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 centrist 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 formed11 September 1981 (1981-09-11)
Date dissolved29 May 1982 (1982-05-29)
260 days in office
(Demissionary from 12 May 1982 (1982-05-12))
People and organisations
MonarchQueen Beatrix
Prime MinisterDries van Agt
Deputy Prime MinisterJoop den Uyl
Jan Terlouw
No. of ministers16
Member partyChristian Democratic Appeal
(CDA)
Labour Party
(PvdA)
Democrats 66
(D'66)
Status in legislatureCentrist
Majority government
(Grand coalition)
Opposition partyPeople's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Opposition leaderHans Wiegel
(1981–1982)
Ed Nijpels
(1982)
History
Election(s)1981 election
Outgoing election1982 election
Legislature term(s)1981–1982
Incoming formation1981 formation
Outgoing formation1982 formation
PredecessorFirst Van Agt cabinet
SuccessorThird 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.[1]

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.

Cabinet Members

Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
Dries van Agt
(born 1931)
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
(born 1934)
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

(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
(born 1939)
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

References

  1. "Kabinet in crisis" (in Dutch). Andere Tijden. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
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