Theo de Meester

Theodoor Herman "Theo" de Meester (16 December 1851 – 27 December 1919) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Liberal Union (LU) now merged into the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and economist. He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 17 August 1905 until 12 February 1908.


Theo de Meester
Theo de Meester in 1905
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office
17 August 1905  12 February 1908
MonarchWilhelmina
Preceded byAbraham Kuyper
Succeeded byTheo Heemskerk
Member of the Council of State
In office
24 April 1917  27 December 1919
Vice PresidentWilhelmus Frederik van Leeuwen
Leader of the Liberal Union in the
House of Representatives
In office
22 September 1913  30 March 1917
Preceded byHendrik Goeman Borgesius
Succeeded byEduard Ellis van Raalte
Member of the House of Representatives
for Den Helder
In office
9 May 1910  30 March 1917
Preceded byZadok van den Bergh
Succeeded byPieter Oud
Minister of Finance
In office
17 August 1905  12 February 1908
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byJan Harte van Tecklenburg
Succeeded byMaximilien Kolkman
Personal details
Born
Theodoor Herman de Meester

(1851-12-16)16 December 1851
Harderwijk, Netherlands
Died27 December 1919(1919-12-27) (aged 68)
The Hague, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Political partyLiberal Union
Spouse(s)
Josina Parker
(m. 1881; his death 1919)
Children2 sons and 1 daughter
Alma materUtrecht University
(Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
OccupationPolitician · Civil servant · Economist · Accountant · Nonprofit director · Editor · Author

De Meester was the son of Gerrit Abraham de Meester (1817–1864), who had been a member of the House of Representatives for the Zwolle constituency from 1862 to 1864. A former administrator in the Dutch East Indies, De Meester's cabinet was inaugurated on 17 August 1905. It consisted of five Liberal, two Free-minded Democratic, and two non-partisan ministers. It had no majority in either of the two Dutch chambers, and earned the nickname "Porcelain Cabinet". His government first resigned in December 1906, when the defence budget for 1907 was rejected by the Senate. That resignation was refused by Queen Wilhelmina, but the government fell in December 1907, when the Dutch parliament disapproved the defence budget for 1908. The government remained as a demissionary government until 12 February 1908.

References

  • "Mr. Th.H. de Meester". Parlement.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 May 2019.
Civic offices
Preceded by
Jan Philip van Bosse
Treasurer–General of the
Ministry of Finance

1898–1905
Succeeded by
Rudolf Patijn
House of Representatives of the Netherlands
Preceded by
Zadok van den Bergh
Member for Den Helder
1910–1917
Succeeded by
Pieter Oud
Party political offices
Preceded by
Hendrik Goeman
Borgesius
Parliamentary leader of the
Liberal Union in the
House of Representatives

1913–1917
Succeeded by
Eduard Ellis van Raalte
Political offices
Preceded by
Jan Harte van
Tecklenburg
Minister of Finance
1905–1908
Succeeded by
Maximilien Kolkman
Preceded by
Abraham Kuyper
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
1905–1908
Succeeded by
Theo Heemskerk
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