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Third Drees cabinet

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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)
(Demissionary from 11 December 1958 (1958-12-11))
People and organisations
Head of stateQueen Juliana
Head of governmentWillem Drees
Deputy head of governmentTeun 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 legislatureGrand coalition (Roman/Red)
Opposition partyPeople's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Opposition leaderPieter Oud
History
Election1956 election
Outgoing election1959 election
Legislature terms1956–59
Incoming formation1956 formation
Outgoing formation1958 formation
PredecessorSecond Drees cabinet
SuccessorSecond Beel cabinet

The Third Drees cabinet, also called the Fourth Drees cabinet[1] was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 13 October 1956 until 22 December 1958. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Labour Party (PvdA), Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) after the election of 1956. The grand coalition (Roman/Red) cabinet was a majority cabinet in the House of Representatives.[2]

Formation

The cabinet formation took 4 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. Also after the formation, these tensions kept rising, leading to the fall of the cabinet in December 1958. Root of the tensions were 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.

Cabinet Members

Ministers Title/Ministry Term of office Party
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Willem Drees Dr.
Willem Drees
(1886–1988)
Prime Minister General Affairs 7 August 1948 –
22 December 1958
[Retained]
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Ko Suurhoff Ko Suurhoff
(1905–1967)
Minister Interior 13 October 1956 –
29 October 1956
[Ad interim]
Labour Party
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Teun Struycken Teun Struycken
(1906–1977)
Interior, Property and
Public Sector Organisations
29 October 1956 –
19 May 1959
Catholic People's Party
Deputy Prime Minister
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Joseph Luns Dr.
Joseph Luns
(1911–2002)
Minister Foreign Affairs 13 October 1956 –
6 July 1971
Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Henk Hofstra Henk Hofstra
(1904–1999)
Minister Finance 13 October 1956 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Ivo Samkalden Dr.
Ivo Samkalden
(1912–1995)
Minister Justice 13 October 1956 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"| Jelle Zijlstra Dr.
Jelle Zijlstra
(1918–2001)
Minister Economic Affairs 2 September 1952 –
19 May 1959
[Retained]
Anti-Revolutionary Party
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"| Kees Staf Kees Staf
(1905–1973)
Minister War 15 March 1951 –
19 May 1959
[Retained]
Christian Historical Union
Navy
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Ko Suurhoff Ko Suurhoff
(1905–1967)
Minister Social Affairs and Health 2 September 1952 –
22 December 1958
[Retained]
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Jo Cals Jo Cals
(1914–1971)
Minister Education, Arts
and Sciences
2 September 1952 –
7 November 1961
[Retained]
Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"| Jacob Algera Jacob Algera
(1902–1966)
Minister Transport and
Water Management
2 September 1952 –
10 October 1958
[Retained] [Res]
Anti-Revolutionary Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Herman Witte Herman Witte
(1909–1973)
10 October 1958 –
1 November 1958
[Ad interim]
Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"| Jan van Aartsen Jan van Aartsen
(1909–1992)
1 November 1958 –
19 May 1959
Anti-Revolutionary Party
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Sicco Mansholt Dr.
Sicco Mansholt
(1908–1995)
Minister Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food Supplies
25 June 1945 –
1 January 1958
[Retained] [Appt]
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"| Kees Staf Kees Staf
(1905–1973)
1 January 1958 –
13 January 1958
[Ad interim]
Christian Historical Union
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Anne Vondeling Dr.
Anne Vondeling
(1916–1979)
13 January 1958 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Herman Witte Herman Witte
(1909–1973)
Minister Housing and
Construction
2 September 1952 –
19 May 1959
[Retained]
Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Marga Klompé Dr.
Marga Klompé
(1912–1986)
Minister Social Work 13 October 1956 –
24 July 1963
[Retained]
Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"| Kees Staf Kees Staf
(1905–1973)
Minister Colonial Affairs 18 July 1956 –
16 February 1957
[Retained] [Ad interim]
Christian Historical Union
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"| Gerard Helders Gerard Helders
(1905–2013)
16 February 1957 –
19 May 1959
Christian Historical Union
State Secretaries Title/Portfolio/Ministry Term of office Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Norbert Schmelzer Norbert Schmelzer
(1921–2008)
State Secretary • Privatization Policy
• Government Real Estate
• Public Sector Organisations

(within Interior, Property and
Public Sector Organisations
)
29 October 1956 –
19 May 1959
Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Ernst van der Beugel Ernst van der Beugel
(1918–2004)
State Secretary • European Affairs
• NATO Affairs
• Benelux Affairs
• International Aviation Policy

(within Foreign Affairs)
8 January 1957 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Gerard Veldkamp Dr.
Gerard Veldkamp
(1921–1990)
State Secretary • Small Business Policy
• Retail Policy
• Competition Policy
• Tourism Affairs

(within Economic Affairs)
10 October 1952 –
17 July 1961
[Retained]
Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Ferdinand Kranenburg Ferdinand Kranenburg
(1911–1994)
State Secretary • Army
• Air Force

(within Defence)
1 June 1951 –
1 June 1958
[Retained] [Res]
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Meine van Veen Meine van Veen
(1893–1970)
25 October 1958 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Harry Moorman Harry Moorman
(1899–1971)
• Navy

(within Navy)
1 May 1949 –
19 May 1959
[Retained]
Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"| Aat van Rhijn Dr.
Aat van Rhijn
(1892–1986)
State Secretary • Social Security
• Unemployment Affairs
• Occupational Safety
• Social Services
• Poverty Policy
• Elderly Policy
• Disability Affairs
• Veteran Affairs
• Minority Affairs
• Medical Ethics Policy

(within Social Affairs
and Health)
15 February 1950 –
22 December 1958
[Retained]
Labour Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| Anna de Waal Dr.
Anna de Waal
(1906–1981)
State Secretary • Primary Education
• Secondary Education
• Special Education

(within Education, Arts
and Sciences
)
2 February 1953 –
16 March 1957
[Retained] [Res]
Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"| René Höppener René Höppener
(1903–1983)
• Youth Policy
• Environmental Policy
• Nature Policy
• Media Affairs
• Culture Policy
• Arts Policy
• Recreation Affairs
• Sport

(within Education, Arts
and Sciences
)
12 November 1956 –
19 May 1959
Catholic People's Party
Source: (in Dutch) Rijksoverheid
Retained Retained this position from the previous cabinet.
Res Resigned.
Ad interim Served ad interim.
Appt Appointment: Sicco Mansholt appointed European Commissioner.

References

  1. ^ According to a different numbering this was the Fourth Drees cabinet because it was the fourth cabinet with Willem Drees as Prime Minister.
  2. ^ "Coalities tussen sociaaldemocraten en confessionelen" (in Dutch). Historisch Nieuwsblad. 10 August 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
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