First Biesheuvel cabinet

The First Biesheuvel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 6 July 1971 until 9 August 1972. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU), the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the social-democratic Democratic Socialists '70 (DS'70) after the election of 1971. The cabinet was a centrist coalition and had a slim majority in the House of Representatives with Protestant Leader Barend Biesheuvel a former Minister of Agriculture serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Catholic politician Roelof Nelissen the Minister of Economic Affairs in the previous cabinet served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and was given the portfolio of Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs, former Liberal Leader Molly Geertsema served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.

First Biesheuvel cabinet

53rd Cabinet of the Netherlands
The installation of the First Biesheuvel cabinet on 6 July 1971
Date formed6 July 1971 (1971-07-06)
Date dissolved9 August 1972 (1972-08-09)
1 year, 34 days in office
(Demissionary from 19 July 1972 (1972-07-19))
People and organisations
MonarchQueen Juliana
Prime MinisterBarend Biesheuvel
Deputy Prime MinisterRoelof Nelissen
Molly Geertsema
No. of ministers16
Ministers removed2
Total no. of members16
Member partyCatholic People's Party
(KVP)
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
(VVD)
Anti-Revolutionary Party
(ARP)
Christian Historical Union
(CHU)
Democratic Socialists '70
(DS'70)
Status in legislatureCentrist
Majority government
History
Election(s)1971 election
Outgoing election1972 election
Legislature term(s)1971–1972
Incoming formation1971 formation
Outgoing formation1972–1973 formation
PredecessorDe Jong cabinet
SuccessorSecond Biesheuvel cabinet
Part of the Politics series
Politics of the Netherlands
Azure, billetty Or a lion with a coronet Or armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted Or and in the sinister paw seven arrows Argent pointed and bound together Or. [The seven arrows stand for the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht.] The shield is crowned with the (Dutch) royal crown and supported by two lions Or armed and langued gules. They stand on a scroll Azure with the text (Or) "Je Maintiendrai" (French for "I will maintain".)
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The cabinet served in the early years of the radical 1970s. Domestically it had to deal with the peak of the counterculture and a growing inflation but it was able to implement several social reforms to the public sector and stimulating deregulation and privatization. The cabinet suffered several major internal conflicts between the cabinet members of the Democratic Socialists '70 and the rest of the coalition which lead to the fall of the cabinet just 1 year into its term on 19 July 1972 with the Democratic Socialists '70 cabinet members resigning on 21 July 1972 and the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced with the caretaker Second Biesheuvel cabinet on 9 August 1972.[1][2][3][4][5]

Term

Problems of the cabinet were the release of war criminals (three of Breda) and the increasing inflation, combined with a stagnating economy (stagflation). The decision to cut government expenses was not supported by DS'70, so the cabinet lost its majority in the parliament, resulting in Biesheuvel II.

Minister Stuyt, the first minister for environmental affairs, issued an urgency-note concerning the environment. In 1972, the first report from the Club of Rome was published, which showed that the environment is in a bad state worldwide and that resources will eventually run out.

The cabinet recognised the GDR and voted to allow China back into the United Nations.

Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium, Queen Juliana, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Minister of Foreign Affairs Norbert Schmelzer at Luxembourg Airport on 7 July 1971.
Prime Minister of Norway Trygve Bratteli and Prime Minister Barend Biesheuvel at the Catshuis on 8 January 1972.
Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Gromyko and Prime Minister Barend Biesheuvel at the Catshuis op 5 July 1972.

Cabinet Members
Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
Barend Biesheuvel Barend Biesheuvel
(1920–2001)		 Prime Minister General Affairs 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Anti-Revolutionary
Party
Roelof Nelissen Roelof Nelissen
(1931–2019)		 Deputy
Prime Minister		 Finance 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Minister
Molly Geertsema Molly Geertsema
(1918–1991)		 Deputy
Prime Minister		 Interior 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
Minister
Norbert Schmelzer Norbert Schmelzer
(1921–2008)		 Minister Foreign Affairs 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Dries van Agt Dries van Agt
(born 1931)		 Minister Justice 6 July 1971 –
8 September 1977
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Harry Langman Harrie Langman
(1931–2016)		 Minister Economic Affairs 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
Hans de Koster Hans de Koster
(1914–1992)		 Minister Defence 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
Louis Stuyt Dr.
Louis Stuyt
(1914–2000)		 Minister Health and
Environment		 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Jaap Boersma Jaap Boersma
(1929–2012)		 Minister Social Affairs 6 July 1971 –
19 December 1977
[Continued]		 Anti-Revolutionary
Party
Chris van Veen Chris van Veen
(1922–2009)		 Minister Education and
Sciences		 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Christian
Historical Union
Willem Drees Jr. Dr.
Willem Drees Jr.
(1922–1998)		 Minister Transport and
Water Management		 6 July 1971 –
21 July 1972
[Res]		 Democratic
Socialists '70
Bé Udink Bé Udink
(1926–2016)		 21 July 1972 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Christian
Historical Union
Pierre Lardinois Pierre Lardinois
(1924–1987)		 Minister Agriculture and
Fisheries		 5 April 1967 –
1 January 1973
[Retained] [Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Bé Udink Bé Udink
(1926–2016)		 Minister Housing and
Spatial Planning		 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Christian
Historical Union
Piet Engels Piet Engels
(1923–1994)		 Minister Culture, Recreation
and Social Work		 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Ministers without portfolio Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
Roelof Nelissen Roelof Nelissen
(1931–2019)		 Minister Interior • Suriname and
Netherlands
Antilles Affairs		 6 July 1971 –
28 January 1972		 Catholic
People's Party
Pierre Lardinois Pierre Lardinois
(1924–1987)		 28 January 1972 –
1 January 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Kees Boertien Dr.
Kees Boertien
(1927–2002)		 Minister Foreign Affairs • Development
Cooperation		 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Anti-Revolutionary
Party
Mauk de Brauw Jonkheer
Mauk de Brauw
(1925–1984)		 Minister Education and
Sciences		 • Higher
Education
• Science Policy		 6 July 1971 –
21 July 1972
[Res]		 Democratic
Socialists '70
Chris van Veen Chris van Veen
(1922–2009)		 21 July 1972 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Christian
Historical Union
State Secretaries Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
Jan van Stuijvenberg Jan van
Stuijvenberg
(born 1928)		 State Secretary Interior • Municipalities
• Civil Service		 17 July 1971 –
21 July 1972
[Res]		 Democratic
Socialists '70
Tjerk Westerterp Tjerk Westerterp
(1930–2023)		 State Secretary Foreign Affairs • European Union
• Benelux		 17 August 1971 –
7 March 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Willem Scholten Willem Scholten
(1927–2005)		 State Secretary Finance • Fiscal Policy
• Tax and Customs		 14 July 1971 –
19 March 1973
[Continued]		 Christian
Historical Union
Fons van der Stee Fons van der Stee
(1928–1999)		 • Governmental
Budget		 14 July 1971 –
12 March 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Hans Grosheide Hans Grosheide
(1930–2022)		 State Secretary Justice • Immigration
and Asylum
• Civil Law
• Youth Justice
• Penitentiaries		 28 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Anti-Revolutionary
Party
Jan Oostenbrink Jan Oostenbrink
(born 1936)		 State Secretary Economic Affairs • Small and
Medium-sized
Businesses
• Consumer
Protection
• Tourism		 17 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Adri van Es Vice admiral
Adri van Es
(1913–1994)		 State Secretary Defence • Human
Resources
• Equipment		 14 August 1963 –
16 September 1972
[Retained] [Continued]		 Anti-Revolutionary
Party
Koos Rietkerk Koos Rietkerk
(1927–1986)		 State Secretary Social Affairs • Social Security
• Unemployment
• Occupational
Safety
• Social Services		 28 July 1971 –
23 April 1973
[Continued]		 People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
Kees Schelfhout Kees Schelfhout
(1918–1983)		 State Secretary Education and
Sciences		 • Primary
Education
• Special
Education
• Preschool		 28 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Roelof Kruisinga Dr.
Roelof Kruisinga
(1922–2012)		 State Secretary Transport and
Water Management		 • Public
Infrastructure
• Public
Transport
• Rail Transport
• Water
Management
• Postal Service
• Weather
Forecasting		 28 July 1971 –
20 March 1973
[Continued]		 Christian
Historical Union
Werner Buck
(1925–2010)		 State Secretary Housing and
Spatial Planning		 • Urban Planning
• Spatial Planning		 17 August 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Fia van Veenendaal-van Meggelen Fia van
Veenendaal-
van Meggelen
(1918–2005)		 State Secretary Culture, Recreation
and Social Work		 • Social Services
• Disability Policy		 28 July 1971 –
21 July 1972
[Res]		 Democratic
Socialists '70
Henk Vonhoff Henk Vonhoff
(1931–2010)		 • Youth Care
• Nature
• Culture
• Art
• Recreation
• Sport		 28 July 1971 –
23 April 1973
[Continued]		 People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
Resigned
Retained from the previous cabinet
Continued in the next cabinet

Trivia
  • Six cabinet members (later) served as Party Leaders and Lijsttrekkers: Barend Biesheuvel (1963–1973) of the Anti-Revolutionary Party, Molly Geertsema (1969–1971) of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Norbert Schmelzer (1963–1971) of the Catholic People's Party, Dries van Agt (1976–1982) of the Christian Democratic Appeal, Willem Drees Jr. (1971–1977) of the Democratic Socialists '70, Bé Udink (1970–1971) and Roelof Kruisinga (1971–1977) of the Christian Historical Union.
  • Five cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Dries van Agt (Criminal Law and Procedure), Louis Stuyt (Internal Medicine), Willem Drees Jr. (Public Economics), Kees Boertien (Commercial Law) and Roelof Kruisinga (Otorhinolaryngology).
  • Four cabinet members (later) served as Queen's Commissioner: Molly Geertsema (Gelderland), Dries van Agt (North Brabant), Kees Boertien (Zeeland) and Henk Vonhoff (Groningen).

References
  1. "Ideeën van Drees jr. waren te afwijkend" (in Dutch). Volkskrant. 8 September 1998. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  2. (in Dutch) Mooie Barend. De vergeten premier, Volkskrant, 9 June 2012
  3. (in Dutch) De driftbuien van Mooie Barend, Historischnieuwsblad.nl, 6 May 2001
  4. "Biesheuvel, Barend Willem (1920–2001)" (in Dutch). Huygens ING. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  5. (in Dutch) Mr. B. W. (Barend) Biesheuvel 6 juli 1971 – 11 mei 1973, Geschiedenis24.nl, 9 December 2005
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