# First Biesheuvel cabinet

The first Biesheuvel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 6 July 1971 until 9 August 1972. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU), the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the social-democratic Democratic Socialists '70 (DS'70) after the election of 1971. The cabinet was a centrist coalition and had a slim majority in the House of Representatives with Protestant Leader Barend Biesheuvel a former Minister of Agriculture serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Catholic politician Roelof Nelissen the Minister of Economic Affairs in the previous cabinet served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and was given the portfolio of Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs, former Liberal Leader Molly Geertsema served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.
The cabinet served in the early years of the radical 1970s. Domestically it had to deal with the peak of the counterculture and a growing inflation but it was able to implement several social reforms to the public sector and stimulating deregulation and privatization. The cabinet suffered several major internal conflicts between the cabinet members of the Democratic Socialists '70 and the rest of the coalition which lead to the fall of the cabinet just 1 year into its term on 19 July 1972 with the Democratic Socialists '70 cabinet members resigning on 21 July 1972 and the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced with the caretaker Second Biesheuvel cabinet on 9 August 1972.

## Term

Problems of the cabinet were the release of war criminals (three of Breda) and the increasing inflation, combined with a stagnating economy (stagflation). The decision to cut government expenses was not supported by DS'70, so the cabinet lost its majority in the parliament, resulting in Biesheuvel II.
Minister Stuyt, the first minister for environmental affairs, issued an urgency-note concerning the environment. In 1972, the first report from the Club of Rome was published, which showed that the environment is in a bad state worldwide and that resources will eventually run out.
The cabinet recognised the GDR and voted to allow China back into the United Nations.

## Cabinet members

| Ministers | Ministers | Ministers | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Barend Biesheuvel (1920–2001) | Prime Minister | General Affairs | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Roelof Nelissen (1931–2019) | Deputy Prime Minister | Finance | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Roelof Nelissen (1931–2019) | Minister | Finance | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Molly Geertsema (1918–1991) | Deputy Prime Minister | Interior | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Molly Geertsema (1918–1991) | Minister | Interior | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Norbert Schmelzer (1921–2008) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dries van Agt (1931–2024) | Minister | Justice | | 6 July 1971 – 8 September 1977 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Harrie Langman (1931–2016) | Minister | Economic Affairs | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Hans de Koster (1914–1992) | Minister | Defence | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Dr. Louis Stuyt (1914–2000) | Minister | Health and Environment | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Jaap Boersma (1929–2012) | Minister | Social Affairs | | 6 July 1971 – 19 December 1977 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Chris van Veen (1922–2009) | Minister | Education and Sciences | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Dr. Willem Drees Jr. (1922–1998) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 6 July 1971 – 21 July 1972 | Democratic Socialists '70 |
| | | Bé Udink (1926–2016) | Minister | Transport and Water Management | | 21 July 1972 – 11 May 1973 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987) | Minister | Agriculture and Fisheries | | 5 April 1967 – 1 January 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Bé Udink (1926–2016) | Minister | Housing and Spatial Planning | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Piet Engels (1923–1994) | Minister | Culture, Recreation and Social Work | | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| 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 |
| | | Roelof Nelissen (1931–2019) | Minister | Interior | • Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs | 6 July 1971 – 28 January 1972 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987) | Minister | Interior | • Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs | 28 January 1972 – 1 January 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Kees Boertien (1927–2002) | Minister | Foreign Affairs | • Development Cooperation | 6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Jonkheer Mauk de Brauw (1925–1984) | Minister | Education and Sciences | • Higher Education • Science Policy | 6 July 1971 – 21 July 1972 | Democratic Socialists '70 |
| | | Chris van Veen (1922–2009) | Minister | Education and Sciences | • Higher Education • Science Policy | 21 July 1972 – 11 May 1973 | Christian Historical Union |
| State Secretaries | State Secretaries | State Secretaries | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) | Term of office | Party |
| | | Jan van Stuijvenberg (born 1928) | State Secretary | Interior | • Municipalities • civil service | 17 July 1971 – 21 July 1972 | Democratic Socialists '70 |
| | | Tjerk Westerterp (1930–2023) | State Secretary | Foreign Affairs | • European Union • Benelux | 17 August 1971 – 7 March 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Willem Scholten (1927–2005) | State Secretary | Finance | • Fiscal Policy • Tax and Customs | 14 July 1971 – 19 March 1973 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Fons van der Stee (1928–1999) | State Secretary | Finance | • Governmental Budget | 14 July 1971 – 12 March 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Hans Grosheide (1930–2022) | State Secretary | Justice | • Immigration and Asylum • Civil Law • Youth Justice • Penitentiaries | 28 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Jan Oostenbrink (born 1936) | State Secretary | Economic Affairs | • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Consumer Protection • Tourism | 17 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Vice admiral Adri van Es (1913–1994) | State Secretary | Defence | • Human Resources • Equipment | 14 August 1963 – 16 September 1972 | Anti-Revolutionary Party |
| | | Koos Rietkerk (1927–1986) | State Secretary | Social Affairs | • Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services | 28 July 1971 – 23 April 1973 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
| | | Kees Schelfhout (1918–1983) | State Secretary | Education and Sciences | • Primary Education • Special Education • Preschool | 28 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Dr. Roelof Kruisinga (1922–2012) | State Secretary | Transport and Water Management | • Public Infrastructure • Public Transport • Rail Transport • Water Management • Postal Service • Weather Forecasting | 28 July 1971 – 20 March 1973 | Christian Historical Union |
| | | Werner Buck (1925–2010) | State Secretary | Housing and Spatial Planning | • Urban Planning • Spatial Planning | 17 August 1971 – 11 May 1973 | Catholic People's Party |
| | | Fia van Veenendaal- van Meggelen (1918–2005) | State Secretary | Culture, Recreation and Social Work | • Social Services • Disability Policy | 28 July 1971 – 21 July 1972 | Democratic Socialists '70 |
| | | Henk Vonhoff (1931–2010) | State Secretary | Culture, Recreation and Social Work | • Youth Care • Nature • Culture • Art • Recreation • Sport | 28 July 1971 – 23 April 1973 | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy |
    $^{Resigned}$
    $^{Retainedfromthepreviouscabinet}$
    $^{Continuedinthenextcabinet}$

## Trivia

* Six cabinet members (later) served as Party Leaders and Lijsttrekkers: Barend Biesheuvel (1963–1973) of the Anti-Revolutionary Party, Molly Geertsema (1969–1971) of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Norbert Schmelzer (1963–1971) of the Catholic People's Party, Dries van Agt (1976–1982) of the Christian Democratic Appeal, Willem Drees Jr. (1971–1977) of the Democratic Socialists '70, Bé Udink (1970–1971) and Roelof Kruisinga (1971–1977) of the Christian Historical Union.
* Five cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Dries van Agt (Criminal Law and Procedure), Louis Stuyt (Internal Medicine), Willem Drees Jr. (Public Economics), Kees Boertien (Commercial Law) and Roelof Kruisinga (Otorhinolaryngology).
* Four cabinet members (later) served as Queen's Commissioner: Molly Geertsema (Gelderland), Dries van Agt (North Brabant), Kees Boertien (Zeeland) and Henk Vonhoff (Groningen).