Second Beel cabinet

The second Beel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 22 December 1958 until 19 May 1959. The cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP), and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) after the fall of the previous Third Drees cabinet. The caretaker cabinet was a centre-right coalition and had a slim majority in the House of Representatives with former Catholic Prime Minister Louis Beel returning as Prime Minister and dual served as Minister of Social Affairs and Health. Prominent Catholic politician Teun Struycken continued as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Property and Public Organisations from previous cabinet and dual served as Minister of Justice.

Second Beel cabinet
Cabinet of the Netherlands
First meeting of the cabinet in the Trêveszaal on 23 December 1958
Date formed	22 December 1958 (1958-12-22)
Date dissolved	19 May 1959 (1959-05-19) 148 days in office (Demissionary from 12 March 1959 (1959-03-12))
People and organisations
Monarch	Queen Juliana
Prime Minister	Louis Beel
Deputy Prime Minister	Teun Struycken
No. of ministers	10
Member party	Catholic People's Party (KVP) Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) Christian Historical Union (CHU)
Status in legislature	Centre-right Majority government (Caretaker)
History
Outgoing election	1959 election
Legislature terms	1956–1959
Incoming formation	1958 formation
Outgoing formation	1959 formation
Predecessor	Third Drees cabinet
Successor	De Quay cabinet

The cabinet served during final years of the turbulent 1950s. Domestically its primary objective was to make preparations for a snap election in 1959. Following the election the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the De Quay cabinet.

Formation

On 11 December 1958 the Third Drees cabinet fell after a crises between the Labour Party and the Catholic People's Party over the prolonging for a proposed tax increase from the initial two years to only one fiscal year. Following the fall of the cabinet the Labour Party left the coalition and the Catholic People's Party, Anti-Revolutionary Party and Christian Historical Union formed a rump cabinet. Former Prime Minister Louis Beel was appointed as Prime Minister on 22 December 1958.

Cabinet Members

Ministers			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977)	Prime Minister	General Affairs		22 December 1958 – 19 May 1959	Catholic People's Party
			Minister	Social Affairs and Health
		Teun Struycken (1906–1977)	Deputy Prime Minister	Interior, Property and Public Organisations		29 October 1956 – 19 May 1959 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
			Minister
			Minister	Justice		22 December 1958 – 19 May 1959
		Joseph Luns (1911–2002)	Minister	Foreign Affairs		13 October 1956 – 6 July 1971 [Retained] [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Jelle Zijlstra (1918–2001)	Minister	Finance		22 December 1958 – 24 July 1963 [Continued]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
			Minister	Economic Affairs		2 September 1952 – 19 May 1959 [Retained]
		Kees Staf (1905–1973)	Minister	War and Navy		15 March 1951 – 19 May 1959 [Retained]	Christian Historical Union
			Minister	Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies		22 December 1958 – 19 May 1959
		Jo Cals (1914–1971)	Minister	Education, Arts and Sciences		2 September 1952 – 24 July 1963 [Retained] [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Jan van Aartsen (1909–1992)	Minister	Transport and Water Management		1 November 1958 – 19 May 1959 [Retained]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Herman Witte (1909–1973)	Minister	Housing and Construction		2 September 1952 – 19 May 1959 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Marga Klompé (1912–1986)	Minister	Social Work		13 October 1956 – 24 July 1963 [Retained] [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Gerard Helders (1905–2013)	Minister	Colonial Affairs		16 February 1957 – 19 May 1959 [Retained]	Christian Historical Union
State Secretaries			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Norbert Schmelzer (1921–2008)	State Secretary	Interior, Property and Public Organisations	• Public Organisations	29 October 1956 – 19 May 1959 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Gerard Veldkamp (1921–1990)	State Secretary	Economic Affairs	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Consumer Protection • Tourism	10 October 1952 – 17 July 1961 [Retained] [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Vice admiral Harry Moorman (1899–1971)	State Secretary	Navy	• Navy	1 May 1949 – 19 May 1959 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		René Höppener (1903–1983)	State Secretary	Education, Arts and Sciences	• Youth Care • Nature • Media • Culture • Art • Recreation • Sport	12 November 1956 – 19 May 1959 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party

^{Retained from the previous cabinet}

^{Continued in the next cabinet}

References

• Four cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title of Minister of State: Louis Beel (1956), Jelle Zijlstra (1983), Jo Cals (1966) and Marga Klompé (1971).

External links

Official

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