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
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) 1 year, 34 days in office (Demissionary from 19 July 1972 (1972-07-19))
People and organisations
Monarch	Queen Juliana
Prime Minister	Barend Biesheuvel
Deputy Prime Minister	Roelof Nelissen Molly Geertsema
No. of ministers	16
Ministers removed	2
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	Centrist Majority government
History
Election	1971 election
Outgoing election	1972 election
Legislature terms	1971–1972
Incoming formation	1971 formation
Outgoing formation	1972–1973 formation
Predecessor	De Jong cabinet
Successor	Second Biesheuvel cabinet

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.

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 (1920–2001)	Prime Minister	General Affairs		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Roelof Nelissen (1931–2019)	Deputy Prime Minister	Finance		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
			Minister
		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 (1921–2008)	Minister	Foreign Affairs		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Dries van Agt (1931–2024)	Minister	Justice		6 July 1971 – 8 September 1977 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Harrie Langman (1931–2016)	Minister	Economic Affairs		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Hans de Koster (1914–1992)	Minister	Defence		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Louis Stuyt (1914–2000)	Minister	Health and Environment		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Jaap Boersma (1929–2012)	Minister	Social Affairs		6 July 1971 – 19 December 1977 [Continued]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Chris van Veen (1922–2009)	Minister	Education and Sciences		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	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 [Continued]	Christian Historical Union
		Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987)	Minister	Agriculture and Fisheries		5 April 1967 – 1 January 1973 [Retained] [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Bé Udink (1926–2016)	Minister	Housing and Spatial Planning		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	Christian Historical Union
		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 (1931–2019)	Minister	Interior	• Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs	6 July 1971 – 28 January 1972	Catholic People's Party
		Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987)				28 January 1972 – 1 January 1973 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Kees Boertien (1927–2002)	Minister	Foreign Affairs	• Development Cooperation	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		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 (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 (born 1928)	State Secretary	Interior	• Municipalities • civil service	17 July 1971 – 21 July 1972 [Res]	Democratic Socialists '70
		Tjerk Westerterp (1930–2023)	State Secretary	Foreign Affairs	• European Union • Benelux	17 August 1971 – 7 March 1973 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		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 (1928–1999)			• Governmental Budget	14 July 1971 – 12 March 1973 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		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 (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
		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 (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 (1918–1983)	State Secretary	Education and Sciences	• Primary Education • Special Education • Preschool	28 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		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 (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 (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).

External links

Official

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