# First Drees cabinet

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 cabinet served during early years of the turbulent 1950s. Domestically the recovery and rebuilding following World War II continued with the assistance of the Marshall Plan, it also able to finalize several major social reforms to social security, welfare, child benefits and education from the previous cabinet. Internationally the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies following the Indonesian National Revolution continued, the European Coal and Steel Community was founded after the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The cabinet suffered no major internal and external conflicts and completed its entire term and was succeeded by the Second Drees cabinet following the election of 1952.

## Cabinet Members

| Ministers | Ministers | Ministers | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Willem Drees (1886–1988) | Prime Minister | General Affairs | | 7 August 1948 – 22 December 1958 | Labour Party |
| | | Frans Teulings (1891–1966) | Deputy Prime Minister | Interior | • Civil Defence | 15 maart 1951 – 2 september 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Frans Teulings (1891–1966) | Minister | Interior | • Civil Defence | 15 maart 1951 – 2 september 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Johan van Maarseveen (1894–1951) | Minister | Interior | | 15 March 1951 – 18 November 1951 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Frans Teulings (1891–1966) | Minister | Interior | | 18 November 1951 – 6 December 1951 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977) | Minister | Interior | | 6 December 1951 – 7 July 1956 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dirk Stikker (1897–1979) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | | 7 August 1948 – 2 September 1952 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Dr. Piet Lieftinck (1902–1989) | Minister | Finance | | 25 June 1945 – 1 July 1952 | Labour Party |
| | | Willem Drees (1886–1988) | Minister | Finance | | 1 July 1952 – 2 September 1952 | Labour Party |
| | | Hendrik Mulderije (1896–1970) | Minister | Justice | | 15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Dr. Jan van den Brink (1915–2006) | Minister | Economic Affairs | | 20 January 1948 – 2 September 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Kees Staf (1905–1973) | Minister | War and Navy | | 15 March 1951 – 19 May 1959 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Dr. Dolf Joekes (1885–1962) | Minister | Social Affairs | | 7 August 1948 – 15 September 1951 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Dolf Joekes (1885–1962) | Minister | Social Affairs and Health | | 15 September 1951 – 2 September 1952 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Theo Rutten (1899–1980) | Minister | Education, Arts and Sciences | | 7 August 1948 – 2 September 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Hendrik Wemmers (1897–1983) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 | Independent Christian Democratic Protestant |
| | | Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995) | Minister | Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies | | 25 June 1945 – 1 January 1958 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Joris in 't Veld (1895–1981) | Minister | Reconstruction and Housing | | 1 March 1948 – 2 September 1952 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Willem Drees (1886–1988) | Minister | Colonial Affairs | | 15 March 1951 – 30 March 1951 | Labour Party |
| | | Leonard Peters (1900–1984) | Minister | Colonial Affairs | | 30 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| Minister without portfolio | Minister without portfolio | Minister without portfolio | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Dr. Guus Albregts (1900–1980) | Minister | Interior | • Public Organisations • Small and Medium-sized Businesses | 15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| State Secretaries | State Secretaries | State Secretaries | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Nico Blom (1899–1972) | State Secretary | Foreign Affairs | • Dutch East Indies | 16 February 1950 – 2 September 1952 | Independent Conservative Liberal |
| | | Ferdinand Kranenburg (1911–1994) | State Secretary | War and Navy | • Army • Air Force | 1 June 1951 – 1 June 1958 | Labour Party |
| | | Vice admiral Harry Moorman (1899–1971) | State Secretary | War and Navy | • Navy | 1 May 1949 – 19 May 1959 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Piet Muntendam (1901–1986) | State Secretary | Social Affairs | • Primary Healthcare • Elderly Care • Disability Policy | 1 April 1950 – 15 September 1951 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Piet Muntendam (1901–1986) | State Secretary | Social Affairs and Health | • Primary Healthcare • Elderly Care • Disability Policy | 15 September 1951 – 1 October 1953 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986) | State Secretary | Social Affairs | • Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services | 15 February 1950 – 15 September 1951 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986) | State Secretary | Social Affairs and Health | • Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services | 15 September 1951 – 22 December 1958 | Labour Party |
| | | Jo Cals (1914–1971) | State Secretary | Education, Arts and Sciences | • Youth Care • Nature • Media • Culture • Art • Recreation • Sport | 15 March 1950 – 2 September 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Lubbertus Götzen (1894–1979) | State Secretary | Colonial Affairs | • Netherlands- Indonesian Union • Colonial Fiscal Policy | 15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 | Independent Christian Democratic Protestant |
    $^{Resigned}$
    $^{Retainedfromthepreviouscabinet}$
    $^{Continuedinthenextcabinet}$
    $^{Acting}$
    $^{AdInterim}$
    $^{DiedinOffice}$
    $^{AppointedasSpecialRepresentativeoftheWorldBank}$

## Trivia

* Nine cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Louis Beel (Administrative Law), Piet Lieftinck (Financial and Business Economics), Jan van den Brink (Public Economics and Economical Statistics), Dolf Joekes (Labour Law), Theo Rutten (Applied Psychology), Joris in 't Veld (Public Administration), Guus Albregts (International Economics), Piet Muntendam (Social Medicine) and Aat van Rhijn (Fiscal Law).