A process of cabinet formation took place following the Dutch general election on 16 May 1946. This resulted in the formation of the First Beel cabinet on 3 July 1946. The coalition was formed by the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the Labour Party (PvdA).
After the liberation from the German occupation in the Netherlands in 1945 , queen Wilhelmina appointed the Schermerhorn-Drees cabinet, consisting of the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP), the Social Democratic Worker's Party (SDAP) and the Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB). This cabinet was tasked with getting the government back in order after the occupation and prepare for elections.
The KVP wanted one formateur to be appointed from their party. The PvdA wanted their leader Willem Drees to be appointed as co-formateur. Because the PvdA objected to KVP leader Carl Romme, Romme proposed appointing KVP Minister of the Interior Louis Beel as formateur, despite objection from Beel himself. Wilhelmina accepted this advice and appointed Beel on 27 May. His assignment was to form a cabinet "that can be expected to have the confidence of the House of Representatives". [1]
Beel wrote an extensive program, which he discussed with Romme on 31 May. On 3 June, he then discussed the program with PvdA parliamentary leader Marinus van der Goes van Naters. Van der Goes van Naters objected to involving parties in the coalition other than KVP and PvdA. Other parliamentary leaders Beel spoke to refused as well to participate, because they disagreed with too many points in the program, including on Indonesia. On 17 June, the KVP and PvdA reached an agreement on the program. [1]
Beel wanted to obtain additional information about the policy regarding Indonesia. Together with Drees, he traveled to London on 22 June to speak with the diplomats Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer, Edgar Michiels van Verduynen and Eelco van Kleffens. They recommended that the matter be dealt with in the United Nations. Against their advice, Beel and Drees continued to send troops and wanted the British to mediate. [2]
On 1 July, the constitutive deliberation took place and two days later the ministers were sworn in.
The Labour Party is a social democratic political party in the Netherlands.
The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Netherlands. The latest cabinet of the Netherlands is the Schoof cabinet, which has been in power since 2 July 2024. It is headed by Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
The Catholic People's Party was a Catholic Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1945 as a continuation of the interwar Roman Catholic State Party, which was in turn a successor of the General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses. The party was in government throughout its existence. In 1977, a federation of parties including the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) ran together under the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) banner. The three participating parties formally dissolved to form the CDA in 1980.
The Christian Historical Union was a Protestant Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The CHU is one of the predecessors of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), into which it merged in September 1980.
Louis Joseph Maria Beel was a Dutch politician of the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP) and later co-founder of the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 3 July 1946 until 7 August 1948 and from 22 December 1958 until 19 May 1959.
The Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 25 June 1945 until 3 July 1946. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP), the social-democratic Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and the social-liberal Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB) by royal decree following the end of World War II. The cabinet was a provisional centre-left grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, with prominent civil engineer Willem Schermerhorn of the Free-thinking Democratic League serving as Prime Minister. Social Democratic Leader Willem Drees served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs.
The De Jong cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 5 April 1967 until 6 July 1971. 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 election of 1967. The cabinet was a centre-right coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with prominent Catholic politician Piet de Jong the Minister of Defence in the previous cabinet serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Liberal politician Johan Witteveen a former Minister of Finances served as Deputy Prime Minister and returned as Minister of Finance, prominent Protestant politician Joop Bakker the Minister of Economic Affairs in the previous cabinet served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Water Management and was given the portfolio of Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs.
The First Beel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 3 July 1946 until 7 August 1948. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) after the election of 1946. The cabinet was a centre-left grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with prominent Catholic politician Louis Beel serving as Prime Minister and dual served as Minister of the Interior continuing from the previous cabinet. Labour Leader Willem Drees continued as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs from the previous cabinet. According to one study, “Beel was of the opinion that a joint KVP-PvdA program should be presented to other political groups. According to Beel, that program should be socio-economically progressive, that is to say reform-oriented in favor of broad layers of the population. The socialists should not have to fear that a conservative wing within the KVP would rule the roost.”
The First Drees cabinet, also called the Second Drees cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 15 March 1951 until 2 September 1952. The cabinet was a continuation of the previous Drees–Van Schaik cabinet and was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU), the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the fall of the previous cabinet. The cabinet was a centrist grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with Labour Leader Willem Drees serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Catholic politician Frans Teulings the Minister of the Interior in the previous cabinet served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without portfolio for the Interior.
The Third Drees cabinet, also called the Fourth Drees cabinet, was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 13 October 1956 until 22 December 1958. The cabinet was a continuation of the previous Second Drees cabinet and was formed by the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) after the election of 1956. The cabinet was a Centre-left grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, with Labour Leader Willem Drees serving as Prime Minister. Prominent KVP politician Teun Struycken served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Property and Public Organisations.
Roman/Red is the nickname for a period in Dutch politics between approximately 1945 and 1958. This period was characterized by coalitions between the Catholic and social-democratic parties in the Netherlands and Belgium. "Roman" refers to the parties with Roman Catholic affiliation, and "red" refers to the colour associated with social democrats. During the Roman/Red period, the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) formed the core of several 'Roman/Red' cabinets, led primarily by Willem Drees.
Wilhelm Klaus Norbert Schmelzer was a Dutch politician, diplomat and economist who served as Leader of the Catholic People's Party (KVP) from 1963 to 1971 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1971 to 1973.
Jacobus Albertus Wilhelmus "Jaap" Burger was a Dutch politician of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later co-founder of the Labour Party (PvdA) and jurist. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 4 January 1975.
Jacobus Gerardus "Ko" Suurhoff was a Dutch politician of the defunct Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and co-founder of the Labour Party (PvdA) and trade union leader.
Hendrik "Hein" Vos was a Dutch politician of the defunct Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later the Labour Party (PvdA) and economist.
Franciscus Gerardus Cornelis Josephus Marie "Frans" Teulings was a Dutch politician of the defunct Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP) and later co-founder of the Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and economist.
The Second Drees cabinet, also called the Third Drees cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 2 September 1952 until 13 October 1956. The cabinet was formed by the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU) after the election of 1952. The cabinet was a Centre-left grand coalition and had a majority in the House of Representatives with Labour Leader Willem Drees serving as Prime Minister. Former Catholic Prime Minister Louis Beel served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.
After the Dutch general election of 25 May 1977, a cabinet formation took place in the Netherlands. On 19 December 1977, this resulted in the First Van Agt cabinet. The coalition was formed by the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
The Night of Schmelzer was a debate in the House of the Representatives of the Netherlands that took place from 13 October to the early hours of 14 October 1966. The night was the last day of the general debate on the 1967 budget, which had started on 11 October. During the conclusion of the debate, Norbert Schmelzer, the parliamentary group leader of the Catholic People's Party (KVP), introduced a motion against the Cals cabinet. This cabinet included members from the KVP, alongside Labour Party (PvdA) en de Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP). The motion was perceived by the cabinet as a vote of no confidence, but it was passed regardless. As a result, the cabinet resigned on 15 October.
A process of cabinet formation took place in the Netherlands after the cabinet crisis over the public broadcasting system lead to the resignation of the Marijnen cabinet on 27 February 1965. The formation resulted in the Cals cabinet on 14 April 1965. The coalition was formed by the Catholic People's Party (KVP), the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP).
