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.

List of current Ministers of State

Minister of State			Appointed/Appointer		Former Position(s)	Party
		Frits Korthals Altes (born 1931)	26 October 2001 (16 years, 360 days)	Queen Beatrix	Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (1975–1981) Member of the Senate (1981–1982) (1991–2001) Minister of Justice (1982–1989) Minister of the Interior (1986) Member of the House of Representatives (1989–1991) Parliamentary leader in the Senate (1995–1997) President of the Senate (1997–2001)	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Jos van Kemenade (born 1937)	5 April 2002 (16 years, 199 days)	Queen Beatrix	Minister of Education and Sciences (1973–1977) (1981–1982) Member of the House of Representatives (1977) (1978–1981) (1982–1984) Mayor of Eindhoven (1988–1992) Queen's Commissioner of North Holland (1992–2002)	Labour Party
		Dr. Wim Kok (born 1938)	11 April 2003 (15 years, 193 days)	Queen Beatrix	Member of the House of Representatives (1986–1989) (1994) (1998) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1986–1989) (1994) (1998) Leader of the Labour Party (1986–2001) Minister of Finance (1989–1994) Deputy Prime Minister (1989–1994) Minister of General Affairs (1994–2002) Prime Minister (1994–2002) President of the European Council (1997)	Labour Party
		Jaime Saleh (born 1941)	10 October 2004 (14 years, 11 days)	Queen Beatrix	Judge of the Joint Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles (1974–1979) President of the Joint Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles (1979–1990) Governor of the Netherlands Antilles (1990–2002)	Independent
		Hans van den Broek (born 1936)	25 February 2005 (13 years, 238 days)	Queen Beatrix	Member of the House of Representatives (1976–1981) (1982) (1986) (1989) State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (1981–1982) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1982–1993) European Commissioner for External Relations and Enlargement (1993–1995) European Commissioner for External Relations, Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy (1995–1999)	Christian Democratic Appeal (Catholic People's Party)
		Dr. Herman Tjeenk Willink (born 1942)	21 December 2012 (5 years, 304 days)	Queen Beatrix	Member of the Senate (1987–1997) President of the Senate (1991–1997) Vice-President of the Council of State (1997–2012)	Labour Party
		Winnie Sorgdrager (born 1948)	22 June 2018 (121 days)	King Willem-Alexander	Minister of Justice (1994–1998) Member of the Senate (1999) Member of the Council of State (2006–2018)	Democrats 66
		Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (born 1948)	22 June 2018 (121 days)	King Willem-Alexander	Member of the House of Representatives (1986–2002) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1997–2001) Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal (1997–2001) Minister of Foreign Affairs (2002–2003) Secretary General of NATO (2003–2009)	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Sybilla Dekker (born 1942)	22 June 2018 (121 days)	King Willem-Alexander	Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (2003–2006)	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

List of deceased Ministers of State

By date of death (List incomplete)

Minister of State			Apointed	End	Time	Appointer	Former Position(s)	Party
		Dr. Dirk Fock (1858–1941) (aged 83)	24 August 1928	17 October 1941	13 years, 54 days	Queen Wilhelmina	Member of the House of Representatives (1901–1905) (1913–1920) Minister of Colonial Affairs (1905–1908) Speaker of the House of Representatives (1917–1920) Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1921–1926) Member of the Senate (1929–1935) Parliamentary leader in the Senate (1932–1935)	Liberal Union
		Dr. Jonkheer Herman van Karnebeek (1874–1942) (aged 67)	25 July 1927	29 March 1942	14 years, 247 days	Queen Wilhelmina	Mayor of The Hague (1911–1918) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1918–1927) Queen's Commissioner of South Holland (1928–1942)	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
		Dr. Hendrikus Colijn (1869–1944) (aged 75)	31 August 1929	18 September 1944	15 years, 48 days	Queen Wilhelmina	Member of the House of Representatives Minister of War Minister of the Navy Member of the Senate Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of Finance Minister of Colonial Affairs Prime Minister Parliamentary leader in the Senate Minister of Economic Affairs Minister of Water Management Minister of Defence Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of General Affairs	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Baron Willem Lodewijk de Vos van Steenwijk (1859–1947) (aged 87)	11 July 1946	12 April 1947	275 days	Queen Wilhelmina	Member of the Senate Parliamentary leader in the Senate President of the Senate	Christian Historical Union
		Jonkheer Dirk Jan de Geer (1870–1960) (aged 89)	31 August 1933	12 November 1947 [Note]	14 years, 73 days	Queen Wilhelmina	Member of the House of Representatives Mayor of Arnhem Minister of Finance Minister of the Interior and Agriculture Prime Minister Leader of the Christian Historical Union Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Chairman of the Christian Historical Union Minister of General Affairs	Christian Historical Union (Christian Historical Voters' League, Christian Historical Party)
		Piet Aalberse (1871–1948) (aged 77)	31 December 1934	5 July 1948	13 years, 187 days	Queen Wilhelmina	Member of the House of Representatives Minister of Labour Minister of Labour, Commerce and Industry Leader of the Roman Catholic State Party Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Speaker of the House of Representatives Member of the Council of State	Catholic People's Party (General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses, Roman Catholic State Party)
		Jonkheer Frans Beelaerts van Blokland (1872–1956) (aged 84)	22 December 1936	27 March 1956	19 years, 96 days	Queen Wilhelmina	Ambassador to China Minister of Foreign Affairs Vice-President of the Council of State	Christian Historical Union
		Dr. Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1885–1961) (aged 76)	5 April 1955	7 September 1961	6 years, 155 days	Queen Juliana	Minister of Justice Prime Minister Minister of Colonial Affairs Minister of General Affairs Member of the House of Representatives	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Josef van Schaik (1882–1962) (aged 80)	15 March 1951	23 March 1962	11 years, 8 days	Queen Juliana	Member of the House of Representatives Speaker of the House of Representatives Minister of Justice Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister for Reconstruction of the Kingdon Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Transport and Water Management Minister of the Interior Member of the Council of State	Catholic People's Party (General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses, Roman Catholic State Party)
		Pieter Oud (1886–1968) (aged 81)	9 November 1963	12 August 1968	4 years, 277 days	Queen Juliana	Member of the House of Representatives Minister of Finance Leader of the Free-thinking Democratic League Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Mayor of Rotterdam Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Free-thinking Democratic League, Labour Party)
		Jo Cals (1914–1971) (aged 57)	5 December 1966	30 December 1971	5 years, 25 days	Queen Juliana	Member of the House of Representatives State Secretary for Education, Arts and Sciences Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences Minister of General Affairs Prime Minister	Catholic People's Party (Roman Catholic State Party)
		Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977) (aged 74)	21 November 1956	11 February 1977	20 years, 82 days	Queen Juliana	Minister of the Interior Member of the House of Representatives Prime Minister Minister of General Affairs Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Justice Member of the Council of State Minister of Social Affairs and Health Vice-President of the Council of State	Catholic People's Party (Roman Catholic State Party)
		Dr. Jonkheer Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer (1888–1978) (aged 90)	28 June 1956	16 August 1978	22 years, 49 days	Queen Juliana	Queen's Commissioner of Groningen Ambassador to Belgium Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Ambassador to France Permanent Representative to the OECD	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
		Dr. Carl Romme (1896–1980) (aged 83)	16 December 1971	16 October 1980	8 years, 305 days	Queen Juliana	Member of the House of Representatives Member of the Senate Minister of Social Affairs Leader of the Catholic People's Party Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Member of the Council of State	Catholic People's Party (Roman Catholic State Party) (1971–1980)
								Christian Democratic Appeal (1980)
		Dr. Jan Donner (1891–1981) (aged 89)	16 December 1971	2 February 1981	9 years, 48 days	Queen Juliana	Minister of Justice (1926–1933) Judge of the Supreme Court (1933–1944) (1945–1947) President of the Supreme Court (1947–1961)	Anti-Revolutionary Party (1971–1980)
								Christian Democratic Appeal (1980–1981)
		Eelco van Kleffens (1894–1983) (aged 88)	4 July 1950	17 June 1983	32 years, 348 days	Queen Juliana	Minister of Foreign Affairs (1939–1946) Minister for United Nations Affairs (1946–1947) Ambassador to the United States (1947–1949) Ambassador to the United Nations (1947–1949) (1954–1955) Ambassador to Portugal (1950–1956) President of the United Nations General Assembly (1954–1955) Permanent Representatives to NATO (1956–1958) Permanent Representatives to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (1956–1958) Permanent Representatives to the European Coal and Steel Community (1958–1967)	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
		Jaap Burger (1904–1986) (aged 81)	4 January 1975	19 August 1986	11 years, 227 days	Queen Juliana	Minister for Provisional Government Reconstruction (1943–1944) Minister of the Interior (1944–1945) Member of the House of Representatives (1945–1962) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1951) (1952–1962) Leader of the Labour Party (1958–1962) Member of the Senate (1963–1970) Member of the European Parliament (1966–1970) Member of the Council of State (1970–1979)	Labour Party (Social Democratic Workers' Party)
		Dr. Marga Klompé (1912–1986) (aged 74)	17 July 1971	28 October 1986	15 years, 103 days	Queen Juliana	Member of the House of Representatives (1948–1956) (1959) (1963–1966) (1967) Minister of Social Work (1956–1963) Minister of Culture, Recreation and Social Work (1966–1971)	Catholic People's Party (1971–1980)
								Christian Democratic Appeal (1980–1986)
		Dr. Willem Drees (1886–1988) (aged 101)	22 December 1958	14 May 1988	29 years, 144 days	Queen Juliana	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) Minister of Social Affairs (1945–1948) Deputy Prime Minister (1945–1948) Leader of the Labour Party (1946–1958) Minister of General Affairs (1948–1958) Prime Minister (1948–1958) Minister of Colonial Affairs (1951) Minister of Finance (1952)	Labour Party (Social Democratic Workers' Party)
		Dr. Marinus Ruppert (1911–1992) (aged 80)	29 November 1980	27 February 1992	11 years, 90 days	Queen Beatrix	Member of the Senate (1956–1959) Member of the Council of State (1959–1973) Vice-President of the Council of State (1973–1980)	Christian Democratic Appeal (Anti-Revolutionary Party)
		Dr. Ivo Samkalden (1912–1995) (aged 82)	22 January 1985	11 May 1995	10 years, 109 days	Queen Beatrix	Minister of Justice (1956–1958) (1965–1966) Member of the House of Representatives (1959–1960) Member of the Senate (1960–1965) Minister of the Interior (1966) Mayor of Amsterdam (1967–1977)	Labour Party
		Jonkheer Emiel van Lennep (1915–1996) (aged 81)	29 April 1986	2 October 1996	10 years, 156 days)	Queen Beatrix	Treasurer–General (1951–1969) Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (1969–1984)	Christian Democratic Appeal (Christian Historical Union)
		Dr. Jelle Zijlstra (1918–2001) (aged 83)	30 April 1983	23 December 2001	18 years, 237 days	Queen Beatrix	Minister of Economic Affairs (1952–1959) Leader of the Anti- Revolutionary Party (1956) (1958–1959) Member of the House of Representatives (1956) (1959) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1956) Minister of Finance (1958–1963) (1966–1967) Member of the Senate (1963–1966) Minister of General Affairs (1966–1967) Prime Minister (1966–1967) President of the Central Bank (1967–1982)	Christian Democratic Appeal (Anti-Revolutionary Party)
		Willem Scholten (1927–2005) (aged 77)	1 July 1997	1 January 2005	7 years, 184 days	Queen Beatrix	Member of the House of Representatives (1963–1971) (1972–1976) State Secretary for Finance (1971–1973) Member of the European Parliament (1973–1976) Member of the Council of State (1976–1978) Minister of Defence (1978–1980) Vice-President of the Council of State (1980–1997)	Christian Democratic Appeal (Christian Historical Union)
		Edzo Toxopeus (1918–2009) (aged 91)	22 January 1985	3 August 2009	24 years, 213 days	Queen Beatrix	Member of the House of Representatives (1956–1959) (1963) (1965–1969) Minister of the Interior (1959–1965) 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) Queen's Commissioner of Groningen (1970–1980) Member of the Council of State (1980–1988)	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010) (aged 78)	24 October 1998	11 March 2010	11 years, 138 days	Queen Beatrix	Leader of the Democrats 66 (1966–1973) (1986–1998) Chairman of the Democrats 66 (1966–1967) Member of the House of Representatives (1967–1977) (1986–1994) (1998) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1967–1973) (1986–1994) Minister of Defence (1981–1982) Member of the Senate (1983–1986) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1994–1998) Deputy Prime Minister (1994–1998)	Democrats 66
		Dr. Max van der Stoel (1924–2011) (aged 86)	17 May 1991	23 April 2011	19 years, 341 days	Queen Beatrix	Member of the Senate (1960–1963) Member of the House of Representatives (1963–1965) (1967–1973) (1977) (1978–1981) State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (1965–1966) Member of the European Parliament (1971–1973) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1973–1977) (1981–1982) Ambassador to the United Nations (1983–1983) Member of the Council of State (1986–1993) High Commissioner on National Minorities (1993–2001)	Labour Party
		Dr. Pieter Kooijmans (1933–2013) (aged 79)	13 July 2007	13 February 2013	5 years, 215 days	Queen Beatrix	State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (1973–1977) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993–1994) Judge of the International Court of Justice (1997–2006)	Christian Democratic Appeal (Anti-Revolutionary Party)
		Dr. Els Borst (1932–2014) (aged 81)	21 December 2012	8 February 2014	1 year, 49 days	Queen Beatrix	Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (1994–2002) Leader of the Democrats 66 (1998) Member of the House of Representatives (1998) Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives (1998) Deputy Prime Minister (1998–2002)	Democrats 66
		Dr. Ruud Lubbers (1939–2018) (aged 78)	31 January 1995	14 February 2018	23 years, 14 days	Queen Beatrix	Minister of Economic Affairs (1973–1977) 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) Minister of General Affairs (1982–1994) Prime Minister (1982–1994) Minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs (1989) (1994) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2001–2005)	Christian Democratic Appeal (Catholic People's Party)

^Note Dirk Jan de Geer was stripped of his title 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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