First Biesheuvel cabinet

The First Biesheuvel cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 6 July 1971 until 9 August 1972. 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), Christian Historical Union (CHU) and the Democratic Socialists '70 (DS'70) after the election of 1971. The centre cabinet was a majority government in the House of Representatives. It was the first of two cabinets of Barend Biesheuvel, the Leader of the Anti-Revolutionary Party as Prime Minister, with Roelof Nelissen of the Catholic People's Party and Molly Geertsema the Deputy Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy serving as Deputy Prime Ministers.[1]

First Biesheuvel cabinet
53rd Cabinet of the Netherlands
The installation of the First Biesheuvel cabinet on 6 July 1971
Date formed	6 July 1971 (1971-07-06)
Date dissolved	9 August 1972 (1972-08-09) (Demissionary from 19 July 1972 (1972-07-19))
People and organisations
Head of state	Queen Juliana
Head of government	Barend Biesheuvel
Deputy head of government	Roelof Nelissen Molly Geertsema
No. of ministers	16
Total no. of members	16
Member party	Catholic 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 legislature	Centre Majority government
Opposition party	Labour Party
Opposition leader	Joop den Uyl
History
Election(s)	1971 election
Outgoing election	1972 election
Legislature term(s)	1971–1972
Incoming formation	1971 formation
Outgoing formation	1972–1973 formation
Predecessor	De Jong cabinet
Successor	Second Biesheuvel cabinet

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.

Cabinet Members

Ministers			Title/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Barend Biesheuvel (1920–2001)	Prime Minister	General Affairs	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Roelof Nelissen (1931–2019)	Deputy Prime Minister / Minister	Finance	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Catholic People's Party
		Molly Geertsema (1918–1991)	Deputy Prime Minister / Minister	Interior	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Norbert Schmelzer (1921–2008)	Minister	Foreign Affairs	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Catholic People's Party
		Dries van Agt (born 1931)	Minister	Justice	6 July 1971 – 8 September 1977	Catholic People's Party
		Harrie Langman (1931–2016)	Minister	Economic Affairs	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Hans de Koster (1914–1992)	Minister	Defence	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Louis Stuyt (1914–2000)	Minister	Health and Environment	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Catholic People's Party
		Jaap Boersma (1929–2012)	Minister	Social Affairs	6 July 1971 – 19 December 1977	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Chris van Veen (1922–2009)	Minister	Education and Sciences	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Christian Historical Union
		Dr. Willem Drees Jr. (1922–1998)	Minister	Transport and Water Management	6 July 1971 – 21 July 1972 ^[Res]	Democratic Socialists '70
		Bé Udink (1926–2016)			21 July 1972 – 11 May 1973	Christian Historical Union
		Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987)	Minister	Agriculture and Fisheries	5 April 1967 – 1 January 1973 ^[Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Bé Udink (1926–2016)	Minister	Housing and Spatial Planning	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Christian Historical Union
		Piet Engels (1923–1994)	Minister	Culture, Recreation and Social Work	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Catholic People's Party
Ministers without portfolio			Title/Portfolio/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Roelof Nelissen (1931–2019)	Minister	Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs (within Interior)	6 July 1971 – 28 January 1972	Catholic People's Party
		Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987)			28 January 1972 – 1 January 1973	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Kees Boertien (1927–2002)	Minister	Development Cooperation (within Foreign Affairs)	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Jonkheer Mauk de Brauw (1925–1984)	Minister	Higher Education and Science Policy (within Education and Sciences)	6 July 1971 – 21 July 1972 ^[Res]	Democratic Socialists '70
		Chris van Veen (1922–2009)			21 July 1972 – 11 May 1973	Christian Historical Union
State Secretaries			Title/Portfolio/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Jan van Stuijvenberg (born 1928)	State Secretary	• Central Government Affairs • Local Government Affairs • Government Real Estate (within Interior)	17 July 1971 – 21 July 1972 ^[Res]	Democratic Socialists '70
		Tjerk Westerterp (born 1930)	State Secretary	• European Affairs • NATO Affairs • Benelux Affairs (within Foreign Affairs)	17 August 1971 – 7 March 1973	Catholic People's Party
		Willem Scholten (1927–2005)	State Secretary	• Fiscal Affairs • Tax and Customs Administration (within Finance)	14 July 1971 – 19 March 1973	Christian Historical Union
		Fons van der Stee (1928–1999)		• Local Government Finances • National Mint • Gambling Policy • State Lottery (within Finance)	14 July 1971 – 12 March 1973	Catholic People's Party
		Hans Grosheide (born 1930)	State Secretary	• Integration • Immigration • Asylum Affairs • Privacy Policy • Prison Administration • Youth Justice • Rehabilitation • Prevention (within Justice)	28 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Jan Oostenbrink (born 1936)	State Secretary	• Small Business Policy • Retail Policy • Consumer Protection • Tourism Affairs (within Economic Affairs)	17 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Catholic People's Party
		Adri van Es (1913–1994)	State Secretary	• Personnel Affairs • Equipment Policy • Veteran Affairs (within Defence)	14 August 1963 – 16 September 1972 ^[Retained]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Koos Rietkerk (1927–1986)	State Secretary	• Social Security • Occupational Safety (within Social Affairs)	28 July 1971 – 23 April 1973	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Kees Schelfhout (1918–1983)	State Secretary	• Special Education • Early Childhood Education (within Education and Sciences)	28 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Roelof Kruisinga (1922–2012)	State Secretary	• Transport Infrastructure • Water Infrastructure • Public Transport • Postal Service • Weather Forecasting Service • Environmental Remediation (within Transport and Water Management)	28 July 1971 – 20 March 1973	Christian Historical Union
		Werner Buck (1925–2010)	State Secretary	• Urban Planning • Public Housing • Spatial Planning (within Housing and Spatial Planning)	17 August 1971 – 11 May 1973	Catholic People's Party
		Fia van Veenendaal- van Meggelen (1918–2005)	State Secretary	• Social Services • Unemployment Affairs • Poverty Policy (within Culture, Recreation and Social Work)	28 July 1971 – 21 July 1972 ^[Res]	Democratic Socialists '70
		Henk Vonhoff (1931–2010)		• Youth Policy • Environmental Policy • Nature Policy • Media Affairs • Culture Policy • Arts Policy • Recreation Affairs • Sport (within Culture, Recreation and Social Work)	28 July 1971 – 23 April 1973	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Source: (in Dutch) Rijksoverheid

^{Retained this position from the previous cabinet.}

^Resigned.

References

1. "Ideeën van Drees jr. waren te afwijkend" (in Dutch). Volkskrant. 8 September 1998. Retrieved 1 May 2018.

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Kabinet-Biesheuvel I en II Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Kabinet-Biesheuvel Rijksoverheid