De Jong cabinet

De Jong cabinet

52nd cabinet of the Netherlands
The installation of the De Jong cabinet on 5 April 1967
Date formed 5 April 1967 (1967-04-05)
Date dissolved 6 July 1971 (1971-07-06)
(Demissionary from 28 April 1971 (1971-04-28))
People and organisations
Head of state Queen Juliana
Head of government Piet de Jong
Deputy head of government Johan Witteveen
Joop Bakker
No. of ministers 14
Ministers removed
(Death/resignation/dismissal)		 1
Total no. of ministers 15
Member party Catholic People's Party
(KVP)
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
(VVD)
Anti-Revolutionary Party
(ARP)
Christian Historical Union
(CHU)
Status in legislature Centre-right Majority government
Opposition party Labour Party
Opposition leader Joop den Uyl
History
Election(s) 1967 election
Outgoing election 1971 election
Legislature term(s) 1967–1971
Incoming formation 1967 formation
Outgoing formation 1971 formation
Predecessor Zijlstra cabinet
Successor First Biesheuvel cabinet
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Azure, billetty Or a lion with a coronet Or armed and langued Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Argent hilted Or and in the sinister paw seven arrows Argent pointed and bound together Or. [The seven arrows stand for the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht.] The shield is crowned with the (Dutch) royal crown and supported by two lions Or armed and langued gules. They stand on a scroll Azure with the text (Or) "Je Maintiendrai" (French for "I will maintain".)
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The De Jong cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 5 April 1967 until 6 July 1971. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Catholic People's Party (KVP), People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) after the election of 1967. The centre-right cabinet was a majority government in the House of Representatives. Piet de Jong of the Catholic People's Party was Prime Minister, with Johan Witteveen of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Joop Bakker of the Anti-Revolutionary Party serving as Deputy Prime Ministers.[1]

Formation

Following the fall of the Cals cabinet on 14 October 1966 the Labour Party (PvdA) left the coalition, subsequently Queen Juliana appointed Senator Jelle Zijlstra (ARP), a former Minister of Finance as Prime Minister to form a rump cabinet with the Catholic People's Party and the Anti-Revolutionary Party. On 22 November 1966 the Zijlstra cabinet was installed and served as a caretaker government until the election of 1967.

After the election on 15 February 1967 the Catholic People's Party was the winner of the election even after losing 8 seats and had now a total of 40 seats in the House of Representatives. Incumbent Prime Minister Jelle Zijlstra was appointed as Informateur by Queen Juliana to start the cabinet formation process. After a first round of talks the Catholic People's Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union agreed to form a coalition. On 6 March 1967 Queen Juliana appointed Vice-President of the Council of State Louis Beel (KVP), a former Prime Minister as the new Informateur to start the next formation fase.

On 9 March 1967 incumbent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Barend Biesheuvel, the Leader of the Anti-Revolutionary Party was asked to form a new cabinet and was asked to become Formateur. The negotiations were troubled by objections from the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy about prospect of Barend Biesheuvel as Prime Minister because he served in the previous Centre-left Cals cabinet. On 20 March 1967 after long negotiations between the parties, Barend Biesheuvel failed to form a cabinet. In order to break the deadlock the Catholic People's Party suggested that incumbent Minister of Defence Piet de Jong (KVP) would be a good candidate to form a new cabinet. Piet de Jong a former Naval officer who served as a World War II submarine commander had a good reputation as an pragmatic minister and was seen as a compromis candidate. On 21 March 1967 Piet de Jong was tasked with forming a new cabinet and was appointed as Formateur. On 4 April 1967 the cabinet formation was completed and the De Jong cabinet was installed the next day.

Term

It was the first Cabinet of the Netherlands after World War II that completed a full term without any internal conflicts. The cabinet was confronted with a demand for democratic reforms in the society and it decided to democratise colleges and universities after the famous maagdenhuisbezetting. Plans were made to modernise politics by establishing an electoral system with districts or a chosen prime minister, but these plans were not implemented. Meanwhile, a pay pause due to the decision of employers and employees to raise wages was partly revoked after anti-government demonstrations and strikes. More unrest took shape in demonstrations against the war in Vietnam. Internationally, relations with Indonesia improved, resulting in a visit by president Suharto, which was, however, overshadowed by the occupation of the Indonesian embassy by Moluccans. The Soviet Union invasion in Czechoslovakia was seen as a reason to increase the defence budget.[2]

Changes

On 7 January 1970 Minister of Economic Affairs Leo de Block (KVP) resigned after disagreeing with the cabinets decision to increase the wages in the metal industry, but another reason was that he had lost the credibility to remain in office after the House of Representatives was highly critical in his handeling of the rising inflation after the introduction of the value-added tax (BTW) on 1 January 1969. Minister of Finance Johan Witteveen (VVD) served as acting Minister of Economic Affairs until 14 January 1970 when Member of the House of Representatives Roelof Nelissen (KVP) was appointed as his successor.

The first meeting the De Jong cabinet on 7 April 1967.
The first meeting of the Council of Ministers on 7 April 1967.
Incoming Minister of Education and Sciences Gerard Veringa and incoming Prime Minister Piet de Jong during a meeting in the Ministry of General Affairs on 5 April 1967.
Taoiseach of Ireland Jack Lynch and Prime Minister Piet de Jong during a meeting in the Ministry of General Affairs on 22 June 1967.
Prime Minister of Luxembourg Pierre Werner, Prime Minister Piet de Jong and Prime Minister of Belgium Gaston Eyskens during a Benelux conference in The Hague on 28 April 1968.
Prime Minister Piet de Jong, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns, Prime Minister of Belgium Gaston Eyskens and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium Pierre Harmel at The Hague Central on 4 February 1969.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns, Minister for Youth, Family and Health of West–Germany Katharina Focke, Vice-Chancellor of West–Germany and Minister for Foreign Affairs of West–Germany Walter Scheel, Prime Minister of France Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Chancellor of West–Germany Willy Brandt and Prime Minister Piet de Jong during a European Economic Community meeting in The Hague on 2 December 1969.

Cabinet Members

Ministers Title/Ministry Term of office Party
Piet de Jong
(1915–2016)		 Prime Minister General Affairs 5 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Catholic People's Party
Dr.
Johan Witteveen
(born 1921)		 Deputy Prime Minister /
Minister		 Finance 5 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Joop Bakker
(1921–2003)		 Deputy Prime Minister /
Minister		 Transport and
Water Management		 5 April 1967 –
6 July 197		 Anti-Revolutionary Party
Henk Beernink
(1910–1979)		 Minister Interior 5 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Christian Historical Union
Dr.
Joseph Luns
(1911–2002)		 Minister Foreign Affairs 13 October 1956 –
6 July 1971
[Retained]		 Catholic People's Party
Carel Polak
(1909–1981)		 Minister Justice 5 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Leo de Block
(1904–1988)		 Minister Economic Affairs 5 April 1967 –
7 January 1970
[Res]		 Catholic People's Party
Dr.
Johan Witteveen
(born 1921)		 7 January 1970 –
14 January 1970
[Ad interim]		 People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Roelof Nelissen
(born 1931)		 7 January 1970 –
14 January 1970		 Catholic People's Party
Willem den Toom
(1911–1998)		 Minister Defence 5 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Bauke Roolvink
(1912–1979)		 Minister Social Affairs and
Health		 5 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Anti-Revolutionary Party
Dr.
Gerard Veringa
(1924–1999)		 Minister Education and
Sciences		 5 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Catholic People's Party
Pierre Lardinois
(1924–1987)		 Minister Agriculture and
Fisheries		 5 April 1967 –
1 January 1973		 Catholic People's Party
Wim Schut
(1920–2006)		 Minister Housing and
Spatial Planning		 5 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Anti-Revolutionary Party
Dr.
Marga Klompé
(1912–1986)		 Minister Culture, Recreation
and Social Work		 22 November 1966 –
6 July 1971
[Retained]		 Catholic People's Party
Ministers without portfolio Title/Portfolio/Ministry Term of office Party
Bé Udink
(1926–2016)		 Minister Aid to Developing Countries

(within Foreign Affairs)		 5 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Christian Historical Union
Joop Bakker
(1921–2003)		 Minister Suriname and Netherlands
Antilles Affairs

(within Interior)		 5 April 1967 –
6 July 197		 Anti-Revolutionary Party
State Secretaries Title/Portfolio/Ministry Term of office Party
Chris van Veen
(1922–2009)		 State Secretary • Central Government Affairs
• Provincial Government Affairs
• Local Government Affairs
• Government Real Estate

(within Interior)		 10 May 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Christian Historical Union
Hans de Koster
(1914–1992)		 State Secretary • European Affairs
• NATO Affairs
• Benelux Affairs

(within Foreign Affairs)		 12 June 1967 –
6 July 1971		 People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Dr.
Ferd Grapperhaus
(1927–2010)		 State Secretary • Fiscal Affairs
• Tax and Customs Administration

(within Finance)		 10 May 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Catholic People's Party
Dr.
Klaas Wiersma
(1917–1993)		 State Secretary • Integration
• Immigration
• Asylum Affairs
• Privacy Policy
• Family Law
• Youth Justice

(within Justice)		 20 April 1970 –
6 July 1971		 People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Louis van Son
(1922–1986)		 State Secretary • International Trade
• Export Promotion
• Small Business Policy
• Retail Policy
• Competition Policy
• Regional Development
• Tourism Affairs

(within Economic Affairs)		 28 November 1966 –
6 July 1971
[Retained]		 Catholic People's Party
Joop Haex
(1911–2002)		 State Secretary • Army

(within Defence)		 18 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Christian Historical Union
Adri van Es
(1913–1994)		 • Navy

(within Defence)		 14 August 1963 –
16 September 1972
[Retained]		 Anti-Revolutionary Party
Bob Duynstee
(1920–2014)		 • Air Force

(within Defence)		 28 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Catholic People's Party
Dr.
Roelof Kruisinga
(1922–2012)		 State Secretary • Social Security
• Occupational Safety
• Elderly Policy
• Disability Affairs
• Veteran Affairs
• Medical Ethics Policy

(within Social Affairs and
Health)		 18 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Christian Historical Union
Hans Grosheide
(born 1930)		 State Secretary • Primary Education
• Secondary Education
• Special Education

(within Education and
Sciences)		 3 September 1963 –
6 July 1971
[Retained]		 Anti-Revolutionary Party
Mike Keyzer
(1911–1983)		 State Secretary • Transport Infrastructure
• Aviation Infrastructure
• Water Infrastructure
• Public Transport
• Postal Service
• Weather Forecasting Service

(within Transport and
Water Management)		 18 April 1967 –
6 July 1971		 People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
Hein van de Poel
(1915–1993)		 State Secretary • Unemployment Affairs
• Social Services
• Youth Policy
• Poverty Policy
• Environmental Policy
• Nature Policy
• Recreation Affairs
• Sport

(within Culture, Recreation
and Social Work)		 29 May 1967 –
6 July 1971		 Catholic People's Party
Source: (in Dutch) Rijksoverheid
Retained Retained this position from the previous cabinet.
Res Resigned.
Ad interim Served ad interim.

Living cabinet members

  • As of 2018, the following cabinet members are still alive:
    • Ministers
    • State Secretary
      • Hans Grosheide – 6 August 1930

References

  1. ↑ (in Dutch) "Het succesvolle kabinet-De Jong 1967-1971". Historiek. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  2. ↑ Jan Willem Brouwer; Johan van Merriënboer (2001). Van buitengaats naar Binnenhof: P.J.S. de Jong, een biografie. Sdu Uitgevers. p. 10. ISBN 9789012087742.
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