First Lubbers cabinet

The First Lubbers cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 4 November 1982 until 14 July 1986. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the election of 1982. The right-wing cabinet was a majority government in the House of Representatives. It was the first of three cabinets of Ruud Lubbers (CDA) as Prime Minister, with Gijs van Aardenne of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy serving as Deputy Prime Minister.[1]

First Lubbers cabinet
59th Cabinet of the Netherlands
The installation of the First Lubbers cabinet on 4 November 1982
Date formed	4 November 1982 (1982-11-04)
Date dissolved	14 July 1986 (1986-07-14) (Demissionary from 22 May 1986 (1986-05-22))
People and organisations
Head of state	Queen Beatrix
Head of government	Ruud Lubbers
Deputy head of government	Gijs van Aardenne
No. of ministers	14
Total no. of members	15
Member party	Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD)
Status in legislature	Right-wing Majority government
Opposition party	Labour Party
Opposition leader	Joop den Uyl
History
Election(s)	1982 election
Outgoing election	1986 election
Legislature term(s)	1982–1986
Incoming formation	1982 formation
Outgoing formation	1986 formation
Predecessor	Third Van Agt cabinet
Successor	Second Lubbers cabinet

Formation

Following the fall of the Second Van Agt cabinet on 12 May 1982 the Labour Party (PvdA) left the coalition, subsequently on 14 May 1982 Queen Beatrix appointed Senator Piet Steenkamp (CDA) as Informateur to look at the possibilities of the Labour Party rejoining the coalition. After negotiations between the parties, Piet Steenkamp failed to reach an agreement between the parties. On 25 May 1982 Queen Beatrix appointed incumbent Prime Minister Dries van Agt (CDA) as Formateur to form a rump cabinet with the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the Democrats 66 (D'66). On 29 May 1982 the Third Van Agt cabinet was installed and served as a caretaker government until the election of 1982.

After the election on 8 September 1982 the Labour Party of Joop den Uyl was the winner of the election winning 3 new seats and had now a total of 47 seats. The Christian Democratic Appeal of incumbent Prime Minister Dries van Agt lost 3 seats and now had 45 seats. The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy under the new leadership of Ed Nijpels was the biggest winner gaining 10 new seats and now had a total of 36 seats in the House of Representatives.

On 10 September 1982 Queen Beatrix appointed Member of the House of Representatives Jos van Kemenade (PvdA), the former Minister of Education and Sciences as Informateur to start the cabinet formation process. The first round of talks between the Labour Party and the Christian Democratic Appeal were troubled by the personal animosity between incumbent Prime Minister and Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal Dries van Agt and former Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party Joop den Uyl. Van Agt had served as Deputy Prime Minister under Den Uyl his cabinet, and Den Uyl had served as Deputy Prime Minister under Van Agt in his Second cabinet. On 30 September 1982 after long negotiations between the parties, Jos van Kemenade failed to reach an agreement to form a new coalition.

On 1 October 1982 Queen Beatrix appointed Vice-President of the Council of State Willem Scholten (CDA), a former Minister of Defence as Informateur to start a cabinet formation process between the Christian Democratic Appeal and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. Soon there after incumbent Prime Minister and Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal Dries van Agt unexpectedly announced his retirement from national politics and stood down as Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal on 25 October 1982 and subsequently endorsed the Parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives Ruud Lubbers, a former Minister of Economic Affairs as his successor. On 30 October 1982 the Christian Democratic Appeal and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy agreed to form a coalition and Queen Beatrix subsequently appointed Ruud Lubbers as Formateur and tasked him with forming a new cabinet. On 4 November 1982 the cabinet formation was completed and the First Lubbers cabinet was installed with Ruud Lubbers as Prime Minister.

Term

Changes

On 12 November 1982 just 4 days after taking office State Secretary for Defence Charl Schwietert (VVD) resigned after he admitted to have falsified his curriculum vitae. On 12 November 1982 Mayor of Coevorden Willem Hoekzema (VVD) was appointed as his successor.

On 20 February 1986 Minister of the Interior Koos Rietkerk (VVD) unexpectedly died in his office from a heart Attack at the age of 58. Minister of Justice Frits Korthals Altes (VVD) served as acting Minister of the Interior until 12 March 1986 when Member of the House of Representatives Rudolf de Korte (VVD) was installed as the new Minister of the Interior.

On 22 June 1986 State Secretary for Economic Affairs Piet van Zeil (CDA) resigned after he was appointed as Mayor of Heerlen and because the cabinet was already demissionary he was not replaced.

Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers, Prime Minister of Luxembourg Pierre Werner and Prime Minister of Belgium Wilfried Martens at the Ministry of General Affairs on 10 November 1982.

Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers and Vice President of the United States George H. W. Bush at Airport Schiphol on 1 February 1983.

Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers and United States Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger at The Pentagon on 16 March 1983.

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher and Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers at a press conference in The Hague on 19 September 1983.

Minister of Defence Job de Ruiter and United States Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger at The Pentagon on 2 October 1983.

Cabinet Members

Ministers			Title/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Ruud Lubbers (1939–2018)	Prime Minister	General Affairs	4 November 1982 – 22 Augustus 1994	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Gijs van Aardenne (1930–1995)	Deputy Prime Minister / Minister	Economic Affairs	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Koos Rietkerk (1927–1986)	Minister	Interior	4 November 1982 – 20 February 1986 ^[Died]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Frits Korthals Altes (born 1931)			20 February 1986 – 12 March 1986 ^[Ad interim]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Rudolf de Korte (1936–2020)			12 March 1986 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Hans van den Broek (born 1936)	Minister	Foreign Affairs	4 November 1982 – 3 January 1993	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Dr. Onno Ruding (born 1939)	Minister	Finance	4 November 1982 – 7 November 1989	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Frits Korthals Altes (born 1931)	Minister	Justice	4 November 1982 – 7 November 1989	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Job de Ruiter (1930–2015)	Minister	Defence	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Elco Brinkman (born 1948)	Minister	Welfare, Health and Culture	4 November 1982 – 7 November 1989	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Jan de Koning (1926–1994)	Minister	Social Affairs and Employment	4 November 1982 – 3 February 1987	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Wim Deetman (born 1945)	Minister	Education and Sciences	29 May 1982 – 14 September 1989 ^[Retained]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Neelie Kroes (born 1941)	Minister	Transport and Water Management	4 November 1982 – 7 November 1989	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Gerrit Braks (1933–2017)	Minister	Agriculture and Fisheries	4 November 1982 – 18 September 1990	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Dr. Pieter Winsemius (born 1942)	Minister	Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Ministers without portfolio			Title/Portfolio/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Jan de Koning (1926–1994)	Minister	Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs (within Interior)	29 May 1982 – 7 November 1989 ^[Retained]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Eegje Schoo (born 1944)	Minister	Development Cooperation (within Foreign Affairs)	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
State Secretaries			Title/Portfolio/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Marius van Amelsvoort (1930–2006)	State Secretary	• Central Government Affairs • Local Government Affairs • Emergency Services • Disaster Management (within Interior)	8 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Dr. Wim van Eekelen (born 1931)	State Secretary	• European Affairs • NATO Affairs • Benelux Affairs • International Aviation Policy (within Foreign Affairs)	5 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Henk Koning (1933–2016)	State Secretary	• Fiscal Affairs • Tax and Customs Administration • Local Government Finances • State Lottery (within Finance)	4 November 1982 – 7 November 1989	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Virginie Korte-van Hemel (1929–2014)	State Secretary	• Integration • Immigration • Asylum Affairs • Youth Justice • Copyright Law • Rehabilitation • Minority Affairs (within Justice)	8 November 1982 – 7 November 1989	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Piet van Zeil (1927–2012)	State Secretary	• Small Business Policy • Retail Policy • Competition Policy • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism Affairs (within Economic Affairs)	11 September 1981 – 22 June 1986 ^[Retained] ^[Appt]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Frits Bolkestein (born 1933)	State Secretary ^[Title]	• International Trade • Export Promotion (within Economic Affairs)	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Jan van Houwelingen (1939–2013)	State Secretary	• Equipment Policy (within Defence)	14 September 1981 – 7 November 1989 ^[Retained]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Charl Schwietert (born 1943)		• Personnel Affairs (within Defence)	8 November 1982 – 11 November 1982 ^[Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Willem Hoekzema (born 1939)			19 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Joop van der Reijden (1927–2006)	State Secretary	• Social Services • Youth Policy • Elderly Policy • Veteran Affairs • Sport (within Welfare, Health and Culture)	5 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Louw de Graaf (1930–2020)	State Secretary	• Social Security • Unemployment Affairs • Poverty Policy (within Social Affairs and Employment)	5 November 1982 – 3 February 1987	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Annelien Kappeyne van de Coppello (1936–1990)		• Occupational Safety • Disability Affairs • Equality • Emancipation (within Social Affairs and Employment)	8 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Nell Ginjaar-Maas (1931–2012)	State Secretary	• Secondary Education • Adult Education (within Education and Sciences)	5 November 1982 – 7 November 1989	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Gerard van Leijenhorst (1928–2001)		• Primary Education • Teacher Policy (within Education and Sciences)	8 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Jaap Scherpenhuizen (1934–2012)	State Secretary	• Transport Infrastructure • Public Transport • Postal Service • Weather Forecasting Service (within Transport and Water Management)	8 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Ad Ploeg (1927–1994)	State Secretary	• Environmental Policy • Nature Policy • Agricultural Management • Food Policy • Rural Development • Environmental Remediation • Fisheries • Forestry • Animal Welfare (within Agriculture and Fisheries)	8 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Gerrit Brokx (1933–2002)	State Secretary	• Urban Planning • Public Housing • Spatial Planning (within Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment)	5 November 1982 – 23 October 1986	Christian Democratic Appeal
Source: (in Dutch) Kabinet-Lubbers I Rijksoverheid

^Retained Retained this position from the previous cabinet.

^Res Resigned.

^{Ad interim} Served ad interim.

^Appt Appointment: Piet van Zeil appointed Mayor of Heerlen.

^Title Allowed to use the title of Minister while on foreign business.

^Died Died in office.

References

1. "De jaren tachtig van Onno Ruding" (in Dutch). Historisch Nieuwsblad. 19 August 2001. Retrieved 16 February 2018.

External links

Official

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