
Minister of Economic Affairs
(2006) | 2003 |
| Jozias van Aartsen
(born 1947) | | 8 March 2006
({{Age in years and days>2004|11|27|2006|03|08}}) [1] 56–58 | Member of the House
of Representatives
(2002–2006)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2003–2006) | Minister of Agriculture,
Nature and Fisheries
(1994–1998)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1998)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(1998–2002)
Mayor of The Hague
(2008–2017)
King's Commissioner
of Drenthe
(2017)
Mayor of Amsterdam
(2017–2018) |
Vacant
(8 March 2006 – 31 May 2006) |
| | Mark Rutte
(born 1967) | 31 May 2006 –
Incumbent | 39–{{Age in years|1967|02|14}} | State Secretary for
Education, Culture
and Science
(2004–2006)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(2006–2010) (2012) (2017)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2006–2010) (2012) (2017)
Minister of General Affairs
(since 2010)
Prime Minister
(since 2010) | State Secretary for
Social Affairs and
Employment
(2002–2004)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(2003) | 2006 |
| 2010 |
| 2012 |
| 2017 |
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy doesn't have a official designated Deputy Leader in the party's hierarchy but some are given the title as an unofficial description by the media. Because of the often unofficial nature of the position, reliable sources can sometimes differ over who the deputy actually is or was.
| Deputy Leader | Term of office | Position(s) as Deputy Leader | Leader(s) | | Dirk Stikker
(1897–1979) | | 10 July 1952
({{Age in years and days>1948|01|28|1952|07|10}}) Chairman of the People's Party
for Freedom and Democracy
(1948)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(1948–1952)
| Pieter Oud |
| Henk Korthals
(1911–1976) | | 12 January 1963
({{Age in years and days>1952|07|10|1963|01|12}}) Member of the House
of Representatives
(1945–1959)
Member of the
European Parliament
(1958–1959)
Minister for Suriname and
Netherlands Antilles Affairs
(1959–1963)
Minister of Transport and
Water Management
(1959–1963)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1959–1963) |
Not in use
(12 January 1963 – 14 July 1963) |
| Molly Geertsema
(1918–1991) | | 1 October 1969
({{Age in years and days>1969|10|01|1971|07|01}}) [1] Member of the House
of Representatives
(1959–1971)
Mayor of Wassenaar
(1961–1971)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1963–1966) | Edzo Toxopeus |
| Roelof Zegering Hadders|nl}}
(1912–1991) | | 1 July 1971
({{Age in years and days>1969|10|01|1971|07|01}}) [1] Member of the House
of Representatives
(1948–1971) | Molly Geertsema |
| Molly Geertsema
(1918–1991) | | 5 May 1973
({{Age in years and days>1971|07|01|1973|05|05}}) [1] Minister of the Interior
(1971–1973)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1971–1973)
Minister for Suriname and
Netherlands Antilles Affairs
(1973)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1973) (1973) | Hans Wiegel |
| Harm van Riel
(1907–1980) | | 3 June 1976
({{Age in years and days>1973|05|05|1976|06|03}}) [1] Member of the Senate
(1963–1976)
Parliamentary leader
in the Senate
(1956–1976) |
| Haya van Someren
(1926–1980) | | 12 November 1980 (†)
({{Age in years and days>1976|06|03|1980|11|12}}) [1] Member of the Senate
(1974–1980)
Parliamentary leader
in the Senate
(1976–1980) |
Not in use
(12 November 1980 – 15 December 1986) |
| Dr.
Rudolf de Korte
(born 1936) | | 7 November 1989
({{Age in years and days>1986|12|15|1989|11|07}}) [1] Minister of Economic Affairs
(1986–1989)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1986–1989)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(1989–1995) | Joris Voorhoeve |
| | Loek Hermans
(born 1951) | 9 July 1986 –
24 September 1990
({{Age in years and days|1986|07|09|1990|09|24}}) [1] | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1977–1990) | Rudolf de Korte |
| Joris Voorhoeve |
| Frits Bolkestein |
| Hans Dijkstal
(1943–2010) | | 30 July 1998
({{Age in years and days>1990|09|24|1998|07|30}}) [1] Member of the House
of Representatives
(1986–1994) (1998–2002)
Minister of the Interior
(1994–1998)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1994–1998) |
| | Benk Korthals
(born 1944) | 22 August 1994 –
3 August 1998
({{Age in years and days|1994|08|22|1998|08|03}}) [1] | Member of the House
of Representatives
(1982–1998) |
| Hans Dijkstal |
| | Annemarie Jorritsma
(born 1950) | 3 August 1998 –
30 January 2003
({{Age in years and days|1998|08|3|2003|01|30}}) [1] | Minister of Economic Affairs
(1998–2002)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1998–2002)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(2002–2003) |
| Gerrit Zalm |
| Jozias van Aartsen
(born 1947) | | 27 November 2004
({{Age in years and days>2002|05|23|2006|11|27}}) [1] Minister of Foreign Affairs
(1998–2002)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(2002–2006)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2003–2006) |
Not in use
(27 November 2004 – 29 June 2006) |
| Edith Schippers
(born 1964) | | 1 November 2012
({{Age in years and days>2006|06|29|2012|11|01}}) Member of the House
of Representatives
(2003–2010) (2012)
Minister of Health,
Welfare and Sport
(2010–2017) | Mark Rutte |
| Stef Blok
(born 1964)
[3] | | 1 November 2012
({{Age in years and days>2010|10|08|2012|11|01}}) Member of the House
of Representatives
(2002–2012) (2012)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2010–2012) |
| Halbe Zijlstra
(born 1969) | | 13 February 2018
({{Age in years and days>2012|12|01|2018|02|13}}) State Secretary for Education,
Culture and Science
(2010–2012)
Member of the House
of Representatives
(2012–2017)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2012–2017) (2017)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(2017–2018) |
| Dr.
Klaas Dijkhoff
(born 1981) | | Incumbent
({{Age in years and days>2017|10|25}}) Member of the House
of Representatives
(since 2017)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(since 2017) |
|
1. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 {{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}}
2. ^{{nl icon}} Kabinet-Rutte is een feit, NOS, 14 October 2010
3. ^{{nl icon}} {{cite web|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/10/23/purist-stuurt-bij-naar-rechts-stef-blok-12567610-a83772|title=Purist stuurt bij naar rechts Stef Blok|publisher=NRC Handelsblad|date=12 October 2012|accessdate=4 March 2018}}