# De Quay cabinet

The De Quay cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 19 May 1959 until 24 July 1963. 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 1959. The cabinet was a centre-right coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with prominent Catholic politician Jan de Quay the former Queen's Commissioner of North Brabant serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Liberal politician Henk Korthals served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Water Management and was given the portfolio of Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs.
The cabinet served in the early years of the tumultuous 1960s; domestically it had to deal with the beginning of the counterculture and the discovery of the Groningen gas field and it was able to implement several major social reforms to the education system and the public sector and social security, internationally the West New Guinea dispute resulted in the disbandment of the Netherlands New Guinea territory following the Battle of Arafura Sea. The cabinet suffered several major internal conflicts including multiple cabinet resignations, but completed its entire term and was succeeded by a continuation of the coalition in the Marijnen cabinet following the election of 1963.

## Formation

Cabinet formation was again difficult due to the growing friction between Labour Party and the Catholic People's Party. Despite the fact that this was the first post-war cabinet with the right-wing VDD and without the socialist PvdA, it continued with the building up social security that was started after the war, made possible by the continually growing economy.

## Term

The free Saturday was introduced (for civil servants, in 1961), as well as laws for education (mammoetwet), unemployment benefit (bijstandwet) and child benefit (kinderbijslagwet). Natural gas was discovered in Slochteren, which would later turn out to be one of the biggest gas reserves in the world and a major source of income for the Netherlands in the decades to come.
On 23 December 1960 the cabinet fell over extra public housing (woningwetwoningen), but Gaius de Gaay Fortman reconciled matters and the cabinet resumed on 2 January 1961.
In August/September 1962, New Guinea was handed over to Indonesia, under supervision of the UN.
Shortly after the installation of the new government, minister of defence Ven den Bergh resigned for personal reasons (family affairs with his United States wife and children). In 1962, the new minister of defence Visser also had to resign after protests against his dismissal of a critical civil servant. In 1961 minister Van Rooy of social affairs resigned after criticism of how he dealt with the new child benefit law. His post was taken over by former state secretary Veldkamp, whose now vacant former position in turn was taken over by Gijzels.
In 1963, a proposal to install commercial television was not accepted.

## Cabinet members

| Ministers | Ministers | Ministers | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Dr. Jan de Quay (1901–1985) | Prime Minister | General Affairs | | 19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Henk Korthals (1911–1976) | Deputy Prime Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Henk Korthals (1911–1976) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Henk Korthals (1911–1976) | Minister | Interior | • Overseas Affairs | 19 May 1959 – 1 September 1959 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Henk Korthals (1911–1976) | Minister | Interior | • Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs | 1 September 1959 – 24 July 1963 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Edzo Toxopeus (1918–2009) | Minister | Interior | | 19 May 1959 – 14 April 1965 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Joseph Luns (1911–2002) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | | 13 October 1956 – 6 July 1971 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Jelle Zijlstra (1918–2001) | Minister | Finance | | 22 December 1958 – 24 July 1963 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Albert Beerman (1901–1967) | Minister | Justice | | 19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Jan de Pous (1920–1996) | Minister | Economic Affairs | | 19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Major general Sidney J. van den Bergh (1898–1977) | Minister | Defence | | 19 May 1959 – 1 August 1959 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Dr. Jan de Quay (1901–1985) | Minister | Defence | | 1 August 1959 – 4 September 1959 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Sim Visser (1908–1983) | Minister | Defence | | 4 September 1959 – 24 July 1963 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Dr. Charles van Rooy (1912–1996) | Minister | Social Affairs and Health | | 19 May 1959 – 3 July 1961 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Victor Marijnen (1917–1975) | Minister | Social Affairs and Health | | 3 July 1961 – 17 July 1961 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Gerard Veldkamp (1921–1990) | Minister | Social Affairs and Health | | 17 July 1961 – 5 April 1967 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Jo Cals (1914–1971) | Minister | Education, Arts and Sciences | | 2 September 1952 – 7 November 1961 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Marga Klompé (1912–1986) | Minister | Education, Arts and Sciences | | 7 November 1961 – 4 February 1962 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Jo Cals (1914–1971) | Minister | Education, Arts and Sciences | | 4 February 1962 – 23 April 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Marga Klompé (1912–1986) | Minister | Education, Arts and Sciences | | 23 April 1963 – 24 July 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Victor Marijnen (1917–1975) | Minister | Agriculture and Fisheries | | 19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Jan van Aartsen (1909–1992) | Minister | Housing and Construction | | 19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Dr. Marga Klompé (1912–1986) | Minister | Social Work | | 13 October 1956 – 24 July 1963 | 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 |
| | | Norbert Schmelzer (1921–2008) | State Secretary | General Affairs | • Social Market Economy • Public Organisations | 19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Theo Bot (1911–1984) | State Secretary | Interior | • Netherlands New Guinea | 23 November 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Hans van Houten (1907–1996) | State Secretary | Foreign Affairs | • European Union • NATO • Benelux • International Organizations | 24 August 1959 – 24 July 1963 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Dr. Willem Hendrik van den Berge (1905–1987) | State Secretary | Finance | • Fiscal Policy • Tax and Customs • Governmental Budget | 27 May 1959 – 14 April 1965 | Independent Social Democrat |
| | | Dr. Gerard Veldkamp (1921–1990) | State Secretary | Economic Affairs | • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Consumer Protection • Tourism | 10 October 1952 – 17 July 1961 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Frans Gijzels (1911–1977) | State Secretary | Economic Affairs | • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Consumer Protection • Tourism | 14 September 1961 – 24 July 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Lieutenant general Michael Calmeyer (1895–1990) | State Secretary | Defence | • Army • Air Force | 19 June 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Captain Piet de Jong (1915–2016) | State Secretary | Defence | • Navy | 25 June 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Bauke Roolvink (1912–1979) | State Secretary | Social Affairs and Health | • Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services | 15 June 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Gerard Stubenrouch (1918–1962) | State Secretary | Education, Arts and Sciences | • Primary Education • Secondary Education | 16 June 1959 – 22 April 1962 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Harry Janssen (1910–1982) | State Secretary | Education, Arts and Sciences | • Primary Education • Secondary Education | 4 June 1962 – 24 July 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Ynso Scholten (1918–1984) | State Secretary | Education, Arts and Sciences | • Youth Care • Nature • Media • Culture • Art • Recreation • Sport | 16 June 1959 – 24 July 1963 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Eddie Stijkel (1918–1982) | State Secretary | Transport and Water Management | • Public Transport • Aviation • Rail Transport • Water Management | 15 October 1959 – 24 July 1963 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
    $^{Resigned}$
    $^{Retainedfromthepreviouscabinet}$
    $^{Continuedinthenextcabinet}$
    $^{Acting}$
    $^{AdInterim}$
    $^{DiedinOffice}$
    $^{Medicalleaveofabsencefrom7November1961until4February1962andfrom23April1963}$
    $^{AppointedasMinisterofSocialAffairsandHealth}$

## Trivia

* The age difference between oldest cabinet member Michael Calmeyer (born 1895) and the youngest cabinet member Gerard Veldkamp (born 1921) was 26 years, 10 days.
* Six cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Jan de Quay (Applied Psychology and Business Theory), Jelle Zijlstra (Public Economics), Jan de Pous (Public Economics), Gerard Veldkamp (Microeconomics), Willem Hendrik van den Berge (Public Economics) and Harry Janssen (Latin).
* Four cabinet members (later) served as Prime Minister: Victor Marijnen (1963–1965), Jo Cals (1965–1966), Jelle Zijlstra (1966–1967), and Piet de Jong (1967–1971).
* Four cabinet members (later) served as Queen's Commissioners: Jan de Quay (North-Brabant), Edzo Toxopeus (Groningen), Charles van Rooy (Limburg) and Jan van Aartsen (Zeeland).
* The sons of Ministers Henk Korthals (Benk) and Jan van Aartsen (Jozias) would later serve together as Ministers in the Second Kok cabinet 35 years later.