List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Minister van Buitenlandse Zaken
Flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Coat of arms of the Netherlands
Incumbent Frans Timmermans since November 5, 2012
Style	Excellency
Appointer	Mark Rutte as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Inaugural holder	Willem Berend Buys
Formation	March 9, 1798 (1798-03-09)
Salary	€144,000 (including €7887,24 expenses)
Website	Ministry of Foreign Affairs

List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs		Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)	Note(s)
	Gerrit Schimmelpenninck	March 25, 1848 - May 17, 1848	Indep.	Gerrit Schimmelpenninck (Schimmelpenninck)	Prime Minister Resigned
	Arnold Adolf Bentinck van Nijenhuis	May 17, 1848 - November 21, 1848	Indep.
	Leonardus Antonius Lightenvelt	November 21, 1848 - November 1, 1849	Indep.	Jacob de Kempenaer (De Kempenaer-Donker Curtius)
	Herman van Sonsbeeck	November 1, 1849 - October 16, 1852	Indep.	Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (Thorbecke I)	Resigned
	Jacob van Zuylen van Nijevelt	October 16, 1852 - April 19, 1853	Indep.
	Floris Adriaan van Hall	April 19, 1853 - July 1, 1856	Indep.	Floris Adriaan van Hall (Van Hall-Donker Curtius)	Prime Minister
	Daniël Théodore Gevers van Endegeest	July 1, 1856 - March 18, 1858	Indep.	Justinus van der Brugghen (Van der Brugghen)
	Jan Karel van Goltstein	March 18, 1858 - February 23, 1860	Indep.	Jan Jacob Rochussen (Rochussen)
	Floris Adriaan van Hall	February 23, 1860 - April 4, 1860	Indep.	Floris Adriaan van Hall (Van Hall-Van Heemstra)	Ad interim Prime Minister
	Jules van Zuylen van Nijevelt	March 8, 1860 - January 14, 1861	Indep.		Resigned
	Louis Napoleon van der Goes van Dirxland	January 14, 1861 - March 14, 1861	Indep.t
	Jacob van Zuylen van Nijevelt	March 14, 1861 - November 10, 1861	Indep.	Jacob van Zuylen van Nijevelt (Van Zuylen van Nijevelt-Van Heemstra)	Resigned Prime Minister
	Martin Pascal Hubert Strens	November 10, 1861 - February 1, 1862	Indep.	Schelto van Heemstra (Van Zuylen van Nijevelt-Van Heemstra)	Ad interim
	Anthony Jan Lucas Stratenus	February 1, 1862 - March 12, 1862	Indep.t	Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (Thorbecke II)	Ad interim
	Paul Therèse van der Maesen de Sombreff	March 12, 1862 - January 2, 1864	Indep.
	Willem Huyssen van Kattendijke	January 2, 1864 - March 15, 1864	Indep.		Ad interim Minister of the Navy
	Eppo Cremers	March 15, 1864 - June 1, 1866	Indep.	Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (Thorbecke II) Isaäc Dignus Fransen van de Putte (Fransen van de Putte)
	Jules van Zuylen van Nijevelt	June 1, 1866 - June 4, 1868	Indep.	Jules van Zuylen van Nijevelt (Van Zuylen van Nijevelt)	Prime Minister
	Joannes Josephus van Mulken	June 4, 1868 - June 8, 1868	Indep.	Pieter Philip van Bosse (Van Bosse-Fock)	Ad interim Minister of War
	Theodorus Marinus Roest van Limburg	June 8, 1868 - December 12, 1870	Indep.		Ad interim June 8—Sept. 1, 1868 Resigned
	Joannes Josephus van Mulken	December 12, 1870 - January 4, 1871	Indep.		Ad interim Minister of War
	Louis Gericke van Herwijnen	January 18, 1871 - August 27, 1874	Indep.	Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (Thorbecke III) Gerrit de Vries (De Vries-Fransen van de Putte)
	Joseph van der Does de Willebois	August 27, 1874 - November 3, 1877	Indep.	Jan Heemskerk (Heemskerk-Van Lynden van Sandenburg)
	Willem van Heeckeren van Kell	November 3, 1877 - August 19, 1879	Indep.	Jan Kappeyne van de Coppello (Kappeyne van de Coppello)
	Theo van Lynden van Sandenburg	August 19, 1879 - September 15, 1881	Indep.	Theo van Lynden van Sandenburg (Van Lynden van Sandenburg)	Resigned Prime Minister
	Willem Frederik Rochussen	September 15, 1881 - April 23, 1883	Indep.
	Joseph van der Does de Willebois	April 23, 1883 - November 1, 1885	Indep.	Jan Heemskerk (J. Heemskerk)	Resigned
	Marc Willem du Tour van Bellinchave	August 10, 1885 - November 1, 1885	Indep.		Ad interim Minister of Justice
	Abraham van Karnebeek	November 1, 1885 - April 21, 1888	Indep.
	Cornelis Hartsen	April 21, 1888 - August 21, 1891	Independent	Æneas Mackay (Mackay)
	Gijsbert van Tienhoven	August 21, 1891 - March 21, 1894	Indep.	Gijsbert van Tienhoven (Van Tienhoven)	Resigned Prime Minister
	Joannes Coenraad Jansen	March 21, 1894 - May 8, 1894	LU		Ad interim Minister of the Navy
	Joan Röell	May 8, 1894 - July 27, 1897	Indep.	Joan Röell (Röell)	Prime Minister
	Willem Hendrik de Beaufort	July 27, 1897 - August 1, 1901	Indep.	Nicolaas Pierson (Pierson)
	Robert Melvil van Lynden	August 1, 1901 - March 9, 1905	ARP	Abraham Kuyper (Kuyper)	Resigned
	Abraham George Ellis	March 9, 1905 - April 22, 1905	Indep.		Ad interim Minister of the Navy
	Willem Marcus van Weede van Berencamp	April 22, 1905 - August 7, 1905	Indep.		Resigned
	Abraham George Ellis	August 7, 1905 - August 17, 1905	Indep.		Ad interim Minister of the Navy
	Dirk Arnold Willem van Tets van Goudriaan	August 17, 1905 - February 12, 1908	Indep.	Theo de Meester (Meester)
	René de Marees van Swinderen	February 12, 1908 - August 29, 1913	Indep.	Theo Heemskerk (T. Heemskerk)
	Pieter Cort van der Linden	August 29, 1913 - September 27, 1913	Indep.	Pieter Cort van der Linden (Cort van der Linden)	Ad interim Prime Minister
	John Loudon	September 27, 1913 - September 9, 1918	Indep.
	Herman van Karnebeek	September 9, 1918 - April 1, 1927	Indep.	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I • II) Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn I) Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer I)	Resigned
	Frans Beelaerts van Blokland	April 1, 1927 - April 20, 1933	CHU	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer I) Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck III)	Resigned
	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck	April 20, 1933 - May 26, 1933	RKSP	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs III)	Ad interim Prime Minister
	Andries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff	May 26, 1933 - June 24, 1937	Indep.	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn II • III)
	Hendrikus Colijn	June 24, 1937 - October 1, 1937	ARP	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn IV)	Ad interim Prime Minister
	Jacob Adriaan Nicolaas Patijn	October 1, 1937 - August 10, 1939	Indep.	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn IV • V)
	Eelco van Kleffens	August 10, 1939 - March 1, 1946	Indep.	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer II) Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy I • II • III) Wim Schermerhorn (Schermerhorn-Drees)	Resigned
	Herman van Roijen	March 1, 1946 - July 3, 1946	Indep.	Wim Schermerhorn (Schermerhorn-Drees)
	Pim van Boetzelaer van Oosterhout	July 3, 1946 - August 7, 1948	Indep.	Louis Beel (Beel I)
	Dirk Stikker	August 7, 1948 - September 2, 1952	VVD	Willem Drees (Drees-Van Schaik • Drees I)
	Joseph Luns & Johan Willem Beyen	September 2, 1952 – July 7, 1956	KVP (Luns) Indep. (Beyen)	Willem Drees (Drees II)	Dual position
	Joseph Luns	July 7, 1956 – July 6, 1971	KVP	Willem Drees (Drees III) Louis Beel (Beel II) Jan de Quay (De Quay) Victor Marijnen (Marijnen) Jo Cals (Cals) Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra) Piet de Jong (De Jong)
	Norbert Schmelzer	July 6, 1971 – May 11, 1973	KVP	Barend Biesheuvel (Biesheuvel I • II)
	Max van der Stoel	May 11, 1973 – December 19, 1977	PvdA	Joop den Uyl (Den Uyl)
	Chris van der Klaauw	December 19, 1977 - September 11, 1981	VVD	Dries van Agt (Van Agt I)
	Max van der Stoel	September 11, 1981 – May 29, 1982	PvdA	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II)	Resigned
	Dries van Agt	May 29, 1982 – November 4, 1982	CDA	Dries van Agt (Van Agt III)	Dual position Prime Minister
	Hans van den Broek	November 4, 1982 - January 2, 1993	CDA	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I • II • III)	Appointed European Commissioner
	Pieter Kooijmans	January 2, 1993 – August 22, 1994	CDA	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III)
	Hans van Mierlo	August 22, 1994 – August 3, 1998	D66	Wim Kok (Kok I)	Deputy Prime Minister
	Jozias van Aartsen	August 3, 1998 – July 22, 2002	VVD	Wim Kok (Kok II)
	Jaap de Hoop Scheffer	July 22, 2002 – December 3, 2003	CDA	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I • II)	Appointed Secretary General of NATO
	Ben Bot	December 3, 2003 – February 22, 2007	CDA	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende II • III)
	Maxime Verhagen	February 22, 2007 – October 14, 2010	CDA	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV)
	Uri Rosenthal	October 14, 2010 – November 5, 2012	VVD	Mark Rutte (Rutte I)
	Frans Timmermans	November 5, 2012 –	PvdA	Mark Rutte (Rutte II)

Living former Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs	Term	Age
Dries van Agt	1982	(1931-02-02) February 2, 1931
Hans van den Broek	1982–1993	(1936-12-11) December 11, 1936
Jozias van Aartsen	1998–2002	(1947-12-25) December 25, 1947
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer	2002–2003	(1948-04-03) April 3, 1948
Ben Bot	2003–2007	(1937-11-21) November 21, 1937
Maxime Verhagen	2007–2010	(1956-09-14) September 14, 1956
Uri Rosenthal	2010-2012	(1945-07-19) July 19, 1945
Frans Timmermans	2012-	(1961-05-06) May 6, 1961

Deceased former Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs	Term	Born	Died
Norbert Schmelzer	1971–1973	(1921-03-22)March 22, 1921	November 14, 2008(2008-11-14) (aged 87)
Hans van Mierlo	1994–1998	(1931-08-18)August 18, 1931	March 11, 2010(2010-03-11) (aged 78)
Max van der Stoel	1973–1977, 1981–1982	(1924-08-03)August 3, 1924	April 23, 2011(2011-04-23) (aged 86)
Pieter Kooijmans	1993–1994	(1933-07-06)July 6, 1933	February 13, 2013(2013-02-13) (aged 79)

List of Ministers without Portfolio for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister		Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)	Portfolio	Note(s)
	Theo Bot	April 14, 1965 - April 5, 1967	KVP	Jo Cals (Cals) Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra)	Aid to developing countries
	Berend Jan Udink	April 5, 1967 - July 6, 1971	CHU	Piet de Jong (De Jong)	Aid to developing countries
	Kees Boertien	July 6, 1971 - May 11, 1973	ARP	Barend Biesheuvel (Biesheuvel I • II)	Development Cooperation
	Jan Pronk	May 11, 1973 – December 19, 1977	PvdA	Joop den Uyl (Den Uyl)	Development Cooperation
	Jan de Koning	December 19, 1977 - September 11, 1981	ARP CDA	Dries van Agt (Van Agt I)	Development Cooperation	ARP merged into CDA on October 11, 1980
	Kees van Dijk	September 11, 1981 – November 4, 1982	CDA	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II • III)	Development Cooperation
	Eegje Schoo	November 4, 1982 - July 14, 1986	VVD	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I)	Development Cooperation
	Piet Bukman	July 14, 1986 – November 7, 1989	CDA	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers II)	Development Cooperation
	Jan Pronk	November 7, 1989 - August 3, 1998	PvdA	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III) Wim Kok (Kok I)	Development Cooperation
	Eveline Herfkens	August 3, 1998 – July 22, 2002	PvdA	Wim Kok (Kok II)	Development Cooperation
	Agnes van Ardenne	May 27, 2003 – February 22, 2007	CDA	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende II • III)	Development Cooperation
	Bert Koenders	February 22, 2007 – February 23, 2010	PvdA	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV)	Development Cooperation	Resigned
	Maxime Verhagen	February 23, 2010 – October 14, 2010	CDA			Dual position Minister of Foreign Affairs
	Lilianne Ploumen	November 5, 2012 –	PvdA	Mark Rutte (Rutte II)	Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation

See also

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs