List of ministers of defence of the Netherlands

The minister of defence (Dutch: Minister van Defensie) is the head of the Ministry of Defence and a member of the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers. The incumbent minister is Ruben Brekelmans of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) party who has been in office since 2 July 2024. Regularly, a state secretary is assigned to the ministry who is tasked with specific portfolios. The current state secretary is Gijs Tuinman of the Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB) who also has been in office since 2 July 2024.

Minister of Defence of the Netherlands
Minister van Defensie
Flag for the minister of defence
Incumbent Ruben Brekelmans since 2 July 2024
Ministry of Defence
Style	His/Her Excellency
Member of	Council of Ministers
Appointer	The monarch on advice of the prime minister
Precursor	Minister of War Minister of the Navy
Formation	1 September 1928 (historic) 7 August 1948 (current)
First holder	Johan Lambooij [nl] (historic) Kees Staf (current)
Final holder	Hendrik van Boeijen (historic)
Abolished	27 July 1941 (historic)
Deputy	Gijs Tuinman as State Secretary for Defence
Salary	€205,991 (As of 2025[update])[1]

List of ministers

Ministers of Defence (1928–1941)

Portrait	Name	Term of office	Party		Cabinet
	Major Johan Lambooij (1874–1942)	1 September 1928 – 10 August 1929		Roman Catholic State Party	De Geer I [2]
	Dr. Laurent Deckers (1883–1978)	10 August 1929 – 2 September 1935 [Appt]		Roman Catholic State Party	De Beerenbrouck III [3]
					Colijn II [4]
					Colijn III [5]
	Major Dr. Hendrikus Colijn (1869–1944)	2 September 1935 – 24 June 1937		Anti-Revolutionary Party
	Captain Dr. Jannes van Dijk (1871–1954)	24 June 1937 – 10 August 1939		Anti-Revolutionary Party	Colijn IV • V [6][7]
	Major general Adriaan Dijxhoorn (1889–1953)	10 August 1939 – 12 June 1941		Independent	De Geer II [8]
					Gerbrandy I [9]
	Hendrik van Boeijen (1889–1947)	12 June 1941 – 27 July 1941 Ad interim		Christian Historical Union

Ministers of War and the Navy (1948–1956)

Portrait	Name	Term of office	Party		Cabinet
	Captain Wim Schokking (1900–1960)	7 August 1948 – 16 October 1950 [Res]		Christian Historical Union	Drees– Van Schaik [10]
	Hans s'Jacob (1906–1967)	16 October 1950 – 15 March 1951		Independent
	Kees Staf (1905–1973)	15 March 1951 – 13 October 1956		Christian Historical Union	Drees I • II [11][12]

Ministers of Defence (since 1956)

Portrait	Name	Term of office	Party		Cabinet
	Kees Staf (1905–1973)	13 October 1956 – 19 May 1959 [Minister]		Christian Historical Union	Drees III [13]
					Beel II [14]
	Major general Sidney J. van den Bergh (1898–1977)	19 May 1959 – 1 August 1959 [Res]		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	De Quay [15]
	Dr. Jan de Quay (1901–1985)	1 August 1959 – 4 September 1959 Acting		Catholic People's Party
	Sim Visser (1908–1983)	4 September 1959 – 24 July 1963		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
	Captain Piet de Jong (1915–2016)	24 July 1963 – 5 April 1967		Catholic People's Party	Marijnen [16]
					Cals [17]
					Zijlstra [18]
	Lieutenant general Willem den Toom (1911–1998)	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	De Jong [19]
	Hans de Koster (1914–1992)	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Biesheuvel I • II [20]
	Henk Vredeling (1924–2007)	11 May 1973 – 1 January 1977 [App]		Labour Party	Den Uyl [21]
	Captain Bram Stemerdink (born 1936)	1 January 1977 – 19 December 1977		Labour Party
	Dr. Roelof Kruisinga (1922–2012)	19 December 1977 – 4 March 1978 [Res]		Christian Historical Union	Van Agt I [22]
	Jan de Koning (1926–1994)	4 March 1978 – 8 March 1978 Ad Interim [Minister]		Anti-Revolutionary Party
	Willem Scholten (1927–2005)	8 March 1978 – 25 August 1980 [App]		Christian Historical Union
	Captain Pieter de Geus (1929–2004)	25 August 1980 – 11 September 1981		Christian Historical Union
				Christian Democratic Appeal
	Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010)	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982		Democrats 66	Van Agt II • III [23][24]
	Dr. Job de Ruiter (1930–2015)	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986		Christian Democratic Appeal	Lubbers I [25]
	Dr. Wim van Eekelen (1931–2025)	14 July 1986 – 6 September 1988 [Res]		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Lubbers II [26]
	Piet Bukman (1934–2022)	6 September 1988 – 24 September 1988 Ad Interim [Minister]		Christian Democratic Appeal
	Frits Bolkestein (1933–2025)	24 September 1988 – 7 November 1989		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
	Relus ter Beek (1944–2008)	7 November 1989 – 6 February 1991 [Note]		Labour Party	Lubbers III [27]
	Jan Pronk (born 1940)	6 February 1991 – 3 March 1991 Acting [Minister]		Labour Party
	Relus ter Beek (1944–2008)	3 March 1991 – 22 August 1994		Labour Party
	Dr. Joris Voorhoeve (born 1945)	22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998 [Minister]		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Kok I [28]
	Frank de Grave (born 1955)	3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Kok II [29]
	Benk Korthals (born 1944)	22 July 2002 – 12 December 2002 [Res]		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Balkenende I [30]
	Henk Kamp (born 1952)	12 December 2002 – 22 February 2007 [Minister]		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
					Balkenende II • III [31][32]
	Eimert van Middelkoop (born 1949)	22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010 [Minister]		Christian Union	Balkenende IV [33]
	Hans Hillen (born 1947)	14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012		Christian Democratic Appeal	Rutte I [34]
	Commander Jeanine Hennis- Plasschaert (born 1973)	5 November 2012 – 4 October 2017 [Res]		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Rutte II [35]
	Dr. Klaas Dijkhoff (born 1981)	4 October 2017 – 26 October 2017		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
	Ank Bijleveld (born 1962)	26 October 2017 – 17 September 2021 [Res]		Christian Democratic Appeal	Rutte III [36]
	Dr. Ferdinand Grapperhaus (born 1959)	17 September 2021 – 24 September 2021 Acting [Minister]		Christian Democratic Appeal
	Henk Kamp (born 1952)	24 September 2021 – 10 January 2022		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
	Jonkvrouw Kajsa Ollongren (born 1967)	10 January 2022 – 2 July 2024		Democrats 66	Rutte IV [37]
	Ruben Brekelmans (born 1986)	2 July 2024 – Incumbent		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Schoof [38]

^Resigned

^{Medical leave of absence from 6 February 1991 until 3 March 1991}

^{Appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries}

^{Appointed as European Commissioner}

^{Appointed as Vice-President of the Council of State}

^{Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies from 22 December 1958}

^{Minister for Development Cooperation}

^{Minister for Kingdom Relations}

^{Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment until 27 May 2003}

^{Minister without Portfolio for Housing from 23 February 2010}

^{Minister of Justice and Security}

List of state secretaries for defence

Portrait	Name	Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party		Cabinet
	Vice admiral Harry Moorman (1899–1971)	• Navy	1 May 1949 – 27 November 1950		Catholic People's Party	Drees–Van Schaik • Drees I [10][11]
		• Army • Navy • Air Force	27 November 1950 – 1 June 1951
		• Navy	1 June 1951 – 19 May 1959			Drees II • III [12][13]
						Beel II [14]
	Wim Fockema Andreae (1909–1996)	• Army • Air Force	1 May 1949 – 27 November 1950 [Res]		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Drees–Van Schaik [10]
	Ferdinand Kranenburg (1911–1994)	• Army • Air Force	1 June 1951 – 1 June 1958 [Res]		Labour Party	Drees I • II [11][12]
						Drees III [13]
	Meine van Veen (1893–1970)		25 October 1958 – 22 December 1958		Labour Party
	Lieutenant general Michael Calmeyer (1895–1990)	• Army • Air Force	19 June 1959 – 24 July 1963		Christian Historical Union	De Quay [15]
	Captain Piet de Jong (1915–2016)	• Navy	25 June 1959 – 24 July 1963		Catholic People's Party
	Vice admiral Adri van Es (1913–1994)	• Navy	14 August 1963 – 6 July 1971		Anti-Revolutionary Party	Marijnen[16]
						Cals[17]
						Zijlstra[18]
						De Jong[19]
		• Human Resources • Equipment	6 July 1971 – 16 September 1972 [Res]			Biesheuvel I • II[20]
	Brigadier general Joop Haex (1911–2002)	• Army	14 August 1963 – 14 April 1965		Christian Historical Union	Marijnen [16]
	Major general Willem den Toom (1911–1998)	• Air Force	25 November 1963 – 14 April 1965		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
	Gerard Peijnenburg (1919–2000)	• Army	13 May 1965 – 5 April 1967		Independent	Cals [17]
						Zijlstra [18]
	Colonel Jan Borghouts (1910–1966)	• Air Force	12 July 1965 – 5 February 1966 [Died]		Catholic People's Party	Cals [17]
	Lieutenant general Heije Schaper (1906–1996)		22 June 1966 – 5 April 1967		Independent
						Zijlstra [18]
	Major general Joop Haex (1911–2002)	• Army	18 April 1967 – 6 July 1971		Christian Historical Union	De Jong [19]
	Bob Duynstee (1920–2014)	• Air Force	28 April 1967 – 6 July 1971		Catholic People's Party
	Joep Mommersteeg (1917–1991)	• Human Resources	11 May 1973 – 1 March 1974 [Res]		Catholic People's Party	Den Uyl [21]
	Brigadier general Cees van Lent (1922–2000)		11 March 1974 – 11 September 1981		Catholic People's Party
					Christian Democratic Appeal	Van Agt I [22]
	Captain Bram Stemerdink (born 1936)	• Equipment • Justice	11 May 1973 – 1 January 1977 [App]		Labour Party	Den Uyl [21]
	Dr. Wim van Eekelen (1931–2025)	• Equipment • Justice	20 January 1978 – 11 September 1981		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Van Agt I [22]
	Captain Bram Stemerdink (born 1936)	• Equipment • Justice	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]		Labour Party	Van Agt II [23]
	Jan van Houwelingen (1939–2013)	• Human Resources	14 September 1981 – 7 November 1989		Christian Democratic Appeal
		• Human Resources • Equipment				Van Agt III [24]
		• Equipment				Lubbers I [25]
		• Human Resources • Equipment				Lubbers II [26]
	Charl Schwietert (born 1943)	• Human Resources	8 November 1982 – 11 November 1982 [Res]		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Lubbers I [25]
	Willem Hoekzema (born 1939)		19 November 1982 – 14 July 1986		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
	Baron Berend-Jan van Voorst tot Voorst (1944–2023)	• Human Resources • Equipment • Justice	7 November 1989 – 1 June 1993 [App]		Christian Democratic Appeal	Lubbers III [27]
	Lieutenant colonel Ton Frinking (1931–2022)		1 June 1993 – 22 August 1994		Christian Democratic Appeal
	Lieutenant commander Jan Gmelich Meijling (1936–2012)	• Human Resources • Equipment	22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Kok I [28]
	Commander Henk van Hoof (born 1947)	• Human Resources • Equipment	3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Kok II [29]
	Cees van der Knaap (born 1951)	• Human Resources • Military Administration • Equipment	22 July 2002 – 18 December 2007 [App]		Christian Democratic Appeal	Balkenende I • II • III [30][31][32]
						Balkenende IV [33]
	Lieutenant Jack de Vries (born 1968)		18 December 2007 – 18 May 2010 [Res]		Christian Democratic Appeal
Vacant
	Barbara Visser (born 1977)	• Human Resources • Military Administration • Equipment	26 October 2017 – 31 August 2021 [App]		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Rutte III [36]
	Christophe van der Maat (born 1980)	• Human Resources • Military Administration • Equipment	10 January 2022 – 2 July 2024		People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Rutte IV [37]
	Lieutenant Colonel Gijs Tuinman (born 1979)	• Human Resources • Military Administration • Equipment	2 July 2024 – Incumbent		Farmer–Citizen Movement	Schoof [38]

^Resigned

^{Died in office}

^{Appointed as Minister of Defence}

^{Appointed as Queen's Commissioner of Limburg}

^{Appointed as Mayor of Ede}

^{Appointed as Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management}

See also

• Ministry of Defence
• Chief of Defence