First Van Agt cabinet
First Van Agt cabinet Van Agt–Wiegel cabinet | |
---|---|
56th Cabinet of the Netherlands | |
Date formed | 19 December 1977 |
Date dissolved | 11 September 1981 3 years, 266 days in office (Demissionary from 26 May 1981 ) |
People and organisations | |
Monarch | Queen Juliana (1977–1980) Queen Beatrix (1980–1981) |
Prime Minister | Dries van Agt |
Deputy Prime Minister | Hans Wiegel |
No. of ministers | 17 |
Ministers removed | 5 |
Total no. of members | 21 |
Member party | Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) |
Status in legislature | Centre-right Majority government |
History | |
Election(s) | 1977 election |
Outgoing election | 1981 election |
Legislature term(s) | 1977–1981 |
Incoming formation | 1977 formation |
Outgoing formation | 1981 formation |
Predecessor | Den Uyl cabinet |
Successor | Second Van Agt cabinet |
Part of the Politics series |
Politics portal |
The First Van Agt cabinet, also called the Van Agt–Wiegel cabinet was the
Minister of the Interior
.
The cabinet served in the final years of the
social reforms to the public sector and civil reforms and stimulating deregulation and privatization. Internationally it had to deal with the 1979 oil crisis and the fallout of the increasing international stand against Apartheid in South Africa. The cabinet suffered several major internal and external conflicts including multiple cabinet resignations, including a informal caucus of several Christian Democrats in the House of Representatives that only supported the cabinet in a confidence and supply construction, but it was able to complete its entire term and was succeeded by the Second Van Agt cabinet following the election of 1981.[1][2][3]
Formation
After the
electoral fusion resulted in one new seat and now had a total of 49 seats in the House of Representatives. A long negotiation between the Labour Party and Christian Democratic Appeal followed. Both parties had come out of the elections as equal partners. The negotiations were troubled by the personal animosity between incumbent Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party Joop den Uyl and the Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal Dries van Agt. Van Agt who served as Deputy Prime Minister under Den Uyl his cabinet had a bad working relationship. In the end Van Agt found that the demands of the Den Uyl were too great and instead he formed a coalition with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
.
Term
The cabinet had to deal with a major economic depression, but refused to cut government spending due to fierce left-wing opposition in the parliament, which had nearly half of the seats. Many left-wing demonstrations were held on the street against the government. Notorious were the harsh demonstrations in Amsterdam during the crowning of Queen Beatrix and the squatting riots. There was a sharp increase in unemployment and the government was seen to have created too much debt.
Changes
On 5 March 1978
Minister of Defence until 8 March 1978 when Member of the Council of State Willem Scholten
(CHU) was appointed as his successor.
On 1 April 1979
Minister for Science Policy until 3 May 1979 when Ton van Trier, who until then had been working as a professor of electrical engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology was installed as his successor. Ton van Trier an Independent Christian Democrat joined the Catholic People's Party
that same month.
On 22 February 1980
State Secretary for Finance Ad Nooteboom (CHU) declares his solidarity with Frans Andriessen
and also resigned that same day.
State Secretary for Finance
.
On 25 August 1980
Minister of Defence Willem Scholten (CHU) resigned after he was appointed Vice-President of the Council of State. That same day former naval officer Pieter de Geus (CHU), who until then had been working as a top official at the Ministry of Defence
was appointed as his successor.
On 1 September 1981 ten days before the new
Minister of Transport and Water Management Dany Tuijnman
(VVD) took over the position until the new cabinet was installed on 11 September 1981.
Cabinet Members
- Resigned
- Retained from the previous cabinet
- Continued in the next cabinet
- Ad Interim
- Acting
- Died in Office
- Appointed as Vice-President of the Council of State
- Appointed as Minister of Finance
- Appointed as Mayor of Apeldoorn
References
- ^ "Partij of Principes - De dissidenten binnen het kabinet Van Agt/Wiegel" (in Dutch). Andere Tijden. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
- ^ (in Dutch) Dries van Agt (1931), Absolutefacts.nl, 10 December 2008
- ^ (in Dutch) Wiegel houdt belofte van terugkeer levend, Trouw, 24 February 2005
External links
- Official
- (in Dutch) Kabinet-Van Agt I Parlement & Politiek
- (in Dutch) Kabinet-Van Agt I Rijksoverheid
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cabinet Van Agt I.