The Chair of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is the party chair, chief administrator and manager of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Dutch: Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie, VVD) in the Netherlands. The current chair is Eric Wetzels.

Quick Facts Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Member of ...
Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Partijvoorzitter van de Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie
Incumbent
Eric Wetzels
since 7 October 2022
Member ofParty Board
Formation28 January 1948; 76 years ago (1948-01-28)
First holderDirk Stikker
DeputyEric Wetzels (Vice Chair)
Website(in Dutch) Official website
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History

The VVD chair is the head of the party board and leads several committees. The duties of the chair are typically concerned with the party membership as a whole, and the activities of the party organization, the internal party governance, its finances and the Telders Foundation think tank.

The Chair plays an important role in strategies to recruit and retain members, in campaign fundraising.[1]

Due to a separation of power in the VVD's structure the chair is relatively weak and merely controls the party organization. The leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is the most senior politician within the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and decides over the party's political course.

Chairs

More information Term of office, Age as Chair ...
Chair Term of office Age as Chair Position(s) as Chair Further position(s) Leader(s)
Thumb Dirk Stikker
(1897–1979)
28 January 1948 –
7 August 1948
(192 days)[1]
50–51 Member of the Senate
(1945–1948)
Leader of the Freedom Party
(1946–1948)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(1948–1952)
Ambassador of the Netherlands to Iceland
(1952–1958)
Ambassador of the Netherlands
to the United Kingdom

(1952–1958)
Permanent Representative of the Netherlands
to the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development

(1958–1961)
Permanent Representative of
the Netherlands to NATO

(1958–1961)
Secretary General of NATO
(1961–1964)
Pieter Oud
(1948–1963)
Vacant
(7 August 1948 – 8 April 1949)
Thumb Pieter Oud
(1886–1968)
8 April 1949 –
9 November 1963
(15 years, 215 days)[1]
62–76 Mayor of Rotterdam
(1945–1952)
Leader of the People's Party
for Freedom and Democracy

(1948–1963)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(1948–1963)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1948–1963)
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)
Edzo Toxopeus
(1963–1969)
Thumb Kornelis
van der Pols

(1906–1995)
9 November 1963 –
29 March 1969
(5 years, 140 days)[1]
57–63
Thumb Haya van Someren
(1926–1980)
29 March 1969 –
15 March 1975
(5 years, 351 days)[1]
42–48 Member of the Senate
(1974–1980)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(1959–1968)
Parliamentary leader in the Senate
(1976–1980)
Molly Geertsema
(1969–1971)
Hans Wiegel
(1971–1982)
Thumb Frits
Korthals Altes

(born 1931)
15 March 1975 –
22 May 1981
(6 years, 68 days)[1]
43–50 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)
Minister of State
(since 2001)
Thumb Jan Kamminga
(born 1947)
22 May 1981 –
29 November 1986
(5 years, 191 days)[1]
34–39 Queen's Commissioner of Gelderland
(1997–2005)
Ed Nijpels
(1982–1986)
Rudolf de Korte
(1986)
Thumb Dr.
Leendert Ginjaar
(1928–2003)
29 November 1986 –
4 October 1991
(4 years, 309 days)[1]
58–63 Member of the Senate
(1981–2003)
Minister of Health and
Environmental Hygiene

(1977–1981)
Minister for Science Policy
(1979)
Parliamentary leader in the Senate
(1997–1999)
Joris Voorhoeve
(1986–1990)
Frits Bolkestein
(1990–1998)
Thumb Dian van
Leeuwen-Schut

(born 1939)
4 October 1991 –
27 May 1994
(2 years, 235 days)[1]
51–54 Member of the Senate
(1991–1995)
Thumb Willem Hoekzema
(born 1939)
27 May 1994 –
28 May 1999
(5 years, 1 day)[1]
54–59 Mayor of Huizen
(1987–1995)
Mayor of Den Helder
(1995–2001)
Mayor of Coevorden
(1975–1982)
State Secretary for Defence
(1982–1986)
Member of the Senate
(2003–2007)
Hans Dijkstal
(1998–2002)
Thumb Bas Eenhoorn
(born 1946)
28 May 1999 –
28 November 2003
(4 years, 184 days)[1]
52–57 Mayor of Schiermonnikoog
(1976–1983)
Mayor of Voorburg
(1983–1996)
Mayor of Lansingerland
(2007)
Mayor of Kaag en Braassem
(2009–2010)
Mayor of Alphen aan den Rijn
(2010–2014)
Mayor of Vlaardingen
(2014)
Mayor of Amstelveen
(2017–present)
Gerrit Zalm
(2002–2004)
Thumb Jan van Zanen
(born 1961)
28 November 2003 –
23 May 2008
(4 years, 177 days)[1]
41–46 Mayor of Amstelveen
(2005–2014)
Mayor of Utrecht
(since 2014)
Jozias van Aartsen
(2004–2006)
Mark Rutte
(since 2006)
Thumb Ivo Opstelten
(born 1944)
23 May 2008 –
14 October 2010
(2 years, 144 days) [1]
64–66 Mayor of Dalen
(1972–1977)
Mayor of Doorn
(1977–1980)
Mayor of Delfzijl
(1980–1987)
Mayor of Beerta
(1983–1984)
Mayor of Utrecht
(1992–1999)
Mayor of Rotterdam
(1999–2009)
Mayor of Tilburg
(2009–2010)
Minister of Security and Justice
(2010–2015)
Vacant
(14 October 2010 – 22 May 2011)
Thumb Benk Korthals
(born 1944)
22 May 2011 –
14 June 2014
(3 years, 23 days)[1]
66–69 Member of the House
of Representatives

(1982–1998) (2002)
Minister of Justice
(1998–2002)
Minister of Defence
(2002)
Thumb Henry Keizer
(1960–2019)
14 June 2014 –
18 May 2017
(2 years, 338 days)[1]
53–56
Vacant
(18 May 2017 – 25 November 2017)
Thumb Christianne
van der Wal

(born 1973)
25 November 2017 –
10 January 2022
(4 years, 46 days)[1]
44–48 Alderwoman in Harderwijk
(2014–2019)
Minister without portfolio
(since 2020)
Thumb Onno Hoes
(born 1961)
10 January 2022 –
Incumbent
(2 years, 308 days)[1]
60– Mayor of Maastricht
(2010–2015)
Mayor of Haarlemmermeer
(2017–2019)
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Vice Chairs

  • Pieter Oud (28 January 1948 – 8 April 1949)
  • Harm van Riel (8 April 1949 – 15 May 1963)
  • Johan Witteveen (15 May 1963 – 24 July 1963)
  • Hans Roelen (24 July 1963 – 16 July 1969)
  • Henk Talsma (16 July 1969 – 1978)
  • Hendrik Toxopeus (1978 – 1979)
  • Jan Kamminga (1979 – 22 May 1981)
  • Liesbeth Tuijnman (22 May 1981 – December 1985)
  • Ivo Opstelten (February 1986 – 22 May 1993)
  • Jan Gmelich Meijling (22 May 1993 – 22 Augustus 1994)
  • Ronald Haafkens (22 Augustus 1994 – 28 May 1999)
  • Sari van Heemskerck Pillis-Duvekot (28 May 1999 – 2004; Co-Chair)
  • Rudolf Sandberg tot Essenburg (28 May 1999 – 2000; Co-Chair)
  • Paul Tirion (2000 – 2001; Co-Chair)
  • Mark Harbers (2001 – 2005; Co-Chair)
  • Ines Adema (2004 – 4 April 2008; Co-Chair)
  • Rogier van der Sande (2005 – 4 April 2008; Co-Chair)
  • Mark Verheijen (4 April 2008 – 21 May 2012)
  • Wiet de Bruijn (21 May 2012 – 14 June 2014; Co-Chair)
  • Robert Reibestein (21 May 2012 – 14 June 2014;Co-Chair)
  • Jeannette Baljeu (14 June 2014 – 20 May 2017)
  • Eric Wetzels (since 20 May 2017)

See also

References

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