Leendert Cornelis "Elco" Brinkman is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal party and businessman. Brinkman attended the :nl:Johan de Witt-gymnasium|Johan de Witt Gymnasium in Dordrecht from May 1960 until June 1966 and applied at the Free University Amsterdam in July 1966majoring in Political science and Law and obtaining an Bachelor of Social Science degree in June 1968 and an Bachelor of Laws degree in June 1969 before graduating with an Master of Social Science degree in June 1972 and an Master of Laws degree in July 1974. Brinkman worked as a researcher at the Free University Amsterdam from September 1970 until July 1974. Brinkman worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of the Interior from July 1974 until November 1982 for the department of Administrative Affairs from July 1974 until February 1979 and as Deputy Director-General of the department for Administrative Affairs from September 1977 until February 1979 and as Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Interior from February 1979 until May 1980 and as Director-General of the department for Public Administration from May 1980 1980 until November 1982. After the election of 1982 Brinkman was appointed Minister of Welfare, Health and Culture in the Cabinet Lubbers I, taking office on 4 November 1982. Brinkman was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1986, taking office on 3 June 1986. Following the cabinet formation of 1986 Brinkman continued as Minister of Welfare, Health and Culture in the Cabinet Lubbers II, taking office on 14 July 1986. The Cabinet Lubbers II fell on 3 May 1989 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. After the election of 1989 Brinkman returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 14 September 1989. Following the cabinet formation of 1989 Brinkman per her own request asked not to be considered for a cabinet post in the new cabinet, he was seen as a by the Christian Democratic Appeal leadership and was considered as the favorite son to succeed Ruud Lubbers as the next Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal. The Cabinet Lubbers II was replaced by the Cabinet Lubbers III on 7 November 1989 and Brinkman was selected as the Parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives that same day. In December 1993 the Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal Lubbers announced he was stepping down as Leader and that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1994, the Christian Democratic Appeal leadership approached Brinkman as a candidate to succeed him, Brinkman accepted and became the Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal and Lijsttrekker for the election, taking office on 29 January 1994. The Christian Democratic Appeal suffered a big loss, losing 20 seats and fell back as the second largest party and now had 34 seats in the House of Representatives. On 16 August 1994 Brinkman announced he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader taking responsibility for the defeat but continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher chairing the :nl:Tweede Kamercommissie|parliamentary committee for Kingdom Relations. In March 1995 Brinkman was nominated as Chairman of the trade association :nl:Bouwend Nederland|Construction association, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives the same day he was installed as Chairman serving from 26 April 1995 until 1 July 2013. Brinkman also became active in the private sector and public sector and occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards and served on several :nl:Staatscommissie|state commissions and councils on behalf of the government. Brinkman was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 2011 and was selected as Parliamentary leader in the Senate, taking office on 7 June 2011. In August 2018 Brinkman announced that he wouldn't stand for the Senate election of 2019 and continued to serve until the end of the parliamentary term on 11 June 2019. Brinkman retired after spending 36 years in national politics but remained active in the private sector and public sector and continues to occupy numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards and as an advocate and lobbyist for the private sector.
