The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a centre-right conservative-liberal political party in the Netherlands. The VVD promotes individual freedom, private enterprise, economic liberalism and
Founders of the VVD, Dirk Stikker and Pieter Oud, in 1949.
Hans Wiegel, Leader from 1971 until 1982
Frits Bolkestein, leader from 1990 until 1998
Gerrit Zalm, leader from 2002 until 2004
Mark Rutte
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Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has served as the 14th secretary general of NATO since October 2024. He previously served as prime minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024 and leader of the
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
…shaping Dutch policy, particularly in taxation, entrepreneurship, and European integration. It has led coalition governments and produced leaders such as Mark Rutte, who led the party from 2006 to 2023, and served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2010 to 2024. Under Rutte's leadership, the VVD steered the…
Rutte in 2023
Official portrait, 2010
Rutte presenting his first cabinet together with Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Verhagen (CDA) and coalition partner Geert Wilders (PVV)
Nord Stream 1 opening ceremony on 8 November 2011 with Rutte, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and French prime minister François Fillon