# Drees–Van Schaik cabinet

The Drees–Van Schaik cabinet, also called the First Drees cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 7 August 1948 until 15 March 1951. The cabinet 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 election of 1948. The cabinet was a centre-left grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with Labour Leader Willem Drees serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Catholic politician Josef van Schaik a former Minister of Justice served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without portfolio for the Interior.
The cabinet served during final years of the post-war 1940s and the first years of the turbulent 1950s. Domestically the beginning of the recovery and rebuilding following World War II started with the Marshall Plan, it was also to implement several major social reforms to social security, welfare, child benefits and education. Internationally the beginning of the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies started following the Indonesian National Revolution and the forming of the Netherlands New Guinea following the West New Guinea dispute. The cabinet suffered several major internal and external conflicts including multiple cabinet resignations, the cabinet fell 29 months into its term on 24 January 1951 following a disagreement in the coalition over the handling of the New Guinea policy and the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced with the First Drees cabinet on 15 March 1951.

## Term

This coalition had a 76% representation in the second chamber of parliament. It had to have a broad basis for the change in constitution that was required to make the Dutch East Indies independent, resulting in the new country Indonesia (in December 1949). In 1948 a second politionele actie (litt: politional action, but actually a military intervention) was embarked upon, but ended under international pressure. The rejection of a VVD-motion over New Guinea in 1951 led to the fall of the cabinet. However, no elections were held and a new cabinet was formed with the same parties, Drees I.
In 1949, the Netherlands entered the NATO. In the same year several alterations of the German border took place.

## 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 |
| | | Josef van Schaik (1882–1962) | Deputy Prime Minister | Interior | • Civil Reform • Decolonization Policy | 7 August 1948 – 15 March 1951 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Josef van Schaik (1882–1962) | Minister | Interior | • Civil Reform • Decolonization Policy | 7 August 1948 – 15 March 1951 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Johan van Maarseveen (1894–1951) | Minister | Interior | | 7 August 1948 – 15 June 1949 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Josef van Schaik (1882–1962) | Minister | Interior | | 15 June 1949 – 20 September 1949 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Frans Teulings (1891–1966) | Minister | Interior | | 20 September 1949 – 15 March 1951 | 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 |
| | | René Wijers (1891–1973) | Minister | Justice | | 7 August 1948 – 15 May 1950 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Johan van Maarseveen (1894–1951) | Minister | Justice | | 15 May 1950 – 10 July 1950 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Teun Struycken (1906–1977) | Minister | Justice | | 10 July 1950 – 15 March 1951 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Jan van den Brink (1915–2006) | Minister | Economic Affairs | | 20 January 1948 – 2 September 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Captain Wim Schokking (1900–1960) | Minister | War and Navy | | 7 August 1948 – 16 October 1950 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Hans s'Jacob (1906–1967) | Minister | War and Navy | | 16 October 1950 – 15 March 1951 | Independent Christian Democratic Protestant |
| | | Dr. Dolf Joekes (1885–1962) | Minister | Social Affairs | | 7 August 1948 – 15 September 1951 | Labour Party |
| | | Dr. Theo Rutten (1899–1980) | Minister | Education, Arts and Sciences | | 7 August 1948 – 2 September 1952 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Josef van Schaik (1882–1962) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 7 August 1948 – 1 November 1948 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Derk Spitzen (1896–1957) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 1 November 1948 – 15 March 1951 | Independent Christian Democratic Protestant |
| | | Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995) | Minister | Food Supplies, Agriculture and Fisheries | | 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 |
| | | Maan Sassen (1911–1995) | Minister | Colonial Affairs | | 7 August 1948 – 14 February 1949 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Johan van Maarseveen (1894–1951) | Minister | Colonial Affairs | | 14 February 1949 – 15 March 1951 | 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 |
| | | Lubbertus Götzen (1894–1979) | Minister | Colonial Affairs | • Colonial Fiscal Policy | 11 November 1947 – 15 March 1951 | Independent Christian Democratic Protestant |
| 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 |
| | | Dr. Wim van der Grinten (1913–1994) | State Secretary | Economic Affairs | • Public Organisations • Small and Medium-sized Businesses | 29 January 1949 – 15 March 1951 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Wim Fockema Andreae (1909–1996) | State Secretary | War and Navy | • Army • Air Force | 1 May 1949 – 27 November 1950 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Vice admiral Harry Moorman (1899–1971) | State Secretary | War and Navy | • Army • Air Force | 27 November 1950 – 1 June 1951 | Catholic People's 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. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986) | State Secretary | Social Affairs | • Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services | 15 February 1950 – 15 September 1951 | 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 |
    $^{Resigned}$
    $^{Retainedfromthepreviouscabinet}$
    $^{Continuedinthenextcabinet}$
    $^{Acting}$
    $^{AdInterim}$
    $^{AppointedasMinisterofColonialAffairs}$

## Trivia

* Eight cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: 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), Wim van der Grinten (Fiscal Law), Piet Muntendam (Social Medicine) and Aat van Rhijn (Fiscal Law).
* Three cabinet members (later) served as Party Leaders and Lijsttrekkers: Willem Drees (1946–1946) of the Social Democratic Workers' Party and (1946–1958) of the Labour Party, Dirk Stikker (1946–1948) of the Freedom Party and Dolf Joekes (1938–1946) of the Free-thinking Democratic League.
* Three cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title of Minister of State: Willem Drees (1958), Josef van Schaik (1951) and Jo Cals (1966).
* Four cabinet members later served as in high-profile international functions: Dirk Stikker (Secretary General of NATO), Piet Lieftinck (Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank), Sicco Mansholt (European Commissioner and President of the European Commission) and Maan Sassen (European Commissioner).
* The age difference between oldest cabinet member Josef van Schaik (born 1882) and the youngest cabinet member Jan van den Brink (born 1915) was 33 years, 71 days.