# Historical rankings of prime ministers of the Netherlands

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%.
| Best ranking | Prime Minister | Term | Political party |
| 1st | Pieter Cort van der Linden | 1913–1918 | Independent (Liberal) |
| 2nd | Willem Drees | 1948–1958 | Labour Party |
| 3rd | Joop den Uyl | 1973–1977 | Labour Party |
| 4th | Ruud Lubbers | 1982–1994 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 5th | Wim Kok | 1994–2002 | Labour Party |
| 6th | Jelle Zijlstra | 1966–1967 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| 7th | Hendrikus Colijn | 1925–1926 / 1933–1939 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | Willem Schermerhorn | 1945–1946 | Labour Party |
| 8th | Piet de Jong | 1967–1971 | Catholic People's Party |
| 9th | Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck | 1918–1925 / 1929–1933 | Roman Catholic State Party |
| | Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy | 1940–1945 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | Barend Biesheuvel | 1971–1973 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | Dries van Agt | 1977–1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| Worst ranking | Prime Minister | Term | Political party |
| 1st | Joop den Uyl | 1973–1977 | Labour Party |
| 2nd | Dirk Jan de Geer | 1926–1929 / 1939–1940 | Christian Historical Union |
| 3rd | Dries van Agt | 1977–1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 4th | Hendrikus Colijn | 1925–1926 / 1933–1939 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| 5th | Ruud Lubbers | 1982–1994 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 6th | Victor Marijnen | 1963–1965 | Catholic People's Party |
| | Wim Kok | 1994–2002 | Labour Party |
| 7th | Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy | 1940–1945 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | Jan de Quay | 1959–1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| 8th | Willem Schermerhorn | 1945–1946 | Labour Party |
| | Willem Drees | 1948–1958 | Labour Party |
| | Jo Cals | 1965–1966 | Catholic People's Party |
| | Barend Biesheuvel | 1971–1973 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |

## VPRO (2006)

In 2006 Dutch public broadcaster VPRO conducted an opinion poll for the best prime minister after World War II.
| Ranking | Prime Minister | Term | Political party |
| 1st | Willem Drees | 1948–1958 | Labour Party |
| 2nd | Joop den Uyl | 1973–1977 | Labour Party |
| 3rd | Ruud Lubbers | 1982–1994 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 4th | Wim Kok | 1994–2002 | Labour Party |
| 5th | Jan Peter Balkenende | 2002–2010 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 6th | Piet de Jong | 1967–1971 | Catholic People's Party |
| 7th | Dries van Agt | 1977–1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 8th | Jelle Zijlstra | 1966–1967 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| 9th | Willem Schermerhorn | 1945–1946 | Labour Party |
| 10th | Jo Cals | 1965–1966 | Catholic People's Party |
| 11th | Barend Biesheuvel | 1971–1973 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| 12th | Jan de Quay | 1959–1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| 13th | Louis Beel | 1946–1948 1958–1959 | Catholic People's Party |
| 14th | Victor Marijnen | 1963–1965 | Catholic 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.
| Ranking | Prime Minister | Term | Political party |
| 1st | Willem Drees | 1948–1958 | Labour Party |
| 2nd | Ruud Lubbers | 1982–1994 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 3rd | Pieter Cort van der Linden | 1913–1918 | Independent (Liberal) |
| 4th | Piet de Jong | 1967–1971 | Catholic People's Party |
| 5th | Joop den Uyl | 1973–1977 | Labour Party |
| 6th | Wim Kok | 1994–2002 | Labour Party |
| 7th | Hendrikus Colijn | 1925–1926 / 1933–1939 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| 8th | Willem Schermerhorn | 1945–1946 | Labour Party |
| 9th | Abraham Kuyper | 1901–1905 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| 10th | Jan Peter Balkenende | 2002–2010 | Christian Democratic Appeal |

## Maurice de Hond (2013)

An opinion poll conducted by Maurice de Hond from the polling site peil.nl had the following results.
| Ranking | Prime Minister | Term | Political party |
| 1st | Ruud Lubbers | 1982–1994 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 2nd | Wim Kok | 1994–2002 | Labour Party |
| 3rd | Willem Drees | 1948–1958 | Labour Party |
| 4th | Joop den Uyl | 1973–1977 | Labour Party |
| 5th | Mark Rutte | 2010–2024 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| 6th | Jan Peter Balkenende | 2002–2010 | Christian 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.
| Ranking | Prime Minister | Term | Political party |
| 1 | Mark Rutte | 2010–2024 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| 2 | Wim Kok | 1994–2002 | Labour Party |
| 3 | Ruud Lubbers | 1982–1994 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 4 | Joop den Uyl | 1973–1977 | Labour Party |
| 5 | Jan Peter Balkenende | 2002–2010 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| 6 | Willem Drees | 1948–1958 | Labour Party |