Alexander Pechtold

Alexander Pechtold
Born	(1965-12-16) December 16, 1965 Delft, South Holland, Netherlands
Occupation(s)	Politician, art historian
Years active	1992–present
Known for	Leader of Democrats 66 (2006–2018), Minister without Portfolio for the Interior (2005–2006), Mayor of Wageningen (2003–2005)

Alexander Pechtold (born 16 December 1965) is a Dutch politician and scholar of art history, affiliated with the Democrats 66 party.

He pursued studies in Archaeology and History of Dutch Art at Leiden University, where he obtained a Master of Arts degree. Between 1992 and 1996, Pechtold worked as an auctioneer in The Hague, followed by a tenure as an Alderman in Leiden from 1996 until 2003. From November 2002 to March 2005, he served as Chairman of Democrats 66. In October 2003, he assumed the mayoralty of Wageningen. In March 2005, Pechtold was appointed Minister without Portfolio for the Interior within the second Balkenende cabinet. After Party Leader Boris Dittrich resigned, Pechtold was elected leader of Democrats 66 in June 2006. The cabinet collapsed in July of that year.

As lead candidate for Democrats 66 in the 2006 general election, Pechtold secured a seat in the House of Representatives and took on the role of Parliamentary leader in November 2006. He led the party through the elections of 2010, 2012, and 2017. Following the successful coalition formation in 2017 with VVD, CDA, and Christian Union constituting the third Rutte cabinet, Pechtold maintained his position as Parliamentary leader. Unexpectedly, he stepped down from national politics in October 2018, relinquishing both his party leadership and parliamentary roles.

Early life

Born on 16 December 1965 in Delft, South Holland, Alexander Pechtold grew up alongside his older brother Roland in Rhoon. Both attended a Lyceum located in Rotterdam. At Leiden University, he studied art history and archaeology, concentrating on 17th-century painting, earning a Bachelor of Arts followed by a Master of Arts degree in 1996. During his academic career, he qualified as an auctioneer and was employed by Van Stockum's Veilingen.

Party chair

Pechtold became a member of the Democrats 66 (D66) in 1989. He was elected to the position of Municipal councillor in Leiden in 1994 and advanced to become an alderman two years later. On 16 November 2002, he was chosen as Chairman of D66 with the responsibility to revitalize the party following its disappointing performance in the 2002 general election and to prepare for the upcoming election in 2003.

Mayor of Wageningen

Pechtold took office as mayor of Wageningen on 1 October 2003 while continuing his role as D66 chairman.

Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations

Following Deputy Prime Minister Thom de Graaf’s resignation on 23 March 2005—triggered by the rejection of democratically elected mayors, a major reform initiative championed by D66—Pechtold succeeded him as Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations on 31 March 2005. This appointment required him to resign from both his chairmanship and mayoral duties. The Second Balkenende cabinet lost D66’s support on 29 June 2006, resulting in its collapse; Pechtold left his ministerial post on 3 July that year.

House of Representatives

On 24 June 2006, Pechtold was elected leader of D66, prevailing over then-Parliamentary leader Lousewies van der Laan. In the general election later that year, D66 lost three seats and transitioned into opposition. As lead candidate again in the 2010 election, Pechtold secured ten seats but remained outside government; under his leadership, D66 gained two additional seats in the 2012 election but continued to serve as opposition.

During the tenure of the fourth Balkenende cabinet, Pechtold acted as opposition leader. The party’s improved results in the 2010 election were credited largely to his guidance. In 2012, he authored Henk, Ingrid, & Alexander, a work intended to combat populism by engaging ordinary citizens; however, it met with critical reception.

In a notable debate against Mark Rutte in 2010, Pechtold promoted social liberalism by prioritizing equity over efficiency within public sectors such as education and healthcare. Following the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July 2014, he emphasized economic pragmatism rather than moral posturing due to the Netherlands’ reliance on exports.

In December 2017, it was revealed that Pechtold had received an apartment valued at €135,000 from former Canadian ambassador Serge Marcoux without declaring it as a gift. Pechtold defended this by explaining it was a personal gift unrelated to his political role.

On 6 October 2018, Pechtold declared his intention to resign both as D66 leader and member of parliament. His successor, Rob Jetten, assumed leadership on 9 October.

Post-political career

At the age of 52, Pechtold stepped away from his political roles and transitioned into the public sector, taking on leadership positions within non-profit organizations and participating in several governmental commissions. In October 2019, he assumed the role of Director-General at the Central Bureau of Driving Licenses (CBR). Beginning in March 2021, Pechtold became the host of the television show De Achterkant van het Gelijk, broadcast on BNNVARA's NPO 2 channel. Additionally, since April 2021, he has served as Chair of the Supervisory Board for the Dutch Lottery. On 5 June 2025, he received a nomination to become mayor of Delft, his place of birth.

Personal life

Pechtold is divorced and is a father to two children.

Electoral record

Alexander Pechtold's electoral record

Year	Institution	Political party	List position	Votes received	Seats won by party	Outcome	Ref.
2006	House of Representatives	Democrats 66	1	95,937	3	Template:Yes2
2010	House of Representatives	Democrats 66	1	507,187	10	Template:Yes2
2012	House of Representatives	Democrats 66	1	586,454	12	Template:Yes2
2017	House of Representatives	Democrats 66	1	863,887	19	Template:Yes2
2023	House of Representatives	Democrats 66	78	1,196	9	Template:No2