# Cals cabinet

The Cals cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 14 April 1965 until 22 November 1966. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) after the fall of the previous Cabinet Marijnen. The cabinet was a Centre-left coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives; prominent Catholic politician Jo Cals, a former Minister of Education, served as Prime Minister. Labour Leader Anne Vondeling served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Protestant Leader Barend Biesheuvel continued as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the responsibility for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs from previous cabinet.
The cabinet served in the middle of the tumultuous 1960s. Domestically it had to deal with the counterculture and implemented several major social reforms to social security, as well as closing the mines in Limburg and stimulating urban development in the Randstad. Internationally, the protests against the Vietnam War were a major point of attention. The cabinet suffered several major internal and external conflicts, including multiple cabinet resignations. The cabinet fell just 18 months into its term on 14 October 1966, following the Night of Schmelzer when Catholic Leader Norbert Schmelzer proposed a counter-motion that called for stronger austerity measures to reduce the deficit than those the cabinet had itself proposed. Prime Minister Cals saw this as an indirect motion of no confidence from his own party, and announced his resignation; the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Zijlstra.

## Formation

After the fall of the Marijnen cabinet, the confessional parties did not want snap elections because those could centre on the introduction of commercial television, the issue that led to the fall of the former cabinet. So a new cabinet was formed on the basis of the existing situation. A continuation of the Marijnen cabinet was considered to have too narrow a basis, so PvdA was asked to join in. As a result, CHU stepped out. But previous frictions between PvdA and KVP were overcome because there was a desire to form a cabinet fast, which was indeed done, in just over a month.

## Term

After two decades of economic growth, this cabinet experienced a slight recession. Plans to build sports halls, roads and houses had to be tempered. In Limburg the coal mines were closed, and plans were devised to educate and re-employ the former miners.
There was also social unrest, which became apparent in the Provo movement, construction worker protests, riots over the marriage of Princess Beatrix in Amsterdam and the rise of new parties: the Farmers' Party (BP), the Pacifist Socialist Party (PSP), the Reformed Political League (GPV) and the Democrats 66 (D'66). The last party, especially, wished to change the political order..
On 14 October 1966 Norbert Schmelzer the Leader of the Catholic People's Party and Parliamentary leader of the Catholic People's Party in the House of Representatives proposed a Motion of no confidence against the cabinet and Prime Minister Jo Cals. A shocking and surprised action in Dutch politics, it marked the first time that a motion of no confidence was proposed against a cabinet of the same party. The cabinet resigned that evening.

### Changes

On 5 February 1966 State Secretary for Defense for Air Force Affairs Jan Borghouts (KVP) died following a debilitating disease at the age of 55. On 22 June 1966 former Chairman of the United Defence Staff lieutenant general Heije Schaper, who until then had been working as Chief Adjutant in extraordinary service to Queen Juliana was installed as his successor.
On 31 August 1966 Minister of the Interior Jan Smallenbroek (ARP) resigned after he was involved in a traffic incident while driving under the influence. Minister of Justice Ivo Samkalden (PvdA) served as acting Minister of the Interior until 5 September 1966 when Koos Verdam (ARP), who until then had been working as a professor of Roman and International Private Law at the VU University Amsterdam was appointed as his successor.

## Cabinet members

| Ministers | Ministers | Ministers | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Jo Cals (1914–1971) | Prime Minister | General Affairs | | 14 April 1965 – 22 November 1966 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Anne Vondeling (1916–1979) | Deputy Prime Minister | Finance | 14 April 1965 – 22 November 1966 | | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Anne Vondeling (1916–1979) | Minister | Finance | 14 April 1965 – 22 November 1966 | | Labour Party |
| | | Barend Biesheuvel (1920–2001) | Deputy Prime Minister | Agriculture and Fisheries | | 24 July 1963 – 5 April 1967 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Barend Biesheuvel (1920–2001) | Minister | Agriculture and Fisheries | | 24 July 1963 – 5 April 1967 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Barend Biesheuvel (1920–2001) | Minister | Interior | • Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs | 24 July 1963 – 5 April 1967 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Jan Smallenbroek (1909–1974) | Minister | Interior | | 14 April 1965 – 31 August 1966 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Dr. Ivo Samkalden (1912–1995) | Minister | Interior | | 31 August 1966 – 5 September 1966 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Koos Verdam (1915–1998) | Minister | Interior | | 5 September 1966 – 5 April 1967 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Joseph Luns (1911–2002) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | | 13 October 1956 – 6 July 1971 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Ivo Samkalden (1912–1995) | Minister | Justice | | 14 April 1965 – 22 November 1966 | Labour Party |
| | | Joop den Uyl (1919–1987) | Minister | Economic Affairs | | 14 April 1965 – 22 November 1966 | Labour Party |
| | | Captain Piet de Jong (1915–2016) | Minister | Defence | | 24 July 1963 – 5 April 1967 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Gerard Veldkamp (1921–1990) | Minister | Social Affairs and Health | | 17 July 1961 – 5 April 1967 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Isaäc Arend Diepenhorst (1916–2004) | Minister | Education and Sciences | | 14 April 1965 – 5 April 1967 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Ko Suurhoff (1905–1967) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 14 April 1965 – 1 May 1966 | Labour Party |
| | | Pieter Bogaers (1924–2008) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 1 May 1966 – 30 June 1966 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Ko Suurhoff (1905–1967) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 30 June 1966 – 22 November 1966 | Labour Party |
| | | Pieter Bogaers (1924–2008) | Minister | Housing and Spatial Planning | | 24 July 1963 – 22 November 1966 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Maarten Vrolijk (1919–1994) | Minister | Culture, Recreation and Social Work | | 14 April 1965 – 22 November 1966 | Labour 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 |
| | | Theo Bot (1911–1984) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | • Development Cooperation | 14 April 1965 – 5 April 1967 | 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 |
| | | Theo Westerhout (1922–1987) | State Secretary | Interior | • Municipalities • Provinces | 12 July 1965 – 22 November 1966 | Labour Party |
| | | Leo de Block (1904–1988) | State Secretary | Foreign Affairs) | • European Union • Benelux | 3 September 1963 – 5 April 1967 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Max van der Stoel (1924–2011) | State Secretary | Foreign Affairs) | • United Nations • International Organizations | 22 July 1965 – 22 November 1966 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Wiel Hoefnagels (1929–1978) | State Secretary | Finance | • Fiscal Policy • Tax and Customs • Governmental Budget | 31 May 1965 – 22 November 1966 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Joop Bakker (1921–2003) | State Secretary | Economic Affairs | • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development | 3 September 1963 – 22 November 1966 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Gerard Peijnenburg (1919–2000) | State Secretary | Defence | • Army | 13 May 1965 – 5 April 1967 | Independent Christian Democratic Catholic |
| | | Vice admiral Adri van Es (1913–1994) | State Secretary | Defence | • Navy | 14 August 1963 – 16 September 1972 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Colonel Jan Borghouts (1910–1966) | State Secretary | Defence | • Air Force | 12 July 1965 – 5 February 1966 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Lieutenant general Heije Schaper (1906–1996) | State Secretary | Defence | • Air Force | 22 June 1966 – 5 April 1967 | Independent Conservative Liberal |
| | | Dr. Louis Bartels (1915–2002) | State Secretary | Social Affairs and Health) | • Primary Healthcare • Elderly Care • Disability Policy • Medical Ethics | 3 September 1963 – 5 April 1967 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. José de Meijer (1915–2000) | State Secretary | Social Affairs and Health) | • Occupational Safety • Public Organisations | 15 November 1963 – 5 April 1967 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Hans Grosheide (1930–2022) | State Secretary | Education and Sciences | • Primary Education • Secondary Education • Special Education | 3 September 1963 – 6 July 1971 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Siep Posthumus (1910–1987) | State Secretary | Transport and Water Management | • Rail Transport • Weather Forecasting | 4 May 1965 – 22 November 1966 | Labour Party |
| | | Cees Egas (1913–2001) | State Secretary | Culture, Recreation and Social Work | • Social Services • Youth Care • Nature • Culture • Art • Recreation • Sport | 10 May 1965 – 22 November 1966 | Labour Party |
| Source: (in Dutch) Rijksoverheid.nl ||||||||
    $^{Resigned}$
    $^{Retainedfromthepreviouscabinet}$
    $^{Continuedinthenextcabinet}$
    $^{Acting}$
    $^{AdInterim}$
    $^{DiedinOffice}$
    $^{Medicalleaveofabsencefrom1May1966until30June1966}$