Second Kok cabinet
Second Kok cabinet Second Purple cabinet | |
---|---|
![]() 63rd Cabinet of the Netherlands | |
![]() ![]() The installation of the Second Kok cabinet on 3 August 1998 | |
Date formed | 3 August 1998 |
Date dissolved | 22 July 2002 (Demissionary from 16 April 2002 ) |
People and organisations | |
Head of state | Queen Beatrix |
Head of government | Wim Kok |
Deputy head of government | Annemarie Jorritsma Els Borst |
No. of ministers | 15 |
Ministers removed | 2 |
Total no. of members | 17 |
Member party | Labour Party (PvdA) People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) Democrats 66 (D66) |
Status in legislature | Centre (Purple) Grand coalition |
Opposition party | Christian Democratic Appeal |
Opposition leader | Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (1998–2001) Jan Peter Balkenende (2001–2002) |
History | |
Election | 1998 election |
Outgoing election | 2002 election |
Legislature terms | 1998–2002 |
Incoming formation | 1998 formation |
Outgoing formation | 2002 formation |
Predecessor | First Kok cabinet |
Successor | First Balkenende cabinet |
Part of the Politics series |
![]() |
---|
![]() |
The Second Kok cabinet, also called the Second Purple cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 3 August 1998 until 22 July 2002. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Labour Party (PvdA), People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Democrats 66 (D66) after the election of 1998. The grand coalition (Purple) cabinet was a majority government in the House of Representatives and was a continuation of the previous cabinet Kok I. It was the last of two cabinets of Wim Kok, the Leader of the Labour Party as Prime Minister, with Annemarie Jorritsma of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Els Borst the former Leader of the Democrats 66 serving as Deputy Prime Ministers.[1]
Formation
The new cabinet was the successor of the First Kok cabinet (First Purple cabinet) and was formed from the same coalition of Labour Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Democrats 66. It was also known as the 'tweede paarse kabinet' ('second purple cabinet') called such because it contained both the social-democratic Labour Party (red) and the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (blue).
Term
The aim of the cabinet was to continue the policy of cabinet Kok I, which was concerned with economizing, tax reduction and making an end to unemployment. Wim Kok was the Prime Minister, Annemarie Jorritsma as the Deputy Prime Minister for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, and Els Borst for Democrats 66. The cabinet was considered boring, because both left-wing and right-wing political parties were a part of it. There was no strong opposition in the parliament. The cabinet completed processes of liberalisation which were started by the previous cabinet: the legalisation of prostitution in 2000, same-sex marriage in 2001 and Euthanasia in 2002. This cabinet was notable for resigning twice. The first time was in May 1999, when Democrats 66 stepped out of the coalition when proposed legislation entered by this party was blocked; through negotiations the crisis was solved and the cabinet stayed together. The second and final time was on 16 April 2002, just one month before the next election, when Prime Minister Kok wished to resign over the NIOD report into the genocide of Srebrenica in 1995 and the other ministers had no choice but to follow him. The Second Kok cabinet remained in place as a Demissionary cabinet until 22 July 2002, when it was replaced by the First Balkenende cabinet.
Changes
On 7 June 1999 Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries Haijo Apotheker (D66) resigned citing that as a former Mayor he couldn't adjust to national politics. Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Klaas de Vries (PvdA) served as acting Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries until 9 June 1999 when Member of the European Parliament Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (D66), a former State Secretary for Foreign Affairs was appointed as his successor.
On 13 March 2000 Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Bram Peper (PvdA) resigned after a report was released about inappropriate declarations he had made when he served as Mayor of Rotterdam. Minister for Integration and Urban Planning Roger van Boxtel (D66) served as acting Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations until 24 March 2000 when Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Klaas de Vries (PvdA) was installed as his successor. That same day State Secretary for Finance Willem Vermeend (PvdA) was appointed as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and Member of the House of Representatives Wouter Bos (PvdA) was installed as State Secretary for Finance.
On 1 January 2001 State Secretary for Justice Job Cohen (PvdA) resigned after he was appointed as Mayor of Amsterdam. That same day Member of the House of Representatives Ella Kalsbeek (PvdA) was installed as his successor.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Frank_de_Grave_William_S._Cohen.jpg/220px-Frank_de_Grave_William_S._Cohen.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Vladimir_Putin_19_January_2001-2.jpg/220px-Vladimir_Putin_19_January_2001-2.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Jozias_van_Aartsen_2001.jpg/220px-Jozias_van_Aartsen_2001.jpg)
Cabinet Members
- Retained Retained this position from the previous cabinet.
- Res Resigned.
- Ad interim Served ad interim.
- Appt Appointment: Klaas de Vries appointed Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations; Willem Vermeend appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Employment. Job Cohen appointed Mayor of Amsterdam.
References
- ^ "Tweede kabinet Kok wil niet op routine verder" (in Dutch). Trouw. 4 August 1998. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
External links
- Official
- (in Dutch) Kabinet-Kok II Parlement & Politiek
- (in Dutch) Kabinet-Kok II Rijksoverheid
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)