The First Drees cabinet, also called the Second Drees cabinet[2] was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 15 March 1951 until 2 September 1952. The cabinet was a continuation of the previous Drees–Van Schaik cabinet and was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU), the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the fall of the previous cabinet. The cabinet was a centrist grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with Labour Leader Willem Drees serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Catholic politician Frans Teulings the Minister of the Interior in the previous cabinet served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without portfolio for the Interior.

First Drees cabinet
Second Drees cabinet

Cabinet of the Netherlands
The first meeting of the First Drees cabinet at the Ministry of General Affairs on 14 March 1951
Date formed15 March 1951 (1951-03-15)
Date dissolved2 September 1952 (1952-09-02)
1 year, 171 days in office
(Demissionary from 25 June 1952 (1952-06-25))
People and organisations
MonarchQueen Juliana
Prime MinisterWillem Drees
Deputy Prime MinisterFrans Teulings
No. of ministers15
Ministers removed2
Total no. of members16
Member partyCatholic People's Party
(KVP)
Labour Party
(PvdA)
Christian Historical Union
(CHU)
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy

(VVD)
Status in legislatureCentre-left[1]
Majority government
(Grand coalition/Roman-Red)
History
Outgoing election1952 election
Legislature terms1948–1952
Incoming formation1948 formation
Outgoing formation1951 formation
PredecessorDrees–Van Schaik cabinet
SuccessorSecond Drees cabinet

The cabinet served during early 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 following the Indonesian National Revolution continued, the European Coal and Steel Community was founded after the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The cabinet suffered no major internal and external conflicts and completed its entire term and was succeeded by the Second Drees cabinet following the election of 1952.[3]

Cabinet Members

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Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Willem Drees
(1886–1988)
Prime Minister General Affairs 7 August 1948 –
22 December 1958
[Retained] [Continued]
Labour Party
  Frans Teulings
(1891–1966)
Deputy
Prime Minister
Interior Civil Defence 15 maart 1951 –
2 september 1952
Catholic
People's Party
Minister
  Johan van
Maarseveen

(1894–1951)
Minister Interior 15 March 1951 –
18 November 1951
[Died]
Catholic
People's Party
  Frans Teulings
(1891–1966)
18 November 1951 –
6 December 1951
[Ad Interim]
Catholic
People's Party
  Dr.
Louis Beel
(1902–1977)
6 December 1951 –
7 July 1956
[Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Dirk Stikker
(1897–1979)
Minister Foreign Affairs 7 August 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Retained]
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Dr.
Piet Lieftinck
(1902–1989)
Minister Finance 25 June 1945 –
1 July 1952
[Retained] [App]
Labour Party
  Willem Drees
(1886–1988)
1 July 1952 –
2 September 1952
[Acting]
Labour Party
  Hendrik
Mulderije

(1896–1970)
Minister Justice 15 March 1951 –
2 September 1952
Christian
Historical Union
  Dr.
Jan van
den Brink

(1915–2006)
Minister Economic Affairs 20 January 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
  Kees Staf
(1905–1973)
Minister War and Navy 15 March 1951 –
19 May 1959
[Continued]
Christian
Historical Union
  Dr.
Dolf Joekes
(1885–1962)
Minister Social Affairs 7 August 1948 –
15 September 1951
[Retained]
Labour Party
Minister Social Affairs
and Health
15 September 1951 –
2 September 1952
  Dr.
Theo Rutten
(1899–1980)
Minister Education, Arts
and Sciences
7 August 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
  Hendrik
Wemmers

(1897–1983)
Minister Transport and
Water Management
15 March 1951 –
2 September 1952
Independent
Christian Democratic
Protestant
  Sicco Mansholt
(1908–1995)
Minister Agriculture,
Fisheries and
Food Supplies
25 June 1945 –
1 January 1958
[Retained] [Continued]
Labour Party
  Dr.
Joris in 't Veld
(1895–1981)
Minister Reconstruction
and Housing
1 March 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Retained]
Labour Party
  Dr.
Willem Drees
(1886–1988)
Minister Colonial Affairs 15 March 1951 –
30 March 1951
[Ad Interim]
Labour Party
  Leonard Peters
(1900–1984)
30 March 1951 –
2 September 1952
Catholic
People's Party
Minister without portfolio Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Dr.
Guus Albregts
(1900–1980)
Minister Interior Public
Organisations

Small and
Medium-sized
Businesses
15 March 1951 –
2 September 1952
Catholic
People's Party
State Secretaries Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Nico Blom
(1899–1972)
State Secretary Foreign Affairs Dutch East Indies 16 February 1950 –
2 September 1952
[Retained]
Independent
Conservative Liberal
  Ferdinand
Kranenburg

(1911–1994)
State Secretary War and Navy Army
Air Force
1 June 1951 –
1 June 1958
[Continued]
Labour Party
  Vice admiral
Harry Moorman
(1899–1971)
Navy 1 May 1949 –
19 May 1959
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Dr.
Piet Muntendam
(1901–1986)
State Secretary Social Affairs Primary
Healthcare

Elderly Care
Disability Policy
1 April 1950 –
15 September 1951
[Retained]
Labour Party
Social Affairs
and Health
15 September 1951 –
1 October 1953
[Continued]
  Dr.
Aat van Rhijn
(1892–1986)
State Secretary Social Affairs • Social Security
• Unemployment
Occupational
Safety

• Social Services
15 February 1950 –
15 September 1951
[Retained]
Labour Party
Social Affairs
and Health
15 September 1951 –
22 December 1958
[Continued]
  Jo Cals
(1914–1971)
State Secretary Education, Arts
and Sciences
Youth Care
• Nature
Media
Culture
Art
• Recreation
Sport
15 March 1950 –
2 September 1952
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
  Lubbertus Götzen
(1894–1979)
State Secretary Colonial Affairs Netherlands-
Indonesian Union

Colonial
Fiscal Policy
15 March 1951 –
2 September 1952
Independent
Christian Democratic
Protestant
Resigned
Retained from the previous cabinet
Continued in the next cabinet
Acting
Ad Interim
Died in Office
Appointed as Special Representative of the World Bank

Trivia

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References

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  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 Second Drees cabinet because it was the second cabinet with Willem Drees as Prime Minister, after the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet.
  3. ^ "Coalities tussen sociaaldemocraten en confessionelen" (in Dutch). Historisch Nieuwsblad. 10 August 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
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