Second Van Agt cabinet

The Second Van Agt cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 11 September 1981 until 29 May 1982. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the social-liberal Democrats 66 (D'66) after the election of 1981. The cabinet was a Centre-left grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with Christian-Democratic Leader Dries van Agt serving as Prime Minister. Former Labour Prime Minister Joop den Uyl the Labour Leader served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and was given the portfolio of Netherlands Antilles Affars, Progressive-Liberal Leader Jan Terlouw served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs.

Second Van Agt cabinet
57th Cabinet of the Netherlands
The installation of the Second Van Agt cabinet on 11 September 1981
Date formed	11 September 1981 (1981-09-11)
Date dissolved	29 May 1982 (1982-05-29) 260 days in office (Demissionary from 12 May 1982 (1982-05-12))
People and organisations
Monarch	Queen Beatrix
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Deputy Prime Minister	Joop den Uyl Jan Terlouw
No. of ministers	16
Member party	Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) Labour Party (PvdA) Democrats 66 (D'66)
Status in legislature	Centre-left Majority government (Grand coalition)
History
Election(s)	1981 election
Outgoing election	1982 election
Legislature term(s)	1981–1982
Incoming formation	1981 formation
Outgoing formation	1982 formation
Predecessor	First Van Agt cabinet
Successor	Third Van Agt cabinet

The cabinet served in the early years of the turbulent 1980s. Domestically it had to deal with the 1980s recession and a growing inflation but it was able to implement a major social reform to social security. The cabinet suffered several major internal conflicts between the cabinet members of the Christian Democratic Appeal and the Labour Party, especially the poor working relationship between Prime Minister Van Agt and Deputy Prime Minister Den Uyl which lead to the fall of the cabinet just 243 days into its term on 12 May 1982 with the Labour Party cabinet members resigning on 29 May 1982 and the cabinet was replaced with the caretaker Third Van Agt cabinet.

Formation

After the 1981 general election the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) of incumbent Prime Minister Dries van Agt was the winner of the election but lost 1 seat and had now a total of 48 seats. The Labour Party (PvdA) of Joop den Uyl lost 9 seats and had now 44 seats. The Democrats 66 (D'66) of Jan Terlouw was the biggest winner with 9 new seats and had now 17 seats. A long negotiation between the Christian Democratic Appeal, Labour Party and the Democrats 66 followed. The negotiations 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 who served as Deputy Prime Minister under Den Uyl his cabinet had a bad working relationship. In the end a coalition was formed.

Term

Many incidents made a healthy coalition impossible. Prime Minister Dries van Agt (CDA) had much trouble with Deputy Prime Minister Joop den Uyl (PvdA). Den Uyl tried to create employment as Minister of Social Affairs but plans to reform the health insurance was met with a huge resistance from the left-wing. The cabinet fell because the Christian Democrats wanted a cut in government spending, while the Labour Party opposed it.

Incoming Minister of Defence Hans van Mierlo and departing Minister of Defence Pieter de Geus at the Ministry of Defence on 11 September 1981.

The first meeting the Second Van Agt cabinet at the Ministry of General Affairs on 11 September 1981.

Prime Minister Dries van Agt and South African anti-apartheid activist Oliver Tambo at the Catshuis on 19 October 1981.

Prime Minister Dries van Agt and Prime Minister of Portugal Francisco Pinto Balsemão at the Ministry of General Affairs on 25 February 1982.

Prime Minister Dries van Agt and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mochtar Kusumaatmadja at the Ministry of General Affairs on 4 March 1982.

Cabinet Members

Ministers			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Dries van Agt (1931–2024)	Prime Minister	General Affairs		19 December 1977 – 4 November 1982 [Retained] [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Joop den Uyl (1919–1987)	Deputy Prime Minister	Social Affairs and Employment		11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
			Minister
			Minister	Interior	• Netherlands Antilles
		Dr. Jan Terlouw (born 1931)	Deputy Prime Minister	Economic Affairs		11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Democrats 66
			Minister
		Ed van Thijn (1934–2021)	Minister	Interior		11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Max van der Stoel (1924–2011)	Minister	Foreign Affairs		11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Fons van der Stee (1928–1999)	Minister	Finance		5 March 1980 – 4 November 1982 [Retained] [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Dr. Job de Ruiter (1930–2015)	Minister	Justice		19 December 1977 – 4 November 1982 [Retained] [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010)	Minister	Defence		11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Democrats 66
		Til Gardeniers- Berendsen (1925–2019)	Minister	Health and Environment		11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Dr. Jos van Kemenade (1937–2020)	Minister	Education and Sciences		11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Henk Zeevalking (1922–2005)	Minister	Transport and Water Management		11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Democrats 66
		Jan de Koning (1926–1994)	Minister	Agriculture and Fisheries		11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Marcel van Dam (born 1938)	Minister	Housing and Spatial Planning		11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		André van der Louw (1933–2005)	Minister	Culture, Recreation and Social Work		11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
Minister without portfolio			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Kees van Dijk (1931–2008)	Minister	Foreign Affairs	• Development Cooperation	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
State Secretaries			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Saskia Stuiveling (1945–2017)	State Secretary	Interior	• Municipalities	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Gerard van Leijenhorst (1928–2001)			• Emergency Management • Minorities	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Hans van den Broek (born 1936)	State Secretary	Foreign Affairs	• European Union • Benelux	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Hans Kombrink (born 1946)	State Secretary	Finance	• Fiscal Policy • Governmental Budget	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Dr. Michiel Scheltema (born 1939)	State Secretary	Justice)	• Immigration and Asylum • Civil Law • Youth Justice	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Democrats 66
		Piet van Zeil (1927–2012)	State Secretary	Economic Affairs	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism	11 September 1981 – 22 June 1986 [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Wim Dik (1939–2022)			• Trade and Export	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Democrats 66
		Captain Bram Stemerdink (born 1936)	State Secretary	Defence	• Equipment • Justice	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Jan van Houwelingen (1939–2013)			• Human Resources	14 September 1981 – 7 November 1989 [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Ineke Lambers- Hacquebard (1946–2014)	State Secretary	Health and Environment	• Environmental Policy • Food Policy	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Continued]	Democrats 66
		Ien Dales (1931–1994)	State Secretary	Social Affairs and Employment	• Social Security • Unemployment • Elderly Care • Disability Policy	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Hedy d'Ancona (born 1937)			• Occupational Safety • Adult Education • Equality • Emancipation	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Ad Hermes (1929–2002)	State Secretary	Education and Sciences	• Primary Education	9 January 1978 – 4 November 1982 [Retained] [Continued]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Wim Deetman (born 1945)			• Secondary Education	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Jaap van der Doef (born 1934)	State Secretary	Transport and Water Management	• Public Transport • Aviation • Water Management • Postal Service • Weather Forecasting	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Siepie de Jong (born 1940)	State Secretary	Housing and Spatial Planning	• Public Housing • Spatial Planning	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 [Res]	Labour Party
		Hans de Boer (born 1937)	State Secretary	Culture, Recreation and Social Work	• Social Services • Nature • Culture • Art • Recreation	11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982	Christian Democratic Appeal

^Resigned

^{Retained from the previous cabinet}

^{Continued in the next cabinet}

Trivia

• Five cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Dries van Agt (Criminal Law and Procedure), Jan Terlouw (Nuclear Physics), Job de Ruiter (Civil Law), Jos van Kemenade (Education Sociology) and Michiel Scheltema (Constitutional and Administrative Law).
• Four cabinet members (later) served as Party Leaders and Lijsttrekkers: Dries van Agt (1976–1982) of the Christian Democratic Appeal, Joop den Uyl (1966–1986) of the Labour Party, Jan Terlouw (1973–1982) and Hans van Mierlo (1966–1973, 1986–1998) of the Democrats 66.
• Four cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title of Minister of State: Max van der Stoel (1991), Hans van Mierlo (1998), Jos van Kemenade (2002) and Hans van den Broek (2005).
• Twelve cabinet members (later) served as Mayor: Ed van Thijn (Amsterdam), Jos van Kemenade (Eindhoven), Henk Zeevalking (Utrecht and Rijswijk), André van der Louw (Rotterdam), Hans Kombrink (Zaanstad), Piet van Zeil (Heerlen), Jan van Houwelingen (Haarlemmermeer), Ien Dales (Nijmegen), Wim Deetman (The Hague), Jaap van der Doef (Vlissingen and Almere), Siepie de Jong (Leek) and Hans de Boer (Haarlemmermeer).

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Kabinet-Van Agt II Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Kabinet-Van Agt II Rijksoverheid