Second Drees cabinet Third Drees cabinet
Cabinet of the Netherlands
First meeting of the cabinet in the Trêveszaal on 2 September 1952
Date formed	2 September 1952 (1952-09-02)
Date dissolved	13 October 1956 (1956-10-13) 4 years, 41 days in office (Demissionary from 13 June 1956 (1956-06-13))
People and organisations
Monarch	Queen Juliana
Prime Minister	Willem Drees
Deputy Prime Minister	Louis Beel
No. of ministers	17
Ministers removed	3
Totalno. of members	16
Member party	Labour Party (PvdA) Catholic People's Party (KVP) Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) Christian Historical Union (CHU)
Status in legislature	Centre-left[1] Majority government (Grand coalition/Roman-Red)
History
Election	1952 election
Outgoing election	1956 election
Legislature terms	1952–1956
Incoming formation	1952 formation
Outgoing formation	1956 formation
Predecessor	First Drees cabinet
Successor	Third Drees cabinet

This article is part ofa series on
Politics of the Netherlands
Constitution Charter Wet Algemene Bepalingen Human rights
Monarchy The King (list):Willem-Alexander Royal house Succession Council of Ministers of the Kingdom Ministers Plenipotentiary Aruba Curaçao Sint Maarten
Cabinet Cabinet (list):Schoof Prime Minister (list):Dick Schoof Deputy Prime Ministers: Sophie Hermans Mona Keijzer Ministries
States General Senate President (list):Mei Li Vos Current membership Historic composition Parliamentary committees House of Representatives Speaker (list):Thom van Campen Current membership Historic composition Parliamentary committees
Judiciary Supreme Court Council of State Court of Audit National Ombudsman
Elections Recent elections General:2017 2021 2023 2025 Provincial:2011 2015 2019 2023 Municipal:2010 2014 2018 2022 European:2009 2014 2019 2024 Referendums 2005 2016 2018 Political parties Politicians
Local government Provinces Provincial politics King's commissioner Provincial council Provincial executive Municipalities Municipal politics Mayor Municipal council Municipal executive Water boards Caribbean Netherlands
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister:David van Weel Diplomatic missions of /in the Netherlands International organisations United Nations Netherlands Development Cooperation Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy of the Schengen Area Visa policy in the Caribbean
Related topics Corruption in the Netherlands De Nederlandsche Bank Law of the Netherlands Modern history Republicanism in the Netherlands Social and Economic Council
Netherlands portal Other countries
v t e

TheSecond Dreescabinet, also called theThird Drees cabinet^[2] was theexecutive branch of theDutch Government from 2 September 1952 until 13 October 1956. The cabinet was formed by thesocial-democraticLabour Party (PvdA) and theChristian-democraticCatholic People's Party (KVP),Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) andChristian Historical Union (CHU) after theelection of 1952. The cabinet was aCentre-left^[3]grand coalition and had amajority in theHouse of Representatives withLabour LeaderWillem Drees serving asPrime Minister. FormerCatholic Prime MinisterLouis Beel served asDeputy Prime Minister andMinister of the Interior.

The cabinet served during early years of the turbulent 1950s. Domestically the recovery and rebuilding followingWorld War II continued with the assistance of theMarshall Plan. It was also able to finalize several majorsocial reforms tosocial security,welfare,child benefits andeducation from the previous cabinet. Internationally thedecolonization of theDutch East Indies following theIndonesian National Revolution continued. The cabinet suffered no major internal and external conflicts and completed its entire term and was succeeded by theThird Drees cabinet following theelection of 1956.^[4]

The economic recovery afterWorld War II continued. This made further expansion of social security possible, of which the best example is the institution of the state pensionAOW in 1956. Also, a major housing scheme was executed, building 80 000 houses per year.

A major setback was theNorth Sea flood of 1953, which resulted in damage equivalent to 5% of theGDP. An emergency law was made to recover thedykes and plans were made for theDelta Works, the world's largest flood protection project, which should protect the South West Netherlands against another such combination of storm andspring tide.

An episcopal 'mandement' called for Catholics to give up their PvdA-membership, but without result.

The 29 December 1952 Statute for the kingdom grantedSurinam and theNetherlands 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 parliamentCorry Tendeloo. This ban meant that state employers had to fire their female employees once they married.^[5]

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.

Ministers			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Willem Drees (1886–1988)	Prime Minister	General Affairs		7 August 1948 – 22 December 1958 [Retained][Continued]	Labour Party
		Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977)	Deputy Prime Minister	Interior		2 September 1952 – 7 July 1956 [App]	Catholic People's Party
			Minister			6 December 1951 – 7 July 1956 [Retained][App]
		Dr. Julius Christiaan van Oven (1881–1963)				7 July 1956 – 13 October 1956 [Acting]	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 [Died]	Labour Party
		Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977)				4 February 1956 – 15 February 1956 [Ad Interim]	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Julius Christiaan van Oven (1881–1963)				15 February 1956 – 13 October 1956	Labour Party
		Dr. Jelle Zijlstra (1918–2001)	Minister	Economic Affairs		2 September 1952 – 19 May 1959 [Continued]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Kees Staf (1905–1973)	Minister	War and Navy		15 March 1951 – 19 May 1959 [Retained][Continued]	Christian Historical Union
		Ko Suurhoff (1905–1967)	Minister	Social Affairs and Health		2 September 1952 – 22 December 1958 [Continued]	Labour Party
		Jo Cals (1914–1971)	Minister	Education, Arts and Sciences		2 September 1952 – 24 July 1963 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Jacob Algera (1902–1966)	Minister	Transport and Water Management		2 September 1952 – 10 October 1958 [Continued]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995)	Minister	Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies		25 June 1945 – 1 January 1958 [Retained][Continued]	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 [Ad Interim]	Catholic People's Party
		Frans-Jozef van Thiel (1906–1993)				9 September 1952 – 13 October 1956	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Willem Kernkamp (1899–1956)	Minister	Colonial Affairs		2 September 1952 – 18 July 1956 [Died]	Christian Historical Union
		Kees Staf (1905–1973)				18 July 1956 – 16 February 1957 [Acting][Continued]	Christian Historical Union
Ministers without portfolio			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			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 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Ferdinand Kranenburg (1911–1994)	State Secretary	War and Navy	•Army •Air Force	1 June 1951 – 1 June 1958 [Retained][Continued]	Labour Party
		Vice admiral Harry Moorman (1899–1971)			•Navy	1 May 1949 – 19 May 1959 [Retained][Continued]	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 [Retained][Res]	Labour Party
		Dr. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986)	State Secretary		• Social Security • Unemployment •Occupational Safety • Social Services	15 February 1950 – 22 December 1958 [Retained][Continued]	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 [Continued]	Catholic People's Party

^Resigned

^{Retained from the previous cabinet}

^{Continued in the next cabinet}

^Acting

^{Ad Interim}

^{Died in Office}

^{Appointed as Chairman of the Special State Commission}

• 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) andAnna 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) andJo Cals (1965–1966).
• Four cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title ofMinister of State: Willem Drees (1958), Louis Beel (1956), Jelle Zijlstra (1983) and Jo Cals (1966).
• Two cabinet membersJohan Beyen andSicco Mansholt are consideredFounding 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.

Official

• (in Dutch)Kabinet-Drees III Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch)Kabinet-Drees II Rijksoverheid

Wikimedia Commons has media related toCabinet Drees II.

• Cabinets of the Netherlands
• 1952 establishments in the Netherlands
• 1956 disestablishments in the Netherlands
• Cabinets established in 1952
• Cabinets disestablished in 1956
• Grand coalition governments

• CS1 Dutch-language sources (nl)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles using an unknown Template:Engvar option
• Articles with Dutch-language sources (nl)
• Commons category link is on Wikidata