Born on 17 August 1963 in Voorschoten, married, 2 children
Party: Democrats ’66 (D66)
I want to get to work, together, on making the Netherlands fit for the future. Because we are a country defined by cooperation. A country where everyone can participate and where we need everyone. We see that many rules and regulations can be made simpler. That the current system has people in a chokehold. This requires a minister who goes out into the community, engages in dialogue and listens to people.
- General socioeconomic policy and budget policy
- Income policy
- Socioeconomic security, purchasing power, poverty policy and debt counselling
- Employee insurance schemes
- National insurance schemes
- Labour market policy (including labour relations, termination of employment, labour migration and labour market discrimination)
- Pension system
- International matters
- Lifelong learning
- Netherlands Labour Authority
- Employee Insurance Agency (UWV)
- Dutch Benefits Data Exchange Service (BIDN)
- Winding down coronavirus pandemic-related measures
- Social Climate Fund (SCF)
- Matters relating to social affairs and employment in the Caribbean Netherlands
- 23 February 2026
Appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Jetten government - 23 December 2023 – 23 February 2026
Member of the House of Representatives for D66 - 10 January 2022 – 2 July 2024
State Secretary for the Extractive Industries in the fourth Rutte government - 29 January 2020 – 10 January 2022
State Secretary for Tax Affairs and the Tax Administration in the third Rutte government - 2018 – 2020
Chair of the high-level working group in Brussels which prepares the monthly Eurogroup meetings - 2011 – 2018
Treasurer-General at the Ministry of Finance - 2001 – 2011
Various positions at the Ministry of Economic Affairs:
2010-2011: Director-General for Energy, Telecommunications and Markets
2004-2010: Director-General for Economic Policy
2001-2004: Director of the General Economic Policy Department - 1999 – 2001
Deputy director of the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis - 1998 – 2000
Part-time director of the Research Centre for Financial Economic Policy at Erasmus University Rotterdam - 1992 – 1999
Various positions at the General Economic Policy Department, Ministry of Economic Affairs
- 1992
PhD in Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - 1987
General Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - 1981
Completed secondary education, Visser ’t Hooft Lyceum, Leiden
- 2023
Chair of the D66 election programme committee for the parliamentary election - 2014 – 2020
Chair of the EFSF Board of Directors - 2018 – 2020
Endowed professor in European economic and financial policy at the University of Amsterdam - 2017
Co-author of the D66 election manifesto for the parliamentary election - 2000 – 2010
Endowed professor in economic policy at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - 2012 – 2014
Chair of the EU Economic Policy Committee
