First Drees cabinet

The First Drees cabinet, also called the Second Drees cabinet[1] was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 15 March 1951 until 2 September 1952. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Catholic People's Party (KVP), Labour Party (PvdA), Christian Historical Union (CHU) and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the after the resignation of the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet on 24 January 1951. The grand coalition (Roman/Red) cabinet was a majority cabinet in the House of Representatives.[2]

First Drees cabinet Second Drees cabinet
44th Cabinet of the Netherlands
Meeting of the First Drees cabinet on 18 August 1952
Date formed	15 March 1951 (1951-03-15)
Date dissolved	2 September 1952 (1952-09-02) (Demissionary from 25 June 1952 (1952-06-25))
People and organisations
Head of state	Queen Juliana
Head of government	Willem Drees
Deputy head of government	Frans Teulings
No. of ministers	15
Total no. of members	16
Member party	Catholic People's Party (KVP) Labour Party (PvdA) Christian Historical Union (CHU) People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD)
Status in legislature	Grand coalition (Roman/Red)
Opposition party	Anti-Revolutionary Party
Opposition leader	Jan Schouten
History
Outgoing election	1952 election
Legislature term(s)	1948–1952
Incoming formation	1948 formation
Outgoing formation	1951 formation
Predecessor	Drees–Van Schaik cabinet
Successor	Second Drees cabinet

Formation

It was a continuation of the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet, after issues over the policy concerning New Guinea led to the fall of the cabinet. However, this did not lead to new elections. The new formation was started by an informateur, which was a new phenomenon.

Term

The New Guinea issue was consequently but on hold and the focus shifted to social-economic issues. A major new law was the unemployment law. In 1951 the Netherlands became one of the founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community.

Cabinet Members

Ministers			Title/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Dr. Willem Drees (1886–1988)	Prime Minister	General Affairs	7 August 1948 – 22 December 1958 ^[Retained]	Labour Party
		Frans Teulings (1891–1966)	Deputy Prime Minister / Minister	Civil Defence (within Interior)	15 maart 1951 – 2 september 1952	Catholic People's Party
		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	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] ^[Res]	Labour Party
		Dr. Willem Drees (1886–1988)			1 July 1952 – 2 September 1952 ^[Ad interim]	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	21 January 1948 – 2 September 1952 ^[Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Kees Staf (1905–1973)	Minister	War	15 March 1951 – 19 May 1959	Christian Historical Union
				Navy
		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 Democrat (Protestant)
		Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995)	Minister	Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies	25 June 1945 – 1 January 1958 ^[Retained]	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/Portfolio/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Dr. Guus Albregts (1900–1980)	Minister	Economic Policy (within Interior)	15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952	Catholic People's Party
State Secretaries			Title/Portfolio/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Nico Blom (1899–1972)	State Secretary	• Indonesian Political Affairs (within Foreign Affairs)	16 February 1950 – 2 September 1952 ^[Retained]	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)
		Ferdinand Kranenburg (1911–1994)	State Secretary	• Army • Air Force (within War)	1 June 1951 – 1 June 1958	Labour Party
		Harry Moorman (1899–1971)		• Navy (within Navy)	1 May 1949 – 19 May 1959 ^[Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986)	State Secretary	• Social Security • Unemployment Affairs • Occupational Safety • Social Services • Poverty Policy (within Social Affairs)	15 February 1950 – 15 September 1951 ^[Retained]	Labour Party
				• Social Security • Unemployment Affairs • Occupational Safety • Social Services • Poverty Policy (within Social Affairs and Health)	15 September 1951 – 22 December 1958
		Dr. Piet Muntendam (1901–1986)	State Secretary	• Elderly Policy • Disability Affairs • Veteran Affairs • Minority Affairs • Medical Ethics Policy (within Social Affairs)	1 April 1950 – 15 September 1951 ^[Retained]	Labour Party
				• Elderly Policy • Disability Affairs • Veteran Affairs • Minority Affairs • Medical Ethics Policy (within Social Affairs and Health)	15 September 1951 – 1 October 1953
		Jo Cals (1914–1971)	State Secretary	• Youth Policy • Environmental Policy • Nature Policy • Media Affairs • Culture Policy • Arts Policy • Recreation Affairs • Sport (within Education, Arts and Sciences)	15 March 1950 – 2 September 1952	Catholic People's Party
		Lubbertus Götzen (1894–1979)	State Secretary	• Indonesian Monetary Policy (within Colonial Affairs)	15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952	Independent Christian Democrat (Protestant)
Source: (in Dutch) Rijksoverheid

^Retained Retained this position from the previous cabinet.

^Res Resigned.

^{Ad interim} Served ad interim.

^Died Died in office.

References

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

External links

Official

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