De Jong cabinet

De Jong cabinet
52nd Cabinet of the Netherlands
The installation of the De Jong cabinet on 5 April 1967
Date formed	5 April 1967 (1967-04-05)
Date dissolved	6 July 1971 (1971-07-06) (Demissionary from 28 April 1971 (1971-04-28))
People and organisations
Head of state	Queen Juliana
Head of government	Piet de Jong
Deputy head of government	Johan Witteveen Joop Bakker
No. of ministers	14
Ministers removed	1
Total no. of members	15
Member party	Catholic People's Party (KVP) People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) Christian Historical Union (CHU)
Status in legislature	Centre-right Majority government
Opposition party	Labour Party
Opposition leader	Joop den Uyl
History
Election	1967 election
Outgoing election	1971 election
Legislature terms	1967–1971
Incoming formation	1967 formation
Outgoing formation	1971 formation
Predecessor	Zijlstra cabinet
Successor	First Biesheuvel cabinet

The De Jong cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 5 April 1967 until 6 July 1971. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Catholic People's Party (KVP), People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) after the election of 1967. The centre-right cabinet was a majority government in the House of Representatives. Piet de Jong of the Catholic People's Party was Prime Minister, with Johan Witteveen of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Joop Bakker of the Anti-Revolutionary Party serving as Deputy Prime Ministers.

Formation

Following the fall of the Cals cabinet on 14 October 1966 the Labour Party (PvdA) left the coalition, subsequently Queen Juliana appointed Senator Jelle Zijlstra (ARP), a former Minister of Finance as Prime Minister to form a rump cabinet with the Catholic People's Party and the Anti-Revolutionary Party. On 22 November 1966 the Zijlstra cabinet was installed and served as a caretaker government until the election of 1967.

After the election on 15 February 1967 the Catholic People's Party was the winner of the election even after losing 8 seats and had now a total of 40 seats in the House of Representatives. Incumbent Prime Minister Jelle Zijlstra was appointed as Informateur by Queen Juliana to start the cabinet formation process. After a first round of talks the Catholic People's Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union agreed to form a coalition. On 6 March 1967 Queen Juliana appointed Vice-President of the Council of State Louis Beel (KVP), a former Prime Minister as the new Informateur to start the next formation fase.

On 9 March 1967 incumbent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Barend Biesheuvel, the Leader of the Anti-Revolutionary Party was asked to form a new cabinet and was asked to become Formateur. The negotiations were troubled by objections from the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy about prospect of Barend Biesheuvel as Prime Minister because he served in the previous Centre-left Cals cabinet. On 20 March 1967 after long negotiations between the parties, Barend Biesheuvel failed to form a cabinet. In order to break the deadlock the Catholic People's Party suggested that incumbent Minister of Defence Piet de Jong (KVP) would be a good candidate to form a new cabinet. Piet de Jong a former Naval officer who served as a World War II submarine commander had a good reputation as an pragmatic minister and was seen as a compromis candidate. On 21 March 1967 Piet de Jong was tasked with forming a new cabinet and was appointed as Formateur. On 4 April 1967 the cabinet formation was completed and the De Jong cabinet was installed the next day.

Term

It was the first Cabinet of the Netherlands after World War II that completed a full term without any internal conflicts. The cabinet was confronted with a demand for democratic reforms in the society and it decided to democratise colleges and universities after the famous maagdenhuisbezetting. Plans were made to modernise politics by establishing an electoral system with districts or a chosen prime minister, but these plans were not implemented. Meanwhile, a pay pause due to the decision of employers and employees to raise wages was partly revoked after anti-government demonstrations and strikes. More unrest took shape in demonstrations against the war in Vietnam. Internationally, relations with Indonesia improved, resulting in a visit by president Suharto, which was, however, overshadowed by the occupation of the Indonesian embassy by Moluccans. The Soviet Union invasion in Czechoslovakia was seen as a reason to increase the defence budget.

Changes

On 7 January 1970 Minister of Economic Affairs Leo de Block (KVP) resigned after disagreeing with the cabinets decision to increase the wages in the metal industry, but another reason was that he had lost the credibility to remain in office after the House of Representatives was highly critical in his handeling of the rising inflation after the introduction of the value-added tax (BTW) on 1 January 1969. Minister of Finance Johan Witteveen (VVD) served as acting Minister of Economic Affairs until 14 January 1970 when Member of the House of Representatives Roelof Nelissen (KVP) was appointed as his successor.

The first meeting the De Jong cabinet on 7 April 1967.

The first meeting of the Council of Ministers on 7 April 1967.

Incoming Minister of Education and Sciences Gerard Veringa and incoming Prime Minister Piet de Jong during a meeting in the Ministry of General Affairs on 5 April 1967.

Taoiseach of Ireland Jack Lynch and Prime Minister Piet de Jong during a meeting in the Ministry of General Affairs on 22 June 1967.

Prime Minister of Luxembourg Pierre Werner, Prime Minister Piet de Jong and Prime Minister of Belgium Gaston Eyskens during a Benelux conference in The Hague on 28 April 1968.

Prime Minister Piet de Jong, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns, Prime Minister of Belgium Gaston Eyskens and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium Pierre Harmel at The Hague Central on 4 February 1969.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns, Minister for Youth, Family and Health of West–Germany Katharina Focke, Vice-Chancellor of West–Germany and Minister for Foreign Affairs of West–Germany Walter Scheel, Prime Minister of France Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Chancellor of West–Germany Willy Brandt and Prime Minister Piet de Jong during a European Economic Community meeting in The Hague on 2 December 1969.

Cabinet Members

Ministers			Title/Ministry		Term of office	Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Piet de Jong (1915–2016)	Prime Minister	General Affairs	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Dr. Johan Witteveen (born 1921)	Deputy Prime Minister / Minister	Finance	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Joop Bakker (1921–2003)	Deputy Prime Minister / Minister	Transport and Water Management	5 April 1967 – 6 July 197	Anti-Revolutionary Party
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Henk Beernink (1910–1979)	Minister	Interior	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Christian Historical Union
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Dr. Joseph Luns (1911–2002)	Minister	Foreign Affairs	13 October 1956 – 6 July 1971 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Carel Polak (1909–1981)	Minister	Justice	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Leo de Block (1904–1988)	Minister	Economic Affairs	5 April 1967 – 7 January 1970 [Res]	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Dr. Johan Witteveen (born 1921)			7 January 1970 – 14 January 1970 [Ad interim]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Roelof Nelissen (born 1931)			7 January 1970 – 14 January 1970	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Willem den Toom (1911–1998)	Minister	Defence	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Bauke Roolvink (1912–1979)	Minister	Social Affairs and Health	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Anti-Revolutionary Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Dr. Gerard Veringa (1924–1999)	Minister	Education and Sciences	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987)	Minister	Agriculture and Fisheries	5 April 1967 – 1 January 1973	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Wim Schut (1920–2006)	Minister	Housing and Spatial Planning	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Anti-Revolutionary Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Dr. Marga Klompé (1912–1986)	Minister	Culture, Recreation and Social Work	22 November 1966 – 6 July 1971 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
Ministers without portfolio			Title/Portfolio/Ministry		Term of office	Party
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Bé Udink (1926–2016)	Minister	Aid to Developing Countries (within Foreign Affairs)	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Christian Historical Union
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Joop Bakker (1921–2003)	Minister	Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs (within Interior)	5 April 1967 – 6 July 197	Anti-Revolutionary Party
State Secretaries			Title/Portfolio/Ministry		Term of office	Party
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Chris van Veen (1922–2009)	State Secretary	• Central Government Affairs • Provincial Government Affairs • Local Government Affairs • Government Real Estate (within Interior)	10 May 1967 – 6 July 1971	Christian Historical Union
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Hans de Koster (1914–1992)	State Secretary	• European Affairs • NATO Affairs • Benelux Affairs (within Foreign Affairs)	12 June 1967 – 6 July 1971	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Dr. Ferd Grapperhaus (1927–2010)	State Secretary	• Fiscal Affairs • Tax and Customs Administration (within Finance)	10 May 1967 – 6 July 1971	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Dr. Klaas Wiersma (1917–1993)	State Secretary	• Integration • Immigration • Asylum Affairs • Privacy Policy • Family Law • Youth Justice (within Justice)	20 April 1970 – 6 July 1971	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Louis van Son (1922–1986)	State Secretary	• International Trade • Export Promotion • Small Business Policy • Retail Policy • Competition Policy • Regional Development • Tourism Affairs (within Economic Affairs)	28 November 1966 – 6 July 1971 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Joop Haex (1911–2002)	State Secretary	• Army (within Defence)	18 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Christian Historical Union
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Adri van Es (1913–1994)		• Navy (within Defence)	14 August 1963 – 16 September 1972 [Retained]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Bob Duynstee (1920–2014)		• Air Force (within Defence)	28 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Dr. Roelof Kruisinga (1922–2012)	State Secretary	• Social Security • Occupational Safety • Elderly Policy • Disability Affairs • Veteran Affairs • Medical Ethics Policy (within Social Affairs and Health)	18 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	Christian Historical Union
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Hans Grosheide (born 1930)	State Secretary	• Primary Education • Secondary Education • Special Education (within Education and Sciences)	3 September 1963 – 6 July 1971 [Retained]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Mike Keyzer (1911–1983)	State Secretary	• Transport Infrastructure • Aviation Infrastructure • Water Infrastructure • Public Transport • Postal Service • Weather Forecasting Service (within Transport and Water Management)	18 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Hein van de Poel (1915–1993)	State Secretary	• Unemployment Affairs • Social Services • Youth Policy • Poverty Policy • Environmental Policy • Nature Policy • Recreation Affairs • Sport (within Culture, Recreation and Social Work)	29 May 1967 – 6 July 1971	Catholic People's Party
Source: Template:Nl icon Rijksoverheid

^Retained Retained this position from the previous cabinet.

^Res Resigned.

^{Ad interim} Served ad interim.

Living cabinet members

• As of 2024, the following cabinet members are still alive:
  • Ministers
    • Johan Witteveen – (1921-06-12) 12 June 1921
    • Roelof Nelissen – (1931-04-04) 4 April 1931
  • State Secretary
    • Hans Grosheide – (1930-08-06) 6 August 1930

External links

Official

• Template:Nl icon Kabinet-De Jong Parlement & Politiek
• Template:Nl icon Kabinet-De Jong Rijksoverheid