Tom Berendsen

Tom Berend Willem Berendsen (born 11 April 1983) is a Dutch politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Jetten cabinet since 2026. From 2019 until his appointment to the government he served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He is a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

Education and early career

Berendsen studied public administration at Tilburg University, as well as at the Catholic University of Leuven as part of an Erasmus exchange.

Following his studies, Berendsen moved to Brussels where he became an intern at the lobbying office for North Brabant. From 2009 until 2015, he worked for the CDA delegation at the European Parliament. He later worked as a sustainability consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the Netherlands.

Political career Berendsen took office as a Member of the European Parliament following the 2019 election. In the European Parliament, he has since served on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the Committee on Regional Development. In addition to his committee assignments, he is part of the European Parliament's delegation for relations to the Pan-African Parliament. He ran for re-election in June 2024 as the CDA's lead candidate. As part of the campaign, Berendsen stressed the importance of the European defense industry during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and he advocated for an environmentally-friendly industrial policy. The CDA secured three seats in the European Parliament, and Berendsen received a second term.

Personal life Berendsen was born in Breda, and he has a wife. He is a supporter of football club NAC Breda.

Electoral history

+ YearBodyPartyVotesResult.Party seatsIndividual 2024 European Parliament Christian Democratic Appeal 1 366,454 3 2026 Breda Municipal Council 39 68 6

Honours Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (17 June 2026)