# Second Drees cabinet

The Second Drees cabinet, also called the Third Drees cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 2 September 1952 until 13 October 1956. The cabinet was formed by the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the Christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU) after the election of 1952. The cabinet was a Centre-left grand coalition and had a majority in the House of Representatives with Labour Leader Willem Drees serving as Prime Minister. Former Catholic Prime Minister Louis Beel served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of 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 was 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 cabinet suffered no major internal and external conflicts and completed its entire term and was succeeded by the Third Drees cabinet following the election of 1956.

## Term

The economic recovery after World War II continued. This made further expansion of social security possible, of which the best example is the institution of the state pension AOW in 1956. Also, a major housing scheme was executed, building 80 000 houses per year.
A major setback was the North Sea flood of 1953, which resulted in damage equivalent to 5% of the GDP. An emergency law was made to recover the dykes and plans were made for the Delta Works, the world's largest flood protection project, which should protect the South West Netherlands against another such combination of storm and spring tide.
An episcopal 'mandement' called for Catholics to give up their PvdA-membership, but without result.
The 29 December 1952 Statute for the kingdom granted Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles a certain degree of independence within the kingdom.
In 1955 the labour ban on married women was abolished, following the "motion Tendeloo", named after PvdA's member of parliament Corry Tendeloo. This ban meant that state employers had to fire their female employees once they married.
On 15 February 1956 the Dutch-Indonesian Union officially ended. Relationships between the two countries continued to deteriorate.
When the PvdA voted with the opposition over a combined law to lower taxes and raise rents on 17 May 1955, this led to a crisis. The cabinet fell, but returned after 17 days when PvdA chairman Burger had reconciled the parties.

## 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 |
| | | Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977) | Deputy Prime Minister | Interior | | 2 September 1952 – 7 July 1956 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977) | Minister | Interior | | 6 December 1951 – 7 July 1956 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Julius Christiaan van Oven (1881–1963) | Minister | Interior | | 7 July 1956 – 13 October 1956 | Labour Party |
| | | Johan Beyen (1897–1976) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | | 2 September 1952 – 13 October 1956 | Independent Conservative Liberal |
| | | Jo van de Kieft (1884–1970) | Minister | Finance | | 2 September 1952 – 13 October 1956 | Labour Party |
| | | Leendert Antonie Donker (1899–1956) | Minister | Justice | | 2 September 1952 – 4 February 1956 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977) | Minister | Justice | | 4 February 1956 – 15 February 1956 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Julius Christiaan van Oven (1881–1963) | Minister | Justice | | 15 February 1956 – 13 October 1956 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Jelle Zijlstra (1918–2001) | Minister | Economic Affairs | | 2 September 1952 – 19 May 1959 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Kees Staf (1905–1973) | Minister | War and Navy | | 15 March 1951 – 19 May 1959 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Ko Suurhoff (1905–1967) | Minister | Social Affairs and Health | | 2 September 1952 – 22 December 1958 | Labour Party |
| | | Jo Cals (1914–1971) | Minister | Education, Arts and Sciences | | 2 September 1952 – 24 July 1963 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Jacob Algera (1902–1966) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 2 September 1952 – 10 October 1958 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995) | Minister | Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies | | 25 June 1945 – 1 January 1958 | Labour Party |
| | | Herman Witte (1909–1973) | Minister | Reconstruction and Housing | | 2 September 1952 – 13 October 1956 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977) | Minister | Social Work | | 2 September 1952 – 9 September 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Frans-Jozef van Thiel (1906–1993) | Minister | Social Work | | 9 September 1952 – 13 October 1956 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Willem Kernkamp (1899–1956) | Minister | Colonial Affairs | | 2 September 1952 – 18 July 1956 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Kees Staf (1905–1973) | Minister | Colonial Affairs | | 18 July 1956 – 16 February 1957 | Christian Historical Union |
| Ministers without portfolio | Ministers without portfolio | Ministers without portfolio | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Ad de Bruijn (1887–1968) | Minister | Interior | • Public Organisations | 2 September 1952 – 13 October 1956 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Joseph Luns (1911–2002) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | • United Nations • Netherlands- Indonesian Union • Netherlands New Guinea • Benelux • International Organizations | 2 September 1952 – 13 October 1956 | 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 |
| | | Dr. Willem Hendrik van den Berge (1905–1987) | State Secretary | Finance | • Fiscal Policy • Tax and Customs • Governmental Budget | 2 February 1953 – 13 October 1956 | 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 |
| | | 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 and Health | • Primary Healthcare • Elderly Care • Disability Policy | 1 April 1950 – 1 October 1953 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986) | State Secretary | Social Affairs and Health | • Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services | 15 February 1950 – 22 December 1958 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Anna de Waal (1906–1981) | State Secretary | Education, Arts and Sciences | • Primary Education • Secondary Education • Special Education • Youth Care | 2 February 1953 – 16 March 1957 | Catholic People's Party |
    $^{Resigned}$
    $^{Retainedfromthepreviouscabinet}$
    $^{Continuedinthenextcabinet}$
    $^{Acting}$
    $^{AdInterim}$
    $^{DiedinOffice}$
    $^{AppointedasChairmanoftheSpecialStateCommission}$

## Trivia

* Nine cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Louis Beel (Administrative Law), Julius Christiaan van Oven (Roman Law), Jelle Zijlstra (Public Economics), Willem Kernkamp (Constitutional and Administrative Law and Arabic Literature), Willem Hendrik van den Berge (Public Economics), Gerard Veldkamp (Microeconomics), Piet Muntendam (Social Medicine), Aat van Rhijn (Fiscal Law) and Anna de Waal (Geography).
* Four cabinet members (later) served as Prime Minister: Willem Drees (1948–1958), Louis Beel (1946–1948) (1958–1959), Jelle Zijlstra (1966–1967) and Jo Cals (1965–1966).
* Four cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title of Minister of State: Willem Drees (1958), Louis Beel (1956), Jelle Zijlstra (1983) and Jo Cals (1966).
* Two cabinet members Johan Beyen and Sicco Mansholt are considered Founding fathers of the European Union.
* The age difference between oldest cabinet member Julius Christiaan van Oven (born 1881) and the youngest cabinet member Gerard Veldkamp (born 1921) was 39 years, 222 days.
* Had both the oldest and youngest cabinet members in Dutch History when they took office: Julius Christiaan van Oven was 74 years, 90 days years old and Gerard Veldkamp was 31 years, 105 days years old.
* Anna de Waal was the first female cabinet member in Dutch History.