The Leader of the Labour Party was the most senior politician within the Labour Party (, PvdA) in the Netherlands.
The leaders outwardly acted as the 'figurehead' and the main representative of the party. Within the party, they were responsible for ensuring political consensus. At election time, the leader was always the lead candidate of the party list. Outside election time the leader could serve as the Leader of the Opposition. In the Labour Party the party leader was often also the parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives. Some leaders became a minister in the cabinet.
Leader Term of office Age as leader Position(s) Lead candidate Willem Drees – () – Member of the Municipal council of The Hague Member of the Provincial council of South Holland Alderman of The Hague Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of Social Affairs Deputy Prime Minister Prime Minister Minister of Colonial Affairs Minister of Finance Minister of State 1946 1948 1952 1956 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 Minister of State 1959 Vacant ( – ) Anne Vondeling – () – Member of the House of Representatives Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies Member of the Provincial council of Friesland Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of Finance Deputy Prime Minister Speaker of the House of Representatives Member of the European Parliament Delegation leader in the European Parliament 1963 Joop den Uyl – () – Member of the Municipal council of Amsterdam Member of the House of Representatives Alderman of Amsterdam Minister of Economic Affairs Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Prime Minister President of the European Council President of the Party of European Socialists Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Minister for Netherlands Antilles Affairs Deputy Prime Minister 1967 1971 1972 1977 1981 1982 1986 Wim Kok – () – Member of the Social and Economic Council Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of Finance Deputy Prime Minister Prime Minister President of the European Council Minister of State 1989 1994 1998 Ad Melkert – () – Member of the House of Representatives Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme Special Representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq Member of the Council of State 2002 Vacant ( – ) Wouter Bos – () – Member of the House of Representatives State Secretary for Finance Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Minister of Finance Deputy Prime Minister 2003 2006 Job Cohen – () – State Secretary for Education and Sciences Member of the Senate Parliamentary leader in the Senate State Secretary for Justice Mayor of Amsterdam Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives 2010 Vacant ( – ) Diederik Samsom – () – Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives 2012 Lodewijk Asscher – () – Member of the Municipal council of Amsterdam Alderman of Amsterdam Mayor of Amsterdam Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Deputy Prime Minister Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives 2017 Vacant ( – ) Lilianne Ploumen – () – Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives 2021 Vacant ( – ) Attje Kuiken – () – Member of the House of Representatives Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Frans Timmermans – – Member of the House of Representatives State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Affairs European commissioner First Vice-President of the European Commission First Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives 2023 2025
See also Leadership elections 2002 2012 2016
References