# Second Van Agt cabinet

The second Van Agt cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 11 September 1981 until 29 May 1982. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the social-liberal Democrats 66 (D'66) after the election of 1981. The cabinet was a Centre-left grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with Christian-Democratic Leader Dries van Agt serving as Prime Minister. Former Labour Prime Minister Joop den Uyl the Labour Leader served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and was given the portfolio of Netherlands Antilles Affairs, Progressive-Liberal Leader Jan Terlouw served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs.
The cabinet served in the early years of the turbulent 1980s. Domestically it had to deal with the 1980s recession and a growing inflation but it was able to implement a major social reform to social security. The cabinet suffered several major internal conflicts between the cabinet members of the Christian Democratic Appeal and the Labour Party, especially the poor working relationship between Prime Minister Van Agt and Deputy Prime Minister Den Uyl which lead to the fall of the cabinet just 243 days into its term on 12 May 1982 with the Labour Party cabinet members resigning on 29 May 1982 and the cabinet was replaced with the caretaker Third Van Agt cabinet.

## Formation

After the 1981 general election the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) of incumbent Prime Minister Dries van Agt was the winner of the election but lost 1 seat and had now a total of 48 seats. The Labour Party (PvdA) of Joop den Uyl lost 9 seats and had now 44 seats. The Democrats 66 (D'66) of Jan Terlouw was the biggest winner with 9 new seats and had now 17 seats. A long negotiation between the Christian Democratic Appeal, Labour Party and the Democrats 66 followed. The negotiations were troubled by the personal animosity between incumbent Prime Minister and Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal Dries van Agt and former Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party Joop den Uyl. Van Agt who served as Deputy Prime Minister under Den Uyl his cabinet had a bad working relationship. In the end a coalition was formed.

## Term

Many incidents made a healthy coalition impossible. Prime Minister Dries van Agt (CDA) had much trouble with Deputy Prime Minister Joop den Uyl (PvdA). Den Uyl tried to create employment as Minister of Social Affairs but plans to reform the health insurance was met with a huge resistance from the left-wing. The cabinet fell because the Christian Democrats wanted a cut in government spending, while the Labour Party opposed it.

## Cabinet members

| Ministers | Ministers | Ministers | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Dries van Agt (1931–2024) | Prime Minister | General Affairs | | 19 December 1977 – 4 November 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Joop den Uyl (1919–1987) | Deputy Prime Minister | Social Affairs and Employment | | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Joop den Uyl (1919–1987) | Minister | Social Affairs and Employment | | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Joop den Uyl (1919–1987) | Minister | Interior | • Netherlands Antilles | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Jan Terlouw (born 1931) | Deputy Prime Minister | Economic Affairs | | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Democrats 66 |
| | | Jan Terlouw (born 1931) | Minister | Economic Affairs | | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Democrats 66 |
| | | Ed van Thijn (1934–2021) | Minister | Interior | | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Max van der Stoel (1924–2011) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Fons van der Stee (1928–1999) | Minister | Finance | | 5 March 1980 – 4 November 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Job de Ruiter (1930–2015) | Minister | Justice | | 19 December 1977 – 4 November 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010) | Minister | Defence | | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Democrats 66 |
| | | Til Gardeniers- Berendsen (1925–2019) | Minister | Health and Environment | | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Jos van Kemenade (1937–2020) | Minister | Education and Sciences | | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Henk Zeevalking (1922–2005) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Democrats 66 |
| | | Jan de Koning (1926–1994) | Minister | Agriculture and Fisheries | | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Marcel van Dam (born 1938) | Minister | Housing and Spatial Planning | | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | André van der Louw (1933–2005) | Minister | Culture, Recreation and Social Work | | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | 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 |
| | | Kees van Dijk (1931–2008) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | • Development Cooperation | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| State Secretaries | State Secretaries | State Secretaries | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Saskia Stuiveling (1945–2017) | State Secretary | Interior | • Municipalities | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Gerard van Leijenhorst (1928–2001) | State Secretary | Interior | • Emergency Management • Minorities | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Hans van den Broek (1936–2025) | State Secretary | Foreign Affairs | • European Union • Benelux | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Hans Kombrink (born 1946) | State Secretary | Finance | • Fiscal Policy • Governmental Budget | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Michiel Scheltema (born 1939) | State Secretary | Justice) | • Immigration and Asylum • Civil Law • Youth Justice | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Democrats 66 |
| | | Piet van Zeil (1927–2012) | State Secretary | Economic Affairs | • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism | 11 September 1981 – 22 June 1986 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Wim Dik (1939–2022) | State Secretary | Economic Affairs | • Trade and Export | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Democrats 66 |
| | | Bram Stemerdink (born 1936) | State Secretary | Defence | • Equipment • Justice | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Jan van Houwelingen (1939–2013) | State Secretary | Defence | • Human Resources | 14 September 1981 – 7 November 1989 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Ineke Lambers- Hacquebard (1946–2014) | State Secretary | Health and Environment | • Environmental Policy • Food Policy | 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 | Democrats 66 |
| | | Ien Dales (1931–1994) | State Secretary | Social Affairs and Employment | • Social Security • Unemployment • Elderly Care • Disability Policy | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Hedy d'Ancona (born 1937) | State Secretary | Social Affairs and Employment | • Occupational Safety • Adult Education • Equality • Emancipation | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Ad Hermes (1929–2002) | State Secretary | Education and Sciences | • Primary Education | 9 January 1978 – 4 November 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Wim Deetman (born 1945) | State Secretary | Education and Sciences | • Secondary Education | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
| | | Jaap van der Doef (1934–2025) | State Secretary | Transport and Water Management | • Public Transport • Aviation • Water Management • Postal Service • Weather Forecasting | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Siepie de Jong (born 1940) | State Secretary | Housing and Spatial Planning | • Public Housing • Spatial Planning | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Labour Party |
| | | Hans de Boer (born 1937) | State Secretary | Culture, Recreation and Social Work | • Social Services • Nature • Culture • Art • Recreation | 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 | Christian Democratic Appeal |
    $^{Resigned}$
    $^{Retainedfromthepreviouscabinet}$
    $^{Continuedinthenextcabinet}$

## Trivia

* Five cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Dries van Agt (Criminal Law and Procedure), Jan Terlouw (Nuclear Physics), Job de Ruiter (Civil Law), Jos van Kemenade (Education Sociology) and Michiel Scheltema (Constitutional and Administrative Law).
* Four cabinet members (later) served as Party Leaders and Lijsttrekkers: Dries van Agt (1976–1982) of the Christian Democratic Appeal, Joop den Uyl (1966–1986) of the Labour Party, Jan Terlouw (1973–1982) and Hans van Mierlo (1966–1973, 1986–1998) of the Democrats 66.
* Four cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title of Minister of State: Max van der Stoel (1991), Hans van Mierlo (1998), Jos van Kemenade (2002) and Hans van den Broek (2005).
* Twelve cabinet members (later) served as Mayor: Ed van Thijn (Amsterdam), Jos van Kemenade (Eindhoven), Henk Zeevalking (Utrecht and Rijswijk), André van der Louw (Rotterdam), Hans Kombrink (Zaanstad), Piet van Zeil (Heerlen), Jan van Houwelingen (Haarlemmermeer), Ien Dales (Nijmegen), Wim Deetman (The Hague), Jaap van der Doef (Vlissingen and Almere), Siepie de Jong (Leek) and Hans de Boer (Haarlemmermeer).