Third Drees cabinet
Fourth Drees cabinet

46th Cabinet of the Netherlands
The first meeting of the incoming Third Drees cabinet on 12 October 1956
Date formed13 October 1956 (1956-10-13)
Date dissolved22 December 1958 (1958-12-22)
2 years, 70 days in office
(Demissionary from 11 December 1958 (1958-12-11))
People and organisations
MonarchQueen Juliana
Prime MinisterWillem Drees
Deputy Prime MinisterTeun Struycken
No. of ministers14
Ministers removed2
Total no. of members16
Member partyLabour Party
(PvdA)
Catholic People's Party
(KVP)
Anti-Revolutionary Party
(ARP)
Christian Historical Union
(CHU)
Status in legislatureCentre-left[1]
Majority government
(Grand coalition/Roman-Red)
History
Election(s)1956 election
Outgoing election1959 election
Legislature term(s)1956–1959
Incoming formation1956 formation
Outgoing formation1958 formation
PredecessorSecond Drees cabinet
SuccessorSecond Beel cabinet

The Third Drees cabinet, also called the Fourth Drees cabinet,[2] was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 13 October 1956 until 22 December 1958. The cabinet was a continuation of the previous Second Drees cabinet and was formed by the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) after the election of 1956. The cabinet was a Centre-left[3] grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, with Labour Leader Willem Drees serving as Prime Minister. Prominent KVP politician Teun Struycken (a former Governor of the Netherlands Antilles) served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Property and Public Organisations.

The cabinet served during the middle years of the turbulent 1950s. Domestically, the recovery and rebuilding following World War II continued with the assistance of the Marshall Plan, it also able to finalize several major social reforms to social security, welfare, child benefits and education from the previous cabinet. Internationally the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies continued. After suffering several major internal and external conflicts, including multiple cabinet resignations, the cabinet fell two years into its term, on 11 December 1958, following a disagreement in the coalition over a proposed tax increase; the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced with the caretaker Second Beel cabinet on 22 December 1958.[4]

Formation

The cabinet formation took four months. This was the longest and most difficult formation the Netherlands had ever seen, partly as a result of the rising tensions between the Labour Party and the Catholic People's Party. After the formation these tensions kept rising, leading to the fall of the cabinet in December 1958. The root of the tensions was the decision of the Roman Catholic Church to excommunicate Catholic socialists from the church. Nearly 100% of the south of the Netherlands used to vote for the Catholic People's Party for decades, but in the 1950s secular political parties got an increase in votes. The excommunication had the result of social exclusion in cities and villages which used to be solidly Catholic blocks. Protestants in the north supported the Catholics.

Term

After considerable growth after World War II, the rising wages, combined with lowered taxes, now led to overspending, which endangered the export. In reaction, wages and government spending were both lowered.

Rising tension with Indonesia, mostly about New Guinea, came to a climax when Indonesia nationalised Dutch properties in the country. The Dutch were supposed to leave entirely.

Other international problems were the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian revolt, which led to monetary and economic problems. The threat of an oil crisis as a result of the Suez crisis led to the installation of car-free Sundays. The suppression of the Hungarian revolution by the USSR led to plundering of communist institutions. Several thousands of Hungarian refugees were accepted into the Netherlands and welcomed in Dutch homes.

On 1 January 1957, the state pension AOW after the age of 65, that was proposed during the former cabinet Drees II, was installed. This resulted from a previous emergency law by Drees, and is the one thing he is remembered for most.

Secretary General of NATO Paul-Henri Spaak and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns at the Binnenhof on 2 February 1957
Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns in Rotterdam on 7July 1957

Cabinet members

Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
Willem Drees Willem Drees
(1886–1988)
Prime Minister General Affairs 7 August 1948 –
22 December 1958
[Retained]
Labour Party
Ko Suurhoff Ko Suurhoff
(1905–1967)
Minister Interior 13 October 1956 –
29 October 1956
[Ad Interim]
Labour Party
Teun Struycken Teun Struycken
(1906–1977)
Interior, Property
and Public
Organisations
29 October 1956 –
19 May 1959
[Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
Deputy
Prime Minister
Joseph Luns Joseph Luns
(1911–2002)
Minister Foreign Affairs 13 October 1956 –
6 July 1971
[Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
Henk Hofstra Henk Hofstra
(1904–1999)
Minister Finance 13 October 1956 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
Ivo Samkalden Dr.
Ivo Samkalden
(1912–1995)
Minister Justice 13 October 1956 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
Jelle Zijlstra Dr.
Jelle Zijlstra
(1918–2001)
Minister Economic Affairs 2 September 1952 –
19 May 1959
[Retained] [Continued]
Anti-
Revolutionary Party
Kees Staf Kees Staf
(1905–1973)
Minister War and Navy 15 March 1951 –
19 May 1959
[Retained] [Continued]
Christian
Historical Union
Ko Suurhoff Ko Suurhoff
(1905–1967)
Minister Social Affairs
and Health
2 September 1952 –
22 December 1958
[Retained]
Labour Party
Jo Cals Jo Cals
(1914–1971)
Minister Education, Arts
and Sciences
2 September 1952 –
24 July 1963
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
Jacob Algera Jacob Algera
(1902–1966)
Minister Transport and
Water Management
2 September 1952 –
10 October 1958
[Retained] [App]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
Herman Witte Herman Witte
(1909–1973)
10 October 1958 –
1 November 1958
[Ad Interim]
Catholic
People's Party
Jan van Aartsen Jan van Aartsen
(1909–1992)
1 November 1958 –
19 May 1959
[Continued]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
Sicco Mansholt Sicco Mansholt
(1908–1995)
Minister Agriculture,
Fisheries and
Food Supplies
25 June 1945 –
1 January 1958
[Retained] [App]
Labour Party
Kees Staf Kees Staf
(1905–1973)
1 January 1958 –
13 January 1958
[Ad Interim]
Christian
Historical Union
Anne Vondeling Dr.
Anne Vondeling
(1916–1979)
13 January 1958 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
Herman Witte Herman Witte
(1909–1973)
Minister Housing and
Construction
2 September 1952 –
19 May 1959
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
Marga Klompé Dr.
Marga Klompé
(1912–1986)
Minister Social Work 13 October 1956 –
24 July 1963
[Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
Kees Staf Kees Staf
(1905–1973)
Minister Colonial Affairs 18 July 1956 –
16 February 1957
[Retained] [Acting]
Christian
Historical Union
Gerard Helders Gerard Helders
(1905–2013)
16 February 1957 –
19 May 1959
[Continued]
Christian
Historical Union
State Secretaries Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
Norbert Schmelzer Norbert Schmelzer
(1921–2008)
State Secretary Interior, Property
and Public
Organisations
Public
Organisations
29 October 1956 –
19 May 1959
[Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
Ernst van der Beugel Ernst van
der Beugel

(1918–2004)
State Secretary Foreign Affairs European
Economic
Community

European Union
Benelux
8 January 1957 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
Gerard Veldkamp Dr.
Gerard Veldkamp
(1921–1990)
State Secretary Economic Affairs Small and
Medium-sized
Businesses

• Consumer
Protection
Tourism
10 October 1952 –
17 July 1961
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
Ferdinand Kranenburg Ferdinand
Kranenburg
(1911–1994)
State Secretary War and Navy Army
Air Force
1 June 1951 –
1 June 1958
[Retained] [Res]
Labour Party
Meine van Veen Meine van Veen
(1893–1970)
25 October 1958 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
Harry Moorman Vice admiral
Harry Moorman
(1899–1971)
Navy 1 May 1949 –
19 May 1959
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
Aat van Rhijn Dr.
Aat van Rhijn
(1892–1986)
State Secretary Social Affairs
and Health
• Social Security
• Unemployment
Occupational
Safety

• Social Services
15 February 1950 –
22 December 1958
[Retained]
Labour Party
Anna de Waal Dr.
Anna de Waal
(1906–1981)
State Secretary Education, Arts
and Sciences
Primary
Education

Secondary
Education

Special
Education

Youth Care
2 February 1953 –
16 March 1957
[Retained] [Res]}
Catholic
People's Party
René Höppener René Höppener
(1903–1983)
Youth Care
• Nature
Media
Culture
Art
• Recreation
Sport
12 November 1956 –
19 May 1959
[Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
Resigned
Retained from the previous cabinet
Continued in the next cabinet
Acting
Ad Interim
Appointed as Member of the Council of State
Appointed as European Commissioner

Trivia

  • Eight cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Henk Hofstra (Fiscal Law), Ivo Samkalden (Agricultural Law), Jelle Zijlstra (Public Economics), Anne Vondeling (Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering), Marga Klompé (Chemistry), Gerard Veldkamp (Microeconomics), Aat van Rhijn (Fiscal Law) and Anna de Waal (Geography).
  • Five cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title of Minister of State: Willem Drees (1958), Ivo Samkalden (1985), Jelle Zijlstra (1983), Jo Cals (1966) and Marga Klompé (1971).
  • Four cabinet members (later) served as Party Leaders and Lijsttrekkers: Willem Drees (1946–1946) of the Social Democratic Workers' Party and (1946–1958) of the Labour Party, Anne Vondeling (1962–1966) of the Labour Party, Jelle Zijlstra (1956, 1958–1959) of the Anti-Revolutionary Party and Norbert Schmelzer (1963–1971) of the Catholic People's Party.
  • Two cabinet members lived to centenarian age: Willem Drees (1886–1988) lived to 101 years, 314 days and Gerard Helders (1905–2013) lived to 107 years, 303 days.

References

  1. Changing Liaisons The Dynamics of Social Partnership in 20th Century West-European DemocraciesBy Karel Davids, 2007, P.165
  2. According to a different numbering this was the Fourth Drees cabinet because it was the fourth cabinet with Willem Drees as Prime Minister.
  3. Changing Liaisons The Dynamics of Social Partnership in 20th Century West-European DemocraciesBy Karel Davids, 2007, P.165
  4. "Coalities tussen sociaaldemocraten en confessionelen" (in Dutch). Historisch Nieuwsblad. 10 August 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
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