Laurens Jan Brinkhorst

**Laurens Jan Brinkhorst** (born 18 March 1937) is a retired Dutch Democrats 66 (D66) politician. He was the Minister of Economic Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands during the government of Jan Peter Balkenende.

He is a Senior Network Member at the European Leadership Network (ELN).

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
- **image**: Laurens Jan Brinkhorst 1981 (1).jpg
- **imagesize**: 250px
- **caption**: Brinkhorst in 1981
- **office**: Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Deputy Prime Minister
- **term start**: 31 March 2005
- **term end**: 3 July 2006
- **alongside**: Gerrit Zalm
- **primeminister**: Jan Peter Balkenende
- **predecessor**: Thom de Graaf
- **successor**: Gerrit Zalm
- **office1**: List of Ministers of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands, Minister of Economic Affairs
- **term start1**: 27 May 2003
- **term end1**: 3 July 2006
- **primeminister1**: Jan Peter Balkenende
- **predecessor1**: Hans Hoogervorst
- **successor1**: Gerrit Zalm <small>(_Ad interim_)</small>
- **office2**: List of Ministers of Agriculture of the Netherlands, Minister of Agriculture,
 Nature and Fisheries
- **term start2**: 9 June 1999
- **term end2**: 22 July 2002
- **primeminister2**: Wim Kok
- **predecessor2**: Klaas de Vries (Labour Party), Klaas de Vries <small>(_Ad interim_)</small>
- **successor2**: Cees Veerman
- **office3**: Member of the European Parliament, Member of the
 European Parliament
- **term start3**: 19 July 1994
- **term end3**: 8 June 1999
- **parliamentarygroup3**: European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group, European Liberal Democrat
 and Reform Party
- **constituency3**: Netherlands (European Parliament constituency), Netherlands
- **office4**: List of ambassadors of the European Union, Ambassador of the
 European Union to Japan
- **term start4**: 1 December 1982
- **term end4**: 1 January 1987
- **predecessor4**: Leslie Fielding
- **successor4**: Dries van Agt
- **office5**: Leader of the Democrats 66
- **term start5**: 8 September 1982
- **term end5**: 11 November 1982
- **predecessor5**: Jan Terlouw
- **successor5**: Maarten Engwirda
- **office6**: Parliamentary leader in the
 House of Representatives (Netherlands), House of Representatives
- **term start6**: 11 September 1981
- **term end6**: 11 November 1982
- **predecessor6**: Jan Terlouw
- **successor6**: Maarten Engwirda
- **parliamentarygroup6**: Democrats 66
- **office7**: House of Representatives (Netherlands), Member of the House
 of Representatives
- **term start7**: 8 June 1977
- **term end7**: 11 November 1982
- **parliamentarygroup7**: Democrats 66
- **office8**: List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands#List of State Secretaries for Foreign Affairs, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
- **term start8**: 11 May 1973
- **term end8**: 8 September 1977
- **alongside8**: Pieter Kooijmans
- **primeminister8**: Joop den Uyl
- **predecessor8**: Tjerk Westerterp
- **successor8**: Durk van der Mei
- **birthname**: Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
- **birth place**: Zwolle, Netherlands
- **nationality**: Netherlands, Dutch
- **party**: Democrats 66 <small>(from 1966)</small>
- **children**: 2, including Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
- **relatives**: Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, Prince Constantijn
 <small>(son-in-law)</small>
- **residence**: Leiden, Netherlands
- **alma mater**: Leiden University
 <small>(Bachelor of Laws, LL.B., Master of Laws, LL.M.)</small>
 Columbia University
 <small>(Bachelor of Social Science, B.Soc.Sc, Master of Social Science, MSSc)</small>
- **occupation**: Politician · Diplomat · Civil service, Civil servant · Jurist · Lawyer · Researcher · Nonprofit organization, Nonprofit director · Lobbying, Lobbyist · Activism, Activist · Author · Professor