Historical rankings of prime ministers of the Netherlands explained

The following is a series of historical rankings of prime ministers of the Netherlands.

States General of the Netherlands (2002)

An opinion poll conducted by the States General of the Netherlands in 2002 had the following results for the best and the worst prime minister of the twentieth century.Of the 225 MPs, 200 responded. Of them, 110 (49 per cent of MPs) handed in a list, the others did not participate for various reasons. The participation by political parties is as follows: Labour Party 57%, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 44%, Christian Democratic Appeal 43%, Democrats 66 39%, GroenLinks 58%, Socialist Party 43%, Reformed Political Party 20%, Christian Union 44% and the Independent Senate Group 100%.[1]

Best rankingPrime MinisterTermPolitical party
1stPieter Cort van
der Linden		1913–1918Independent (Liberal)
2ndWillem Drees1948–1958Labour Party
3rdJoop den Uyl1973–1977Labour Party
4thRuud Lubbers1982–1994Christian Democratic Appeal
5thWim Kok1994–2002Labour Party
6thJelle Zijlstra1966–1967Anti-Revolutionary Party
7thHendrikus Colijn1925–1926 / 1933–1939Anti-Revolutionary Party
Willem Schermerhorn1945–1946Labour Party
8thPiet de Jong1967–1971Catholic People's Party
9thCharles Ruijs de
Beerenbrouck		1918–1925 / 1929–1933Roman Catholic State Party
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy1940–1945Anti-Revolutionary Party
Barend Biesheuvel1971–1973Anti-Revolutionary Party
Dries van Agt1977–1982Christian Democratic Appeal
Worst rankingPrime MinisterTermPolitical party
1stJoop den Uyl1973–1977Labour Party
2ndDirk Jan de Geer1926–1929 / 1939–1940Christian Historical Union
3rdDries van Agt1977–1982Christian Democratic Appeal
4thHendrikus Colijn1925–1926 / 1933–1939Anti-Revolutionary Party
5thRuud Lubbers1982–1994Christian Democratic Appeal
6thVictor Marijnen1963–1965Catholic People's Party
Wim Kok1994–2002Labour Party
7thPieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy1940–1945Anti-Revolutionary Party
Jan de Quay1959–1963Catholic People's Party
8thWillem Schermerhorn1945–1946Labour Party
Willem Drees1948–1958Labour Party
Jo Cals1965–1966Catholic People's Party
Barend Biesheuvel1971–1973Anti-Revolutionary Party

VPRO (2006)

In 2006 Dutch public broadcaster VPRO conducted an opinion poll for the best prime minister after World War II.[2]

RankingPrime MinisterTermPolitical party
1stWillem Drees1948–1958Labour Party
2ndJoop den Uyl1973–1977Labour Party
3rdRuud Lubbers1982–1994Christian Democratic Appeal
4thWim Kok1994–2002Labour Party
5thJan Peter Balkenende2002–2010Christian Democratic Appeal
6thPiet de Jong1967–1971Catholic People's Party
7thDries van Agt1977–1982Christian Democratic Appeal
8thJelle Zijlstra1966–1967Anti-Revolutionary Party
9thWillem Schermerhorn1945–1946Labour Party
10thJo Cals1965–1966Catholic People's Party
11thBarend Biesheuvel1971–1973Anti-Revolutionary Party
12thJan de Quay1959–1963Catholic People's Party
13thLouis Beel1946–1948
1958–1959		Catholic People's Party
14thVictor Marijnen1963–1965Catholic People's Party

NRC Handelsblad (2013)

In 2013 newspaper NRC Handelsblad conducted two opinion polls, one with fifty experts and one with their readers. The polls asked respondents to give their opinion on who was the best prime minister since 1900.[3]

RankingPrime MinisterTermPolitical party
1stWillem Drees1948–1958Labour Party
2ndRuud Lubbers1982–1994Christian Democratic Appeal
3rdPieter Cort van
der Linden		1913–1918Independent (Liberal)
4thPiet de Jong1967–1971Catholic People's Party
5thJoop den Uyl1973–1977Labour Party
6thWim Kok1994–2002Labour Party
7thHendrikus Colijn1925–1926 / 1933–1939Anti-Revolutionary Party
8thWillem Schermerhorn1945–1946Labour Party
9thAbraham Kuyper1901–1905Anti-Revolutionary Party
10thJan Peter Balkenende2002–2010Christian Democratic Appeal

Maurice de Hond (2013)

An opinion poll conducted by Maurice de Hond from the polling site peil.nl had the following results.[4]

RankingPrime MinisterTermPolitical party
1stRuud Lubbers1982–1994Christian Democratic Appeal
2ndWim Kok1994–2002Labour Party
3rdWillem Drees1948–1958Labour Party
4thJoop den Uyl1973–1977Labour Party
5thMark Rutte2010–2024People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
6thJan Peter Balkenende2002–2010Christian Democratic Appeal

I&O Research (2020)

An opinion panel conducted by I&O Research with fifty experts had the following results when asked on who was the best prime minister since 1945.[5]

RankingPrime MinisterTermPolitical party
1Mark Rutte2010–2024People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
2Wim Kok1994–2002Labour Party
3Ruud Lubbers1982–1994Christian Democratic Appeal
4Joop den Uyl1973–1977Labour Party
5Jan Peter Balkenende2002–2010Christian Democratic Appeal
6Willem Drees1948–1958Labour Party

See also

Other countries

Notes and References

  1. Kamerleden kiezen de beste en de slechtste minister-president van de twintigste eeu, Historischnieuwsblad.nl, 2 February 2002
  2. Willem Drees gekozen tot ‘Dé premier na WO II’, Geschiedenis24.nl, 15 January 2006
  3. NRC-enquête: Drees en Lubbers beste premiers sinds 1900, NRC Handelsblad, 28 September 2013
  4. Kiezers oneens met Rutte: niet beste kabinet sinds oorlog, BN DeStem, 26 May 2013
  5. I&O Research, I&O Research, 13 March 2020

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