Third Drees cabinet

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title: "Third Drees cabinet" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cabinets-of-the-netherlands", "1956-establishments-in-the-netherlands", "1958-disestablishments-in-the-netherlands", "cabinets-established-in-1956", "cabinets-disestablished-in-1958", "grand-coalition-governments", "coalition-governments-in-europe"] description: "Dutch cabinet, 1956 to 1958" topic_path: "geography/netherlands" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Drees_cabinet" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Dutch cabinet, 1956 to 1958 ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox government cabinet"]

Field	Value
cabinet_name	Third Drees cabinet
Fourth Drees cabinet
jurisdiction	the Netherlands
flag	Flag of the Netherlands.svg
flag_border	true
image	Kabinet 1956-10-12 - SFA001006690.jpg
image_size	300px
caption	The first meeting of the incoming Third Drees cabinet on 12 October 1956
image2	ZetelsDreesIII.svg
image_size2	250px
date_formed
date_dissolved
in office
(Demissionary from )
government_head	Willem Drees
deputy_government_head	Teun Struycken
state_head	Queen Juliana
members_number	14
former_members_number	2
total_number	16
political_party	Labour Party
(PvdA)
Catholic People's Party
(KVP)
Anti-Revolutionary Party
(ARP)
Christian Historical Union
(CHU)
legislature_status	Centre-left
Majority government
(Grand coalition/Roman-Red)
election	1956 election
last_election	1959 election
legislature_term	1956–1959
incoming_formation	1956 formation
outgoing_formation	1958 formation
previous	Second Drees cabinet
successor	Second Beel cabinet
state_head_title	Monarch
government_head_title	Prime Minister
deputy_government_head_title	Deputy Prime Minister
::

| cabinet_name = Third Drees cabinet Fourth Drees cabinet | cabinet_type = | jurisdiction = the Netherlands | flag = Flag of the Netherlands.svg | flag_border = true | incumbent = | image = Kabinet 1956-10-12 - SFA001006690.jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = The first meeting of the incoming Third Drees cabinet on 12 October 1956 | image2 = ZetelsDreesIII.svg | image_size2 = 250px | date_formed = | date_dissolved =
in office (Demissionary from ) | government_head = Willem Drees | government_head_history = | deputy_government_head = Teun Struycken | state_head = Queen Juliana | members_number = 14 | former_members_number = 2 | total_number = 16 | political_party = Labour Party (PvdA) Catholic People's Party (KVP) Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) Christian Historical Union (CHU) | legislature_status = Centre-left
Majority government (Grand coalition/Roman-Red) | opposition_party = | opposition_leader = | election = 1956 election | last_election = 1959 election | legislature_term = 1956–1959 | incoming_formation = 1956 formation | outgoing_formation = 1958 formation | previous = Second Drees cabinet | successor = Second Beel cabinet | state_head_title = Monarch | government_head_title = Prime Minister | deputy_government_head_title = Deputy Prime Minister

The Third Drees cabinet, also called the Fourth Drees cabinet, was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 13 October 1956 until 22 December 1958. The cabinet was a continuation of the previous Second Drees cabinet and was formed by the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) after the election of 1956. 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 KVP politician Teun Struycken (a former Governor of the Netherlands Antilles) served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Property and Public Organisations.

The cabinet served during the middle years of the turbulent 1950s. Domestically, the recovery and rebuilding following World War II continued with the assistance of the Marshall Plan, it also able to finalize several major social reforms to social security, welfare, child benefits and education from the previous cabinet. Internationally the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies continued. After suffering several major internal and external conflicts, including multiple cabinet resignations, the cabinet fell two years into its term, on 11 December 1958, following a disagreement in the coalition over a proposed tax increase; the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced with the caretaker Second Beel cabinet on 22 December 1958.

Formation

The cabinet formation took four months. This was the longest and most difficult formation the Netherlands had ever seen, partly as a result of the rising tensions between the Labour Party and the Catholic People's Party. After the formation these tensions kept rising, leading to the fall of the cabinet in December 1958. The root of the tensions was the decision of the Roman Catholic Church to excommunicate Catholic socialists from the church. Nearly 100% of the south of the Netherlands used to vote for the Catholic People's Party for decades, but in the 1950s secular political parties got an increase in votes. The excommunication had the result of social exclusion in cities and villages which used to be solidly Catholic blocks. Protestants in the north supported the Catholics.

Term

After considerable growth after World War II, the rising wages, combined with lowered taxes, now led to overspending, which endangered the export. In reaction, wages and government spending were both lowered.

Rising tension with Indonesia, mostly about New Guinea, came to a climax when Indonesia nationalised Dutch properties in the country. The Dutch were supposed to leave entirely.

Other international problems were the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian revolt, which led to monetary and economic problems. The threat of an oil crisis as a result of the Suez crisis led to the installation of car-free Sundays. The suppression of the Hungarian revolution by the USSR led to plundering of communist institutions. Several thousands of Hungarian refugees were accepted into the Netherlands and welcomed in Dutch homes.

On 1 January 1957, the state pension AOW after the age of 65, that was proposed during the former cabinet Drees II, was installed. This resulted from a previous emergency law by Drees, and is the one thing he is remembered for most.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Bespreking_Paul_H_Spaak_met_Minister_Luns_Den_Haag,_Bestanddeelnr_908-2948.jpg" caption="[[Secretary General of NATO]] [[Paul-Henri Spaak]] and Minister of Foreign Affairs [[Joseph Luns]] at the [[Binnenhof]] on 2 February 1957"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Premier_Nehroe_van_India_in_ons_land._Nehroe_in_Rotterdam,_Bestanddeelnr_908-7550.jpg" caption="[[Prime Minister of India]] [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and Minister of Foreign Affairs [[Joseph Luns]] in Rotterdam on 7 July 1957"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Ondertekening_Benelux_akkoord_in_de_Ridderzaal_te_Den_Haag_Vlnr.Larock(België,_Bestanddeelnr_121-0409.jpg" caption="Prime Minister of Luxembourg]] [[Joseph Bech]], Prime Minister [[Willem Drees]] and [[Prime Minister of Belgium]] [[Achille Van Acker]] at a [[Benelux]] conference in the [[Ridderzaal]] on 3 February 1958"] ::

Cabinet members

::data[format=table]

Ministers	Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	State Secretaries	Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Willem Drees 1958.jpg	120px	Willem Drees]]	Willem Drees
(1886–1988)	Prime Minister	General Affairs		7 August 1948 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Ko Suurhoff (1965).jpg	120px	Ko Suurhoff]]	Ko Suurhoff
(1905–1967)	Minister	Interior		13 October 1956 –
29 October 1956
Labour Party
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Teun Struycken 1950 (1).jpg	120px	Teun Struycken]]	Teun Struycken
(1906–1977)	[Interior, Property
and Public
Organisations](ministry-of-the-interior-and-kingdom-relations)	29 October 1956 –
19 May 1959
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
[Deputy
Prime Minister](deputy-prime-minister-of-the-netherlands)
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Joseph Luns 1966 (1).jpg	120px	Joseph Luns]]	Joseph Luns
(1911–2002)	Minister	Foreign Affairs		13 October 1956 –
6 July 1971
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Henk Hofstra 1956 (1).jpg	120px	Henk Hofstra]]	Henk Hofstra
(1904–1999)	Minister	Finance		13 October 1956 –
22 December 1958	Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Ivo Samkalden 1966 (1).jpg	120px	Ivo Samkalden]]	Dr.
Ivo Samkalden
(1912–1995)	Minister	Justice		13 October 1956 –
22 December 1958	Labour Party
Anti Revolutionary Party}};"		[[File:Jelle Zijlstra 1966 (cropped).jpg	120px	Jelle Zijlstra]]	Dr.
Jelle Zijlstra
(1918–2001)	Minister	Economic Affairs		2 September 1952 –
19 May 1959
[Anti-
Revolutionary Party](anti-revolutionary-party)
Christian Historical Union}};"		[[File:Staf, C. - SFA002019712.jpg	120px	Kees Staf]]	Kees Staf
(1905–1973)	Minister	War and Navy		15 March 1951 –
19 May 1959
[Christian
Historical Union](christian-historical-union)
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Ko Suurhoff (1965).jpg	120px	Ko Suurhoff]]	Ko Suurhoff
(1905–1967)	Minister	Social Affairs
and Health		2 September 1952 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Jo Cals 1966.jpg	120px	Jo Cals]]	Jo Cals
(1914–1971)	Minister	[Education, Arts
and Sciences](ministry-of-education-culture-and-science-netherlands)		2 September 1952 –
24 July 1963
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
Anti Revolutionary Party}};"		[[File:Jacob Algera 1958 (1).jpg	120px	Jacob Algera]]	Jacob Algera
(1902–1966)	Minister	[Transport and
Water Management](ministry-of-transport-and-water-management-netherlands)		2 September 1952 –
10 October 1958
[Anti-Revolutionary
Party](anti-revolutionary-party)
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Herman Witte 1966 (1).jpg	120px	Herman Witte]]	Herman Witte
(1909–1973)	10 October 1958 –
1 November 1958
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
Anti Revolutionary Party}};"		[[File:Jan van Aartsen 1965 (2).jpg	120px	Jan van Aartsen]]	Jan van Aartsen
(1909–1992)	1 November 1958 –
19 May 1959
[Anti-Revolutionary
Party](anti-revolutionary-party)
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Sicco Mansholt 1945 (1).jpg	120px	Sicco Mansholt]]	Sicco Mansholt
(1908–1995)	Minister	[Agriculture,
Fisheries and
Food Supplies](ministry-of-agriculture-nature-and-food-quality)		25 June 1945 –
1 January 1958
Labour Party
Christian Historical Union}};"		[[File:Staf, C. - SFA002019712.jpg	120px	Kees Staf]]	Kees Staf
(1905–1973)	1 January 1958 –
13 January 1958
[Christian
Historical Union](christian-historical-union)
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Vondeling, A. - SFA002019682.jpg	120px	Anne Vondeling]]	Dr.
Anne Vondeling
(1916–1979)	13 January 1958 –
22 December 1958	Labour Party
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Herman Witte 1966 (1).jpg	120px	Herman Witte]]	Herman Witte
(1909–1973)	Minister	[Housing and
Construction](ministry-of-housing-spatial-planning-and-the-environment-netherlands)		2 September 1952 –
19 May 1959
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Klompé, dr. Marga A. M. - SFA001011541.jpg	120px	Marga Klompé]]	Dr.
Marga Klompé
(1912–1986)	Minister	Social Work		13 October 1956 –
24 July 1963
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
Christian Historical Union}};"		[[File:Staf, C. - SFA002019712.jpg	120px	Kees Staf]]	Kees Staf
(1905–1973)	Minister	Colonial Affairs		18 July 1956 –
16 February 1957
[Christian
Historical Union](christian-historical-union)
Christian Historical Union}};"		[[File:Gerard Helders 1957 (1).jpg	120px	Gerard Helders]]	Gerard Helders
(1905–2013)	16 February 1957 –
19 May 1959
[Christian
Historical Union](christian-historical-union)
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Schmelzer, Norbert - SFA005000409.jpg	120px	Norbert Schmelzer]]	Norbert Schmelzer
(1921–2008)	State Secretary	[Interior, Property
and Public
Organisations](ministry-of-the-interior-and-kingdom-relations)	• [Public
Organisations](publiekrechtelijke-bedrijfsorganisatie)	29 October 1956 –
19 May 1959
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Beugel, E.H. van der - SFA008007072.jpg	120px	Ernst van der Beugel]]	[Ernst van
der Beugel](ernst-van-der-beugel)
(1918–2004)	State Secretary	Foreign Affairs	• [European
Economic
Community](european-economic-community)
• European Union
• Benelux	8 January 1957 –
22 December 1958	Labour Party
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Gerard Veldkamp 1964 (1).jpg	120px	Gerard Veldkamp]]	Dr.
Gerard Veldkamp
(1921–1990)	State Secretary	Economic Affairs	• [Small and
Medium-sized
Businesses](small-and-medium-sized-enterprises)
• Consumer
Protection
• Tourism	10 October 1952 –
17 July 1961
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Ferdinand Jan Kranenburg (1951).jpg	120px	Ferdinand Kranenburg]]	[Ferdinand
Kranenburg](ferdinand-kranenburg)
(1911–1994)	State Secretary	War and Navy	• Army
• Air Force	1 June 1951 –
1 June 1958
Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Veen, M.van - SFA008007389.jpg	120px	Meine van Veen]]	Meine van Veen
(1893–1970)	25 October 1958 –
22 December 1958	Labour Party
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Moorman, H.C. - SFA008007335.jpg	120px	Harry Moorman]]	Vice admiral
Harry Moorman
(1899–1971)	• Navy	1 May 1949 –
19 May 1959
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
Labour Party (Netherlands)}};"		[[File:Aart van Rhijn (1940-1945).jpg	120px	Aat van Rhijn]]	Dr.
Aat van Rhijn
(1892–1986)	State Secretary	Social Affairs
and Health	• Social Security
• Unemployment
• [Occupational
Safety](occupational-safety-and-health)
• Social Services	15 February 1950 –
22 December 1958
Labour Party
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Anna de Waal 1954 (1).jpg	120px	Anna de Waal]]	Dr.
Anna de Waal
(1906–1981)	State Secretary	[Education, Arts
and Sciences](ministry-of-education-culture-and-science-netherlands)	• [Primary
Education](primary-education)
• [Secondary
Education](secondary-education)
• [Special
Education](special-education)
• Youth Care	2 February 1953 –
16 March 1957
}	[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
Catholic People's Party}};"		[[File:Höppener, R.G.A. - SFA008007097.jpg	120px	René Höppener]]	René Höppener
(1903–1983)	• Youth Care
• Nature
• Media
• Culture
• Art
• Recreation
• Sport	12 November 1956 –
19 May 1959
[Catholic
People's Party](catholic-people-s-party)
::

: : : : : : :

Trivia

• Eight cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Henk Hofstra (Fiscal Law), Ivo Samkalden (Agricultural Law), Jelle Zijlstra (Public Economics), Anne Vondeling (Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering), Marga Klompé (Chemistry), Gerard Veldkamp (Microeconomics), Aat van Rhijn (Fiscal Law) and Anna de Waal (Geography).
• Five cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title of Minister of State: Willem Drees (1958), Ivo Samkalden (1985), Jelle Zijlstra (1983), Jo Cals (1966) and Marga Klompé (1971).
• Four 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, Anne Vondeling (1962–1966) of the Labour Party, Jelle Zijlstra (1956, 1958–1959) of the Anti-Revolutionary Party and Norbert Schmelzer (1963–1971) of the Catholic People's Party.
• Two cabinet members lived to centenarian age: Willem Drees (1886–1988) lived to and Gerard Helders (1905–2013) lived to .

References

References

1. Changing Liaisons The Dynamics of Social Partnership in 20th Century West-European DemocraciesBy Karel Davids, 2007, P.165
2. According to a different numbering this was the Fourth Drees cabinet because it was the fourth cabinet with Willem Drees as Prime Minister.
3. Changing Liaisons The Dynamics of Social Partnership in 20th Century West-European DemocraciesBy Karel Davids, 2007, P.165
4. (10 August 2006). "Coalities tussen sociaaldemocraten en confessionelen". Historisch Nieuwsblad.

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