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.

Marga Klompé and Els Borst are the only female Ministers of State in Dutch history.

List of current Ministers of State

Minister of State	Former Position(s)	Party(s)	Since
Ruud Lubbers	Minister of Economic Affairs Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of General Affairs Prime Minister United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees	Christian Democratic Appeal (Catholic People's Party)	31 January 1995 (7008638841600000000♠20 years, 89 days)
Frits Korthals Altes	Member of the Senate Minister of Justice Minister of the Interior Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the Senate President of the Senate	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	26 October 2001 (7008426319200000000♠13 years, 186 days)
Jos van Kemenade	Minister of Education, Culture and Science Member of the House of Representatives Mayor of Eindhoven Queen's Commissioner of North Holland	Labour Party	5 April 2002 (7008412408800000000♠13 years, 25 days)
Wim Kok	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Finance Minister of General Affairs Prime Minister	Labour Party	11 April 2003 (7008380332800000000♠12 years, 19 days)
Hans van den Broek	Member of the House of Representatives State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Affairs European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy	Christian Democratic Appeal (Catholic People's Party)	25 February 2005 (7008321105600000000♠10 years, 64 days)
Herman Tjeenk Willink	Member of the Senate President of the Senate Vice President of the Council of State	Labour Party	21 December 2012 (7007743472000000000♠2 years, 130 days)

List of deceased Ministers of State

By date of death (List incomplete)

Minister of State	Former Position(s)	Party(s)	Period	Life
Minister of State	Former Position(s)	Party(s)	Period	Born	Died
Willem Lodewijk de Vos van Steenwijk	Member of the Senate Parliamentary leader in the Senate President of the Senate	Christian Historical Union	11 July 1946 - 12 April 1947 (7007237600000000000♠275 days)	(1859-07-10)10 July 1859	12 April 1947(1947-04-12) (aged 87)
Dirk Jan de Geer	Member of the House of Representatives Mayor of Arnhem Minister of Finance Minister of the Interior and Agriculture Prime Minister Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives	Christian Historical Union	31 August 1933 - 12 November 1947 (7008448113600000000♠14 years, 73 days)	(1870-12-14)14 December 1870	28 November 1960(1960-11-28) (aged 89)
Piet Aalberse	Member of the House of Representatives Minister of Labour Minister of Labour, Commerce and Industry Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives President 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)	31 December 1934 - 5 July 1948 (7008426405600000000♠13 years, 187 days)	(1871-03-27)27 March 1871	5 July 1948(1948-07-05) (aged 77)
Frans Beelaerts van Blokland	Ambassador to China Minister of Foreign Affairs Vice President of the Council of State	Christian Historical Union	22 December 1936 - 27 March 1956 (7008607888800000000♠19 years, 96 days)	(1872-01-21)21 January 1872	27 March 1956(1956-03-27) (aged 84)
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy	Minister of Justice Prime Minister Minister of Colonial Affairs Minister for General Warfare Member of the House of Representatives	Anti Revolutionary Party	5 April 1955 - 7 September 1961 (7008202737600000000♠6 years, 155 days)	(1885-04-13)13 April 1885	7 September 1961(1961-09-07) (aged 76)
Josef van Schaik	Member of the House of Representatives President of the House of Representatives Minister of Justice Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister without portfolio Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management Minister of the Interior Member of the Council of State	Catholic People's Party (Roman-Catholic State Party)	15 March 1951 - 23 March 1962 (7008347824800000000♠11 years, 8 days)	(1882-01-31)31 January 1882	23 March 1962(1962-03-23) (aged 80)
Pieter Oud	Member of the House of Representatives Minister of Finance Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Mayor of Rotterdam	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Free-thinking Democratic League, Labour Party)	9 November 1963 - 12 August 1968 (7008150163200000000♠4 years, 277 days)	(1886-12-05)5 December 1886	12 August 1968(1968-08-12) (aged 81)
Jo Cals	Member of the House of Representatives State Secretary for Education, Arts and Science Minister of Education, Arts and Science Minister of General Affairs Prime Minister	Catholic People's Party (Roman-Catholic State Party)	5 December 1966 - 30 December 1971 (7008159948000000000♠5 years, 25 days)	(1914-07-18)18 July 1914	30 December 1971(1971-12-30) (aged 57)
Louis Beel	Minister of the Interior Member of the House of Representatives Prime Minister Minister of Colonial Affairs Minister of General Affairs Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Social Work Minister of Education, Arts and Science Minister of Justice Member of the Council of State Minister of Social Affairs Minister of Health Vice President of the Council of State	Catholic People's Party (Roman-Catholic State Party)	November 21, 1956 - February 11, 1977 (7008638236800000000♠20 years, 82 days)	(1902-04-12)12 April 1902	11 February 1977(1977-02-11) (aged 74)
Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer	Queen's Commissioner of Groningen Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Ambassador to France	Independent	28 June 1956 - 16 August 1978 (7008698500800000000♠22 years, 49 days)	(1888-03-07)7 March 1888	16 August 1978(1978-08-16) (aged 90)
Carl Romme	Member of the House of Representatives Member of the Senate Minister of Social Affairs Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Member of the Council of State	Catholic People's Party (Roman-Catholic State Party)	16 December 1971 - 16 October 1980 (7008278812800000000♠8 years, 305 days)	(1896-12-21)21 December 1896	16 October 1980(1980-10-16) (aged 83)
Jan Donner	Minister of Justice President of the Supreme Court	Anti Revolutionary Party	16 December 1971 - 2 February 1981 (7008288165600000000♠9 years, 48 days)	(1891-02-03)3 February 1891	2 February 1981(1981-02-02) (aged 89)
Eelco van Kleffens	Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister without portfolio Ambassador to the United States Ambassador to Portugal President of the United Nations General Assembly	Independent	4 July 1950 - 17 June 1983 (7009103991040000000♠32 years, 348 days)	(1894-11-17)17 November 1894	17 June 1983(1983-06-17) (aged 88)
Jaap Burger	Minister without portfolio Minister of the Interior Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Member of the Senate Member of the European Parliament Member of the Council of State	Labour Party (Social Democratic Workers' Party)	4 January 1975 - 19 August 1986 (7008366746400000000♠11 years, 227 days)	(1904-08-20)20 August 1904	19 August 1986(1986-08-19) (aged 81)
Marga Klompé	Member of the House of Representatives Minister of Social Work Minister of Education, Arts and Science Minister of Culture, Recreation and Social Work	Christian Democratic Appeal (Catholic People's Party)	17 July 1971 - 26 October 1986 (7008482090400000000♠15 years, 101 days)	(1912-08-16)16 August 1912	26 October 1986(1986-10-26) (aged 74)
Willem Drees	Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of Social Affairs Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Colonial Affairs Minister of Finance Minister of General Affairs Prime Minister	Labour Party (Social Democratic Workers' Party)	22 December 1958 - 14 May 1988 (7008927612000000000♠29 years, 144 days)	(1886-07-05)5 July 1886	14 May 1988(1988-05-14) (aged 101)
Marinus Ruppert	Member of the Senate Member of the Council of State Vice President of the Council of State	Christian Democratic Appeal (Anti Revolutionary Party)	29 November 1980 - 27 February 1992 (7008354909600000000♠11 years, 90 days)	(1911-09-01)1 September 1911	27 February 1992(1992-02-27) (aged 80)
Ivo Samkalden	Minister of Justice Member of the House of Representatives Member of the Senate Minister of the Interior Mayor of Amsterdam	Labour Party	22 January 1985 - 11 May 1995 (7008324993600000000♠10 years, 109 days)	(1912-08-10)10 August 1912	11 May 1995(1995-05-11) (aged 82)
Emiel van Lennep	Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development	Christian Democratic Appeal (Christian Historical Union)	29 April 1986 - 2 October 1996 (7008329054400000000♠10 years, 156 days)	(1915-01-20)20 January 1915	2 October 1996(1996-10-02) (aged 81)
Jelle Zijlstra	Minister of Economic Affairs Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Member of the House of Representatives Minister of Finance Member of the Senate Minister of General Affairs Prime Minister President of the Central Bank	Christian Democratic Appeal (Anti Revolutionary Party)	30 April 1983 - 23 December 2001 (7008588513600000000♠18 years, 237 days)	(1918-08-27)27 August 1918	23 December 2001(2001-12-23) (aged 83)
Willem Scholten	Member of the House of Representatives State Secretary for Finance Member of the European Parliament Member of the Council of State Minister of Defence Vice President of the Council of State	Christian Democratic Appeal (Christian Historical Union)	1 July 1997 - 1 January 2005 (7008236800800000000♠7 years, 184 days)	(1927-06-01)1 June 1927	1 January 2005(2005-01-01) (aged 77)
Edzo Toxopeus	Member of the House of Representatives Minister of the Interior Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Queen's Commissioner of Groningen Member of the Council of State	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	22 January 1985 - 23 August 2009 (7008775785600000000♠24 years, 213 days)	(1918-02-19)19 February 1918	28 August 2009(2009-08-28) (aged 91)
Hans van Mierlo	Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Member of the House of Representatives Minister of Defence Member of the Senate Minister of Foreign Affairs Deputy Prime Minister	Democrats 66	24 October 1998 - 11 March 2010 (7008359056800000000♠11 years, 138 days)	(1931-08-18)18 August 1931	11 March 2010(2010-03-11) (aged 78)
Max van der Stoel	Member of the Senate Member of the House of Representatives State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Member of the European Parliament Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador to the United Nations Member of the Council of State High Commissioner on National Minorities	Labour Party	17 May 1991 - 23 April 2011 (7008629056800000000♠19 years, 341 days)	(1924-08-03)3 August 1924	23 April 2011(2011-04-23) (aged 86)
Pieter Kooijmans	State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Affairs Judge of the International Court of Justice	Christian Democratic Appeal (Anti Revolutionary Party)	13 July 2007 - 13 February 2013 (7008176364000000000♠5 years, 215 days)	(1933-07-06)6 July 1933	13 February 2013(2013-02-13) (aged 79)
Els Borst	Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Deputy Prime Minister	Democrats 66	21 December 2012 - 8 February 2014 (7007357912000000000♠1 years, 49 days)	(1932-03-22)22 March 1932	8 February 2014(2014-02-08) (aged 81)

External links

(Dutch) Ministers van Staat Rijksoverheid

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