The Cals cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 14 April 1965 until 22 November 1966. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) after the fall of the previous Cabinet Marijnen. The cabinet was a Centre-left[2] coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives; prominent Catholic politician Jo Cals, a former Minister of Education, served as Prime Minister. Labour Leader Anne Vondeling served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Protestant Leader Barend Biesheuvel continued as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the responsibility for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs from previous cabinet.

Cals cabinet

50th Cabinet of the Netherlands
The installation of the Cals cabinet on 14 April 1965
Date formed14 April 1965 (1965-04-14)
Date dissolved22 November 1966 (1966-11-22)
1 year, 222 days in office
(Demissionary from 14 October 1966 (1966-10-14))
People and organisations
MonarchQueen Juliana
Prime MinisterJo Cals
Deputy Prime MinisterAnne Vondeling
Barend Biesheuvel
No. of ministers14
Ministers removed1
Total no. of members15
Member partyCatholic People's Party
(KVP)
Labour Party
(PvdA)
Anti-Revolutionary Party
(ARP)
Status in legislatureCentre-left[1]
Majority government
History
Legislature term(s)1963–1967
Incoming formation1965 formation
Outgoing formation1966 formation
PredecessorMarijnen cabinet
SuccessorZijlstra cabinet

The cabinet served in the middle of the tumultuous 1960s. Domestically it had to deal with the counterculture and implemented several major social reforms to social security, as well as closing the mines in Limburg and stimulating urban development in the Randstad. Internationally, the protests against the Vietnam War were a major point of attention. The cabinet suffered several major internal and external conflicts, including multiple cabinet resignations. The cabinet fell just 18 months into its term on 14 October 1966, following a major political crisis after Catholic Leader Norbert Schmelzer proposed a counter-motion that called for stronger austerity measures to reduce the deficit than those the cabinet had itself proposed. Prime Minister Cals saw this as an indirect motion of no confidence from his own party, and announced his resignation; the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Zijlstra.[3][4]

Formation edit

After the fall of the Marijnen cabinet, the confessional parties did not want snap elections because those could centre on the introduction of commercial television, the issue that led to the fall of the former cabinet. So a new cabinet was formed on the basis of the existing situation. A continuation of the Marijnen cabinet was considered to have too narrow a basis, so PvdA was asked to join in. As a result, CHU stepped out. But previous frictions between PvdA and KVP were overcome because there was a desire to form a cabinet fast, which was indeed done, in just over a month.

Term edit

After two decades of economic growth, this cabinet experienced a slight recession. Plans to build sports halls, roads and houses had to be tempered. In Limburg the coal mines were closed, and plans were devised to educate and re-employ the former miners.

There was also social unrest, which became apparent in the Provo movement, construction worker protests, riots over the marriage of Princess Beatrix in Amsterdam and the rise of new parties: the Farmers' Party (BP), the Pacifist Socialist Party (PSP), the Reformed Political League (GPV) and the Democrats 66 (D'66). The last party, especially, wished to change the political order..

On 14 October 1966 Norbert Schmelzer the Leader of the Catholic People's Party and Parliamentary leader of the Catholic People's Party in the House of Representatives proposed a Motion of no confidence against the cabinet and Prime Minister Jo Cals. A shocking and surprised action in Dutch politics, it marked the first time that a motion of no confidence was proposed against a cabinet of the same party. The cabinet resigned that evening.[5][6][7]

Changes edit

On 5 February 1966 State Secretary for Defense for Air Force Affairs Jan Borghouts (KVP) died following a debilitating disease at the age of 55. On 22 June 1966 former Chairman of the United Defence Staff lieutenant general Heije Schaper, who until then had been working as Chief Adjutant in extraordinary service to Queen Juliana was installed as his successor.

On 31 August 1966 Minister of the Interior Jan Smallenbroek (ARP) resigned after he was involved in a traffic incident while driving under the influence. Minister of Justice Ivo Samkalden (PvdA) served as acting Minister of the Interior until 5 September 1966 when Koos Verdam (ARP), who until then had been working as a professor of Roman and International Private Law at the VU University Amsterdam was appointed as his successor.

 
The first meeting of the Cals cabinet on 14 April 1965.
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns, Prime Minister Jo Cals, President of Tanzania Julius Nyerere and Prince Bernhard at Soesterberg Air Base on 21 April 1965.
 
Former United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3 September 1965.
 
Belgium Minister of Foreign Affairs Hendrik Fayat, West-German Minister for Foreign Affairs Gerhard Schröder and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns at a Western European Union conference in Brussels on 4 November 1965.
 
Indian diplomat Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and Prime Minister Jo Cals at the Catshuis on 12 November 1965.
 
President of the European Parliament Alain Poher and Prime Minister Jo Cals at the Catshuis on 24 May 1966.
 
Soviet Ambassador Ivan Tugarinov and Prime Minister Jo Cals at the Catshuis on 30 June 1966.
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns, President of Tunisia Habib Bourguiba and Prime Minister Jo Cals at the Catshuis on 7 July 1966.
 
Deputy Prime Minister Anne Vondeling, Indonesian Minister for Economic Affairs Hamengkubuwono IX and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Luns at the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague on 5 September 1966.

Cabinet Members edit

Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Jo Cals
(1914–1971)
Prime Minister General Affairs 14 April 1965 –
22 November 1966
Catholic
People's Party
  Dr.
Anne Vondeling
(1916–1979)
Deputy
Prime Minister
Finance 14 April 1965 –
22 November 1966
Labour Party
Minister
  Barend Biesheuvel
(1920–2001)
Deputy
Prime Minister
Agriculture and
Fisheries
24 July 1963 –
5 April 1967
[Retained] [Continued]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
Minister
Minister Interior Suriname and
Netherlands
Antilles Affairs
  Jan Smallenbroek
(1909–1974)
Minister Interior 14 April 1965 –
31 August 1966
[Res]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
  Dr.
Ivo Samkalden
(1912–1995)
31 August 1966 –
5 September 1966
[Ad Interim]
Labour Party
  Dr.
Koos Verdam
(1915–1998)
5 September 1966 –
5 April 1967
[Continued]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
  Joseph Luns
(1911–2002)
Minister Foreign Affairs 13 October 1956 –
6 July 1971
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Dr.
Ivo Samkalden
(1912–1995)
Minister Justice 14 April 1965 –
22 November 1966
Labour Party
  Joop den Uyl
(1919–1987)
Minister Economic Affairs 14 April 1965 –
22 November 1966
Labour Party
  Captain
Piet de Jong
(1915–2016)
Minister Defence 24 July 1963 –
5 April 1967
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Dr.
Gerard Veldkamp
(1921–1990)
Minister Social Affairs
and Health
17 July 1961 –
5 April 1967
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Dr.
Isaäc Arend
Diepenhorst

(1916–2004)
Minister Education and
Sciences
14 April 1965 –
5 April 1967
[Continued]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
  Ko Suurhoff
(1905–1967)
Minister Transport and
Water Management
14 April 1965 –
1 May 1966
[Note]
Labour Party
  Pieter Bogaers
(1924–2008)
1 May 1966 –
30 June 1966
[Acting]
Catholic
People's Party
  Ko Suurhoff
(1905–1967)
30 June 1966 –
22 November 1966
Labour Party
  Pieter Bogaers
(1924–2008)
Minister Housing and
Spatial Planning
24 July 1963 –
22 November 1966
[Retained]
Catholic
People's Party
  Maarten Vrolijk
(1919–1994)
Minister Culture, Recreation
and Social Work
14 April 1965 –
22 November 1966
Labour Party
Minister without portfolio Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Theo Bot
(1911–1984)
Minister Foreign Affairs Development
Cooperation
14 April 1965 –
5 April 1967
[Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
State Secretaries Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Theo Westerhout
(1922–1987)
State Secretary Interior Municipalities
Provinces
12 July 1965 –
22 November 1966
Labour Party
  Leo de Block
(1904–1988)
State Secretary Foreign Affairs) European Union
Benelux
3 September 1963 –
5 April 1967
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Max van der Stoel
(1924–2011)
United Nations
International
Organizations
22 July 1965 –
22 November 1966
Labour Party
  Dr.
Wiel Hoefnagels
(1929–1978)
State Secretary Finance Fiscal Policy
Tax and Customs
Governmental
Budget
31 May 1965 –
22 November 1966
Catholic
People's Party
  Joop Bakker
(1921–2003)
State Secretary Economic Affairs Small and
Medium-sized
Businesses

Regional
Development
3 September 1963 –
22 November 1966
[Retained]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
  Gerard
Peijnenburg

(1919–2000)
State Secretary Defence Army 13 May 1965 –
5 April 1967
[Continued]
Independent
Christian Democratic
Catholic
  Vice admiral
Adri van Es
(1913–1994)
Navy 14 August 1963 –
16 September 1972
[Retained] [Continued]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
  Colonel
Jan Borghouts
(1910–1966)
Air Force 12 July 1965 –
5 February 1966
[Died]
Catholic
People's Party
  Lieutenant general
Heije Schaper
(1906–1996)
22 June 1966 –
5 April 1967
[Continued]
Independent
Conservative Liberal
  Dr.
Louis Bartels
(1915–2002)
State Secretary Social Affairs
and Health)
Primary
Healthcare

Elderly Care
Disability Policy
Medical Ethics
3 September 1963 –
5 April 1967
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Dr.
José de Meijer
(1915–2000)
Occupational
Safety

Public
Organisations
15 November 1963 –
5 April 1967
[Retained] [Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Hans Grosheide
(1930-2022)
State Secretary Education and
Sciences
Primary
Education

Secondary
Education

Special
Education
3 September 1963 –
6 July 1971
[Retained] [Continued]
Anti-Revolutionary
Party
  Siep Posthumus
(1910–1987)
State Secretary Transport and
Water Management
Rail Transport
Weather
Forecasting
4 May 1965 –
22 November 1966
Labour Party
  Cees Egas
(1913–2001)
State Secretary Culture, Recreation
and Social Work
• Social Services
Youth Care
• Nature
Culture
Art
• Recreation
Sport
10 May 1965 –
22 November 1966
Labour Party
Source: (in Dutch) Rijksoverheid.nl
Resigned
Retained from the previous cabinet
Continued in the next cabinet
Acting
Ad Interim
Died in Office
Medical leave of absence from 1 May 1966 until 30 June 1966

Trivia edit

References edit

  1. ^ Changing Liaisons The Dynamics of Social Partnership in 20th Century West-European DemocraciesBy Karel Davids, 2007, P.165
  2. ^ Changing Liaisons The Dynamics of Social Partnership in 20th Century West-European DemocraciesBy Karel Davids, 2007, P.165
  3. ^ "Kabinetscrisis 1966: de Nacht van Schmelzer" (in Dutch). Parlement & Politiek. 10 December 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Misschien waren we allebei teveel boekhouder'" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. 12 September 1991. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  5. ^ (in Dutch) De Nacht van Schmelzer, Geschiedenis24, 15 October 2001
  6. ^ (in Dutch) Kabinetscrisis 1966: de Nacht van Schmelzer, Parlement & Politiek, 24 December 2008
  7. ^ (in Dutch) De Nacht van Schmelzer (1966), Histotheek.nl, 9 March 2010

External links edit

Official