List of ministers of economic affairs of the Netherlands

The minister of economic affairs (Dutch: Minister van Economische Zaken) is the head of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and a member of the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers. Regularly, a state secretary was assigned to the ministry tasked with specific portfolios. There has once been a minister without portfolio assigned to the ministry.

Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands
Minister van Economische Zaken
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Style	His/Her Excellency
Member of	Council of Ministers
Appointer	The monarch on advice of the prime minister
First holder	Johannes Goldberg as Secretary for the Economy 5 July 1799; 226 years ago (1799-07-05) Johannes Tak van Poortvliet as Minister of Water Management, Commerce and Industry 3 November 1877; 147 years ago (1877-11-03)
Salary	€205,991 (As of 2025[update])[1]

List of ministers of economic affairs

1877–1945

Minister of Water Management, Commerce and Industry			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Johannes Tak van Poortvliet (1839–1904)	3 November 1877 – 20 August 1879	Independent Classical Liberal	Jan Kappeyne van de Coppello (Kappeyne van de Coppello) [2]
		Jonkheer Guillaume Klerck (1825–1884)	20 August 1879 – 23 April 1883	Independent Conservative Liberal	Theo van Lynden van Sandenburg (Van Lynden van Sandenburg) [3]
		Johannes van den Bergh (1824–1890)	23 April 1883 – 10 June 1887 [Res]	Independent Christian Democratic Conservative Catholic	Jan Heemskerk (J. Heemskerk) [4]
		Frederik Cornelis Tromp (Minister of the Navy) (1828–1900)	10 June 1887 – 11 July 1887 [Ad Interim]	Independent Conservative Liberal
		Jacob Bastert (1826–1902)	11 July 1887 – 21 April 1888	Independent Conservative Liberal
		Jacob Havelaar (1840–1918)	21 April 1888 – 21 August 1891	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Aeneas Mackay (Mackay) [5]
		Cornelis Lely (1854–1929)	21 August 1891 – 9 May 1894	Liberal Union	Gijsbert van Tienhoven (Van Tienhoven) [6]
		Philippe van der Sleijden (1842–1923)	9 May 1894 – 27 July 1897	Independent Classical Liberal	Joan Röell (Röell) [7]
		Cornelis Lely (1854–1929)	27 July 1897 – 1 August 1901	Liberal Union	Nicolaas Pierson (Pierson) [8]
		Johannes Christiaan de Marez Oyens (1845–1911)	1 August 1901 – 17 August 1905	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Abraham Kuyper (Kuyper) [9]
		Jacob Kraus (1861–1951)	17 August 1905 – 1 July 1906 [App]	Liberal Union	Theo de Meester (De Meester) [10]
Minister of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Jacob Veegens (1845–1910)	1 July 1906 – 12 February 1908	Free-thinking Democratic League	Theo de Meester (De Meester) [10]
		Syb Talma (1864–1916)	12 February 1908 – 29 August 1913	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Theo Heemskerk (T. Heemskerk) [11]
		Willem Treub (also Minister of Finance 1914) (1858–1931)	29 August 1913 – 19 November 1914 [App]	Free-thinking Democratic League	Pieter Cort van der Linden (Cort van der Linden) [12]
		Folkert Posthuma (1874–1943)	19 November 1914 – 9 September 1918	Independent Conservative Liberal
		Hendrik van IJsselsteyn (1874–1942)	9 September 1918 – 13 September 1922 [Res]	Independent Christian Democratic Protestant	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I) [13]
		Jonkheer Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Prime Minister) (1873–1936)	13 September 1922 – 1 January 1923 [Acting]	Roman Catholic State Party
					Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck II) [14]
Minister of Labour, Commerce and Industry			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Piet Aalberse (also Minister of Labour 1918–1923) (1871–1948)	1 January 1923 – 4 August 1925	Roman Catholic State Party	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck II) [14]
		Dr. Dionysius Koolen (1871–1945)	4 August 1925 – 8 March 1926	Roman Catholic State Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn I) [15]
		Dr. Jan Rudolph Slotemaker de Bruïne (1869–1941)	8 March 1926 – 10 August 1929	Christian Historical Union	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer I) [16]
		Timotheus Verschuur (1886–1945)	10 August 1929 – 1 May 1932	Roman Catholic State Party	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck III) [17]
Minister of Economic Affairs and Labour			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Timotheus Verschuur (1886–1945)	1 May 1932 – 8 June 1933	Roman Catholic State Party	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck III) [17]
					Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn II) [18]
Minister of Economic Affairs			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Timotheus Verschuur (1886–1945)	8 June 1933 – 17 April 1934	Roman Catholic State Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn II) [18]
		Dr. Hendrikus Colijn (Prime Minister) (1869–1944)	17 April 1934 – 25 June 1934 [Ad interim]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Max Steenberghe (also Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries) (1899–1972)	25 June 1934 – 6 June 1935	Roman Catholic State Party
		Dr. Henri Gelissen (1895–1982)	6 June 1935 – 2 September 1935	Roman Catholic State Party
					Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn III) [19]
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Shipping			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Henri Gelissen (1895–1982)	2 September 1935 – 24 June 1937	Roman Catholic State Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn III) [19]
		Max Steenberghe (also Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries) (1899–1972)	24 June 1937 – 15 July 1937	Roman Catholic State Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn IV) [20]
Minister of Economic Affairs			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Max Steenberghe (1899–1972)	15 July 1937 – 25 July 1939	Roman Catholic State Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn IV) [20]
		Dr. Hendrikus Colijn (Prime Minister) (1869–1944)	25 July 1939 – 10 August 1939	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn V) [21]
		Max Steenberghe (1899–1972)	10 August 1939 – 10 May 1940	Roman Catholic State Party	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer II) [22]
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Shipping			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Max Steenberghe (also Minister of Finance and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries 1941) (1899–1972)	10 May 1940 – 17 November 1941 [Res]	Roman Catholic State Party	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer II) [22]
					Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy I) [23]
					Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy II) [23]
		Dr. Jan van den Tempel (also Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries) (1877–1955)	17 November 1941 – 8 January 1942 [Ad interim]	Social Democratic Workers' Party
		Piet Kerstens (also Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries) (1896–1958)	8 January 1942 – 31 May 1944 [Dismissed]	Roman Catholic State Party
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Johannes van den Broek (1882–1946)	31 May 1944 – 23 February 1945 [1]	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy II) [23]
		Hans Gispen (1905–1968)	23 February 1945 – 25 June 1945	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy III) [24]

Since 1945

Minister of Commerce and Industry			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Hein Vos (1903–1972)	25 June 1945 – 3 July 1946	Social Democratic Workers' Party	Willem Schermerhorn (Schermerhorn– Drees) [25]
				Labour Party
Minister of Economic Affairs			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Gerardus Huysmans (1902–1948)	3 July 1946 – 14 January 1948 [Res]	Catholic People's Party	Louis Beel (Beel I) [26]
		Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995)	14 January 1948 – 20 January 1948 [Ad Interim] [Minister]	Labour Party
		Dr. Jan van den Brink (1915–2006)	20 January 1948 – 2 September 1952	Catholic People's Party
					Willem Drees (Drees–Van Schaik • Drees I) [27][28]
		Dr. Jelle Zijlstra (1918–2001)	2 September 1952 – 19 May 1959 [Minister]	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Willem Drees (Drees II • III) [29][30]
					Louis Beel (Beel II) [31]
		Jan de Pous (1920–1996)	19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963	Christian Historical Union	Jan de Quay (De Quay) [32]
		Dr. Koos Andriessen (1928–2019)	24 July 1963 – 14 April 1965	Christian Historical Union	Victor Marijnen (Marijnen) [33]
		Joop den Uyl (1919–1987)	14 April 1965 – 22 November 1966	Labour Party	Jo Cals (Cals) [34]
		Joop Bakker (1921–2003)	22 November 1966 – 5 April 1967	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra) [35]
		Leo de Block (1904–1988)	5 April 1967 – 7 January 1970 [Res]	Catholic People's Party	Piet de Jong (De Jong) [36]
		Dr. Johan Witteveen (1921–2019) [Deputy]	7 January 1970 – 14 January 1970 [Ad Interim] [Minister]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Roelof Nelissen (1931–2019)	14 January 1970 – 6 July 1971	Catholic People's Party
		Harrie Langman (1931–2016)	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Barend Biesheuvel (Biesheuvel I • II) [37]
		Ruud Lubbers (1939–2018)	11 May 1973 – 19 December 1977	Catholic People's Party	Joop den Uyl (Den Uyl) [38]
		Gijs van Aardenne (1930–1995)	19 December 1977 – 11 September 1981	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Dries van Agt (Van Agt I) [39]
		Dr. Jan Terlouw (1931–2025) [Deputy]	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982	Democrats 66	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II • III) [40][41]
		Gijs van Aardenne (1930–1995) [Deputy]	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I) [42]
		Dr. Rudolf de Korte (1936–2020) [Deputy]	14 July 1986 – 7 November 1989	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers II) [43]
		Dr. Koos Andriessen (1928–2019)	7 November 1989 – 22 August 1994	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III) [44]
		Dr. Hans Wijers (born 1951)	22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998	Democrats 66	Wim Kok (Kok I) [45]
		Annemarie Jorritsma (born 1950) [Deputy]	3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Wim Kok (Kok II) [46]
		Herman Heinsbroek (born 1951)	22 July 2002 – 16 October 2002 [Res]	Pim Fortuyn List	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I) [47]
		Hans Hoogervorst (born 1956)	16 October 2002 – 27 May 2003 [Acting] [Minister]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (born 1937) [Deputy]	27 May 2003 – 3 July 2006 [Res]	Democrats 66	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende II) [48]
		Gerrit Zalm (born 1952) [Deputy]	3 July 2006 – 7 July 2006 [Ad Interim] [Minister]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Joop Wijn (born 1969)	7 July 2006 – 22 February 2007	Christian Democratic Appeal	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende III) [49]
		Maria van der Hoeven (born 1949)	22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010	Christian Democratic Appeal	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV) [50]
Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Maxime Verhagen (born 1956) [Deputy]	14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012	Christian Democratic Appeal	Mark Rutte (Rutte I) [51]
Minister of Economic Affairs			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Henk Kamp (born 1952)	5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Mark Rutte (Rutte II) [52]
Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Eric Wiebes (born 1963)	26 October 2017 – 15 January 2021 [Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Mark Rutte (Rutte III) [53]
		Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (born 1963)	15 January 2021 – 20 January 2021 [Ad Interim] [Minister]
		Bas van 't Wout (born 1979)	20 January 2021 – 25 May 2021 [Note] [Res]
		Stef Blok (born 1964)	25 May 2021 – 10 January 2022 [Acting]
		Micky Adriaansens (born 1964)	10 January 2022 – 2 July 2024	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Mark Rutte (Rutte IV) [54]
Minister of Economic Affairs			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dirk Beljaarts (born 1978)	2 January 2024 – 3 June 2025 [Res]	Party for Freedom	Dick Schoof (Schoof) [55]
		Eelco Heinen (born 1981)	3 June 2025 – Incumbent [Ad Interim] [Minister]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

^Resigned

^Dismissed

^Acting

^{Acting from 25 May 2021 until 10 August 2021}

^{Ad Interim}

^{Medical leave of absence from 25 May 2021 until 10 August 2021}

^{Deputy Prime Minister}

^{Appointed as Minister of Water Management}

^{Appointed as Minister of Finance}

^{Minister of Finance}

^{Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies}

^{Minister of Finance from 22 December 1958}

^{Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management}

List of ministers without portfolio

Minister without Portfolio			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Rob Jetten (born 1987)	• Climate Policy • Environment • Energy • Nuclear • Renewable Energy	10 January 2022 – 2 July 2024	Democrats 66	Mark Rutte (Rutte IV) [54]

List of state secretaries for economic affairs

State Secretary for Economic Affairs			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Wim van der Grinten (1913–1994)	• Public Organisations • Small and Medium-sized Businesses	29 January 1949 – 15 March 1951	Catholic People's Party	Willem Drees (Drees– Van Schaik) [27]
		Dr. Gerard Veldkamp (1921–1990)	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Consumer Protection • Tourism	10 October 1952 – 17 July 1961 [App]	Catholic People's Party	Willem Drees (Drees II • III) [29][30]
						Louis Beel (Beel II) [31]
						Jan de Quay (De Quay) [32]
		Frans Gijzels (1911–1977)		14 September 1961 – 24 July 1963	Catholic People's Party
		Joop Bakker (1921–2003)	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development	3 September 1963 – 22 November 1966	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Victor Marijnen (Marijnen) [33]
						Jo Cals (Cals) [34]
		Louis van Son (1922–1986)	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development	28 November 1966 – 6 July 1971	Catholic People's Party	Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra) [35]
			• Trade and Export • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism			Piet de Jong (De Jong) [36]
		Jan Oostenbrink (born 1936)	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Consumer Protection • Tourism	17 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Catholic People's Party	Barend Biesheuvel (Biesheuvel I • II) [37]
		Ted Hazekamp (1926–1987)	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism	11 May 1973 – 11 September 1981	Catholic People's Party	Joop den Uyl (Den Uyl) [38]
					Christian Democratic Appeal	Dries van Agt (Van Agt I) [39]
		Has Beyen (1923–2002)	• Trade and Export	9 January 1978 – 11 September 1981	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Piet van Zeil (1927–2012)	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism	11 September 1981 – 22 June 1986 [State Secretary] [App]	Christian Democratic Appeal	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II • III) [40][41]
						Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I) [42]
		Wim Dik (1939–2022)	• Trade and Export	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982	Democrats 66	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II • III) [40][41]
		Frits Bolkestein (1933–2025)	• Trade and Export [Title]	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I) [42]
		Enneüs Heerma (1944–1999)	• Trade and Export [Title]	17 July 1986 – 27 October 1986 [App]	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers II) [43]
		Yvonne van Rooy (born 1951)		30 October 1986 – 7 November 1989	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Albert-Jan Evenhuis (1941–2011)	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism	14 July 1986 – 30 June 1989 [Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Piet Bukman (1934–2022)	• Trade and Export • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism [Title]	7 November 1989 – 28 September 1990 [App]	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III) [44]
		Yvonne van Rooy (born 1951)		28 September 1990 – 22 August 1994	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Anneke van Dok -van Weele (born 1947)	• Trade and Export • Consumer Protection • Tourism [Title]	22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998	Labour Party	Wim Kok (Kok I) [45]
		Gerrit Ybema (1945–2012)	• Trade and Export • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism [Title]	3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002	Democrats 66	Wim Kok (Kok II) [46]
		Joop Wijn (born 1969)	• Trade and Export • Consumer Protection • Telecommunication • Postal Service • Tourism	22 July 2002 – 27 May 2003	Christian Democratic Appeal	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I) [47]
		Karien van Gennip (born 1968)	• Trade and Export • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism	27 May 2003 – 22 February 2007	Christian Democratic Appeal	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende II • III) [48][49]
		Frank Heemskerk (born 1969)	• Trade and Export • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Consumer Protection • Telecommunication • Postal Service • Tourism [Title]	22 February 2007 – 23 February 2010 [Res]	Labour Party	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV) [50]
State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Henk Bleker (born 1953)	• Trade and Export • Agriculture • Food Policy • Fisheries • Forestry • Postal Service • Tourism • Animal Welfare [Title]	14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012	Christian Democratic Appeal	Mark Rutte (Rutte I) [51]
State Secretary for Economic Affairs			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Co Verdaas (born 1966)	• Agriculture • Food Policy • Nature • Fisheries • Forestry • Animal Welfare • Tourism [Title]	5 November 2012 – 6 December 2012 [Res]	Labour Party	Mark Rutte (Rutte II) [52]
		Sharon Dijksma (born 1971)		18 December 2012 – 3 November 2015 [App]	Labour Party
		Martijn van Dam (born 1978)		3 November 2015 – 1 September 2017 [Res]	Labour Party
State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Mona Keijzer (born 1968)	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Consumer Protection • Telecommunication • Postal Service	26 October 2017 – 25 September 2021 [Dis]	Christian Democratic Appeal	Mark Rutte (Rutte III) [53]
		Dilan Yeşilgöz- Zegerius (born 1977)	• Energy policy • Renewable energy policy • Nuclear energy policy • Environmental policy • Climate change policy	25 May 2021 – 10 January 2022	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Hans Vijlbrief (born 1963)	• Mining • Extractivism	10 January 2022 – 2 July 2024	Democrats 66	Mark Rutte (Rutte IV) [54]

^Resigned

^Dismissed

^{Designated with the diplomatic rank of Minister}

^{State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment from 12 June 1982 until 4 November 1982}

^{Appointed as Minister of Social Affairs and Health}

^{Appointed as Mayor of Heerlen}

^{Appointed as State Secretary for Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment}

^{Appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries}

^{Appointed as State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment}

See also

• Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy