Second Biesheuvel cabinet

The second Biesheuvel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 9 August 1972 until 11 May 1973. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU) and the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the fall of the previous Cabinet Biesheuvel I. The cabinet was a centre-right caretaker government and had a minority in the House of Representatives. Protestant Leader Barend Biesheuvel of the Anti-Revolutionary Party served as Prime Minister. Prominent Catholic politician Roelof Nelissen served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and former Liberal Leader Molly Geertsema served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. The rump cabinet served until the election of 1972.[1]

Second Biesheuvel cabinet

Cabinet of the Netherlands
The members of the Second Biesheuvel cabinet in the House of Representatives on 17 August 1972
Date formed9 August 1972 (1972-08-09)
Date dissolved11 May 1973 (1973-05-11)
275 days in office
(Demissionary from 29 November 1972 (1972-11-29))
People and organisations
Head of stateQueen Juliana
Head of governmentBarend Biesheuvel
Deputy head of governmentRoelof Nelissen
Molly Geertsema
No. of ministers14
Ministers removed1
Total no. of members14
Member partyCatholic People's Party
(KVP)
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy

(VVD)
Anti-Revolutionary Party
(ARP)
Christian Historical Union
(CHU)
Status in legislatureCentre-right Caretaker government
History
Election1971 election
Outgoing election1972 election
Legislature terms1971–1972
Incoming formation1971 formation
Outgoing formation1972–1973 formation
PredecessorFirst Biesheuvel cabinet
SuccessorDen Uyl cabinet

Formation

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Following the fall of the First Biesheuvel cabinet the Democratic Socialists '70 (DS'70) left the coalition and the Catholic People's Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union formed a Rump cabinet. Because the following negotiations for forming the next cabinet took rather long, the cabinet took further reaching decisions than a caretaker cabinet is usually supposed to do.

Cabinet Members

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Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Barend Biesheuvel
(1920–2001)
Prime Minister General Affairs 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
  Roelof Nelissen
(1931–2019)
Deputy
Prime Minister
Finance 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
Minister
  Molly Geertsema
(1918–1991)
Deputy
Prime Minister
Interior 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Minister
  Norbert Schmelzer
(1921–2008)
Minister Foreign Affairs 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
  Dries van Agt
(1931–2024)
Minister Justice 6 July 1971 –
8 September 1977
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Harrie Langman
(1931–2016)
Minister Economic Affairs 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
  Hans de Koster
(1914–1992)
Minister Defence 6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
  Dr.
Louis Stuyt
(1914–2000)
Minister Health and
Environment
6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
  Jaap Boersma
(1929–2012)
Minister Social Affairs 6 July 1971 –
19 December 1977
[Retained] [Continued]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
  Chris van Veen
(1922–2009)
Minister Education and
Sciences
6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
Christian
Historical Union
Higher
Education

• Science
21 July 1972 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
  Bé Udink
(1926–2016)
Minister Transport and
Water Management
21 July 1972 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
Christian
Historical Union
Minister Housing and
Spatial Planning
6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
  Pierre Lardinois
(1924–1987)
Minister Agriculture and
Fisheries
5 April 1967 –
1 January 1973
[Retained] [Appt]
Catholic People's Party
  Jaap Boersma
(1929–2012)
1 January 1973 –
11 May 1973
[Acting]
Anti-Revolutionary Party
  Piet Engels
(1923–1994)
Minister Culture, Recreation
and Social Work
6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
Ministers without portfolio Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Pierre Lardinois
(1924–1987)
Minister Interior Suriname and
Netherlands
Antilles Affairs
28 January 1972 –
1 January 1973
[Retained] [Appt]
Catholic
People's Party
  Molly Geertsema
(1918–1991)
1 January 1973 –
11 May 1973
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
  Dr.
Kees Boertien
(1927–2002)
Minister Foreign Affairs Development
Cooperation
6 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
State Secretaries Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Tjerk Westerterp
(1930–2023)
State Secretary Foreign Affairs European Union
Benelux
17 August 1971 –
7 March 1973
[Retained] [Res]
Catholic
People's Party
  Willem Scholten
(1927–2005)
State Secretary Finance Fiscal Policy
Tax and Customs
14 July 1971 –
19 March 1973
[Retained] [Res]
Christian
Historical Union
  Fons van der Stee
(1928–1999)
Governmental
Budget
14 July 1971 –
12 March 1973
[Retained] [Res]
Catholic
People's Party
  Hans Grosheide
(1930–2022)
State Secretary Justice Immigration
and Asylum

Civil Law
Penitentiaries
• Youth Justice
28 July 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
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
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
  Vice admiral
Adri van Es
(1913–1994)
State Secretary Defence • Human
Resources
Equipment
14 August 1963 –
16 September 1972
[Retained] [Res]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
  Koos Rietkerk
(1927–1986)
State Secretary Social Affairs • Social Security
• Unemployment
Occupational
Safety

• Social Services
28 July 1971 –
23 April 1973
[Retained] [Res]
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
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
  Dr.
Roelof Kruisinga
(1922–2012)
State Secretary Transport and
Water Management
Public
Infrastructure

Water
Management

Postal Service
Weather
Forecasting
28 July 1971 –
20 March 1973
[Retained] [Res]
Christian
Historical Union
  Werner Buck
(1925–2010)
State Secretary Housing and
Spatial Planning
Urban Planning
Spatial Planning
17 August 1971 –
11 May 1973
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
  Henk Vonhoff
(1931–2010)
State Secretary Culture, Recreation
and Social Work
• Social Services
Disability Policy
Youth Care
• Nature
Culture
Art
• Recreation
Sport
28 July 1971 –
23 April 1973
[Retained] [Res]
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Source: (in Dutch) Rijksoverheid
Resigned
Retained from the previous cabinet
Continued in the next cabinet
Acting
Appointment European Commissioner

References

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  1. ^ "Ideeën van Drees jr. waren te afwijkend" (in Dutch). Volkskrant. 8 September 1998. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
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Official