Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal

The Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal is the most senior politician within the Christian Democratic Appeal (Dutch: Christen-Democratisch Appèl, CDA) in the Netherlands.The current leader has been Henri Bontenbal since 14 August 2023.[1]

Christian Democratic Appeal
Future Leader Ruud Lubbers and Incumbent Leader Dries van Agt in the House of Representatives on 23 June 1981.
Future Leader Elco Brinkman and Incumbent Leader Ruud Lubbers in the House of Representatives on 3 May 1984.

History

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The leaders outwardly act as the figurehead and the main representative of the party. Within the party, they must ensure political consensus. At election time the leader is always the lead candidate of the party list. Outside election time the officeholder can serve as the Leader of the Opposition. In the Christian Democratic Appeal the leader is often the parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives. Some Christian Democratic Appeal leaders became a Minister in a cabinet.

Leader Term of office Age as leader Position(s) as leader Further position(s) Former
affiliation
Religion Lead candidate
  Dries van Agt
(1931–2024)
10 December 1976 –
25 October 1982
(5 years, 319 days)
[1]
45–51 Minister of Justice
(1971–1977)
Deputy Prime Minister
(1973–1977)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(1977, 1981, 1982–1983)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1977, 1981)
Prime Minister
(1977–1982)
President of the
European Council

(1981)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(1982)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(1973)
Queen's Commissioner
of North Brabant

(1983–1987)
Ambassador of the
European Union
to Japan

(1987–1990)
Ambassador of the
European Union
to the United States

(1990–1995)
KVP Catholic 1977
1981
1982
  Ruud Lubbers
(1939–2018)
25 October 1982 –
29 January 1994
(11 years, 96 days)
[1]
43–54 Member of the House
of Representatives

(1977–1982, 1986, 1989)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1981–1982, 1986, 1989)
Prime Minister
(1982–1994)
President of the
European Council

(1986, 1991)
Minister for Netherlands
Antilles and Aruba Affairs

(1989, 1994)
Minister of Economic Affairs
(KVP)
(1973–1977)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(1977)
Minister of State
(1995–2018)
United Nations
High Commissioner
for Refugees

(2001–2005)
KVP Catholic 1986
1989
  Elco Brinkman
(born 1948)
29 January 1994 –
16 August 1994
(199 days)
[1]
45–46 Member of the House
of Representatives

(1989–1995)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1989–1994)
Minister of Welfare,
Health and Culture

(1982–1986)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(1986)
Member of the Social
and Economic Council

(1995–2011)
Member of the Senate
(2011–2019)
Parliamentary leader
in the Senate
(2011–2019)
Protestant 1994
  Enneüs Heerma
(1944–1999)
16 August 1994 –
27 March 1997
(2 years, 254 days)
[1]
49–52 Member of the House
of Representatives

(1994–1997)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1994–1997)
State Secretary for
Economic Affairs

(1986)
State Secretary for
Housing, Spatial Planning
and the Environment

(1986–1994)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(1989)
ARP Protestant
  Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer

(born 1948)
27 March 1997 –
1 October 2001
(4 years, 157 days)
[1]
48–53 Member of the House
of Representatives

(1986–2002)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(1997–2001)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(2002–2003)
Secretary General of NATO
(2003–2009)
Minister of State
(since 2018)
D66 Catholic 1998
  Dr.
Jan Peter
Balkenende

(born 1956)
1 October 2001 –
9 June 2010
(8 years, 251 days)
[1]
46–54 Member of the House
of Representatives

(1998–2002, 2003, 2006–2007)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2001–2002, 2003, 2006–2007)
Prime Minister
(2002–2010)
President of the
European Council

(2004)
Protestant 2002
2003
2006
2010
  Maxime Verhagen
(born 1956)
9 June 2010 –
30 June 2012
(2 years, 21 days)
[1]
53–55 Member of the House
of Representatives

(2010)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2010)
Minister of Economic Affairs,
Agriculture and Innovation
Deputy Prime Minister
(2010–2012)
Member of the
European Parliament

(1989–1994)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(1994–2007)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2002–2003, 2003–2006, 2007)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(2007–2010)
Minister for Development
Cooperation

(2010)
Member of the Social
and Economic Council

(since 2015)
Catholic
  Sybrand van
Haersma Buma

(born 1965)
30 June 2012 –
22 May 2019
(6 years, 326 days)
[1]
46–53 Member of the House
of Representatives

(2002–2019)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2010–2019)
Mayor of Leeuwarden
(since 2019)
Protestant 2012
2017
  Hugo de Jonge
(born 1977)
15 July 2020 –
10 December 2020
(148 days)
[1]
42–43 Minister of Health,
Welfare and Sport

Deputy Prime Minister
(2017–2022)
Minister for Housing
and Spatial Planning

(since 2022)
Protestant
Vacant
(10 December 2020 – 11 December 2020)
  Wopke Hoekstra
(born 1975)
11 December 2020 –
14 August 2023
(2 years, 246 days)
[1]
45–47 Minister of Finance
(2017–2022)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(2021–2022)
Parliamentary leader in the
House of Representatives
(2021–2022)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Deputy Prime Minister
(since 2022)
Member of the Senate
(2011–2017)
Remonstrant 2021
  Henri Bontenbal
(born 1982)
14 August 2023 –
Incumbent
(1 year, 108 days)
[1]
40–42 Member of the House
of Representatives

(since 2022)
Member of the House
of Representatives

(2021, 2021)
Protestant 2023

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Politiek leider van een partij". Parlement&Politiek. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
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Official