Joris Voorhoeve

Joris Jacob Clemens Voorhoeve (born 22 December 1945) is a retired Dutch politician, diplomat of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and political scientist.

Voorhoeve studied Political science at the Leiden University obtaining a Master of Social Science degree and simultaneously studied Development economics and Civil engineering at the Wageningen University getting a Bachelor of Economics degree and obtaining a Master of Engineering degree, followed by a postgraduate education in International relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies obtaining a Master of Arts degree. Voorhoeve worked as a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University before finishing his thesis at his alma mater and graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy in Political science. Voorhoeve worked as a researcher at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. from April 1973 until January 1977 and for the Scientific Council for Government Policy from January 1977 until January 1979. Voorhoeve worked as a professor of International relations and Governmental studies at his alma mater in Wageningen from January 1979 until September 1982. Voorhoeve also served as the director of the Telders Foundation from May 1979 until September 1982.

After the election of 1982 Voorhoeve was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives on 16 September 1982 and served as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Foreign Affairs. Shortly after the election of 1986 Party Leader and Parliamentary leader Ed Nijpels stepped down and Voorhoeve announced his candidacy to succeed him and was selected Parliamentary leader on 9 July 1986 and not long after that was anonymously selected as Party Leader on 15 December 1986. For the election of 1989 Voorhoeve served as Lijsttrekker (top candidate) but not long thereafter announced that he was stepping down on 30 April 1990 but continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher chairing the House Committee on Defence and spokesperson for Development Cooperation and the Environment. In January 1991 Voorhoeve was nominated as the next executive director of the Clingendael Institute of International Relations and also worked as a professor of International relations and Governmental studies at the Clingendael Institute from January 1991 until August 1994. After the election of 1994 Voorhoeve was appointed as Minister of Defence and was given the portfolio of Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs in the Cabinet Kok I taking office on 22 August 1994. As minister of defence, he was responsible for the deployment of Dutch UN peacekeepers (Dutchbat) during the period the Srebrenica massacre happened.

After the election of 1998 Voorhoeve wasn't offered a position in the new cabinet (which would later fall after a report of the Srebrenica massacre) and returned to the House of Representatives on 19 May 1998 serving again as frontbencher and spokesperson for Kingdom Relations. In November 1999 Voorhoeve was nominated as a Member of the Council of State serving from 1 December 1999 until 1 January 2011, and worked as a distinguished professor of International relations and War studies at the Royal Military Academy and the Royal Naval College from January 2001 until January 2011.

Voorhoeve retired from active politics at 65 and became active in the public sector as a non-profit director and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government, and worked as a distinguished professor of Peace and conflict studies, International relations and Public administration at The Hague University and at his alma mater in Leiden from January 2011 until March 2018. Following his retirement Voorhoeve continued to be active as an advocate and activist for the Anti-war movement, Human rights, Poverty reduction and more European integration and as of 2024 continues to comment on political affairs.