Second Biesheuvel cabinet

The second Biesheuvel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 9 August 1972 until 11 May 1973. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU) and the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the fall of the previous Cabinet Biesheuvel I. The cabinet was a centre-right caretaker government and had a minority in the House of Representatives. Protestant Leader Barend Biesheuvel of the Anti-Revolutionary Party served as Prime Minister. Prominent Catholic politician Roelof Nelissen served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and former Liberal Leader Molly Geertsema served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. The rump cabinet served until the election of 1972.

Second Biesheuvel cabinet
Cabinet of the Netherlands
The members of the Second Biesheuvel cabinet in the House of Representatives on 17 August 1972
Date formed	9 August 1972 (1972-08-09)
Date dissolved	11 May 1973 (1973-05-11) 275 days in office (Demissionary from 29 November 1972 (1972-11-29))
People and organisations
Head of state	Queen Juliana
Head of government	Barend Biesheuvel
Deputy head of government	Roelof Nelissen Molly Geertsema
No. of ministers	14
Ministers removed	1
Total no. of members	14
Member party	Catholic People's Party (KVP) People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) Christian Historical Union (CHU)
Status in legislature	Centre-right Caretaker government
History
Election	1971 election
Outgoing election	1972 election
Legislature terms	1971–1972
Incoming formation	1971 formation
Outgoing formation	1972–1973 formation
Predecessor	First Biesheuvel cabinet
Successor	Den Uyl cabinet

Formation

Following the fall of the First Biesheuvel cabinet the Democratic Socialists '70 (DS'70) left the coalition and the Catholic People's Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union formed a Rump cabinet. Because the following negotiations for forming the next cabinet took rather long, the cabinet took further reaching decisions than a caretaker cabinet is usually supposed to do.

Cabinet Members

Ministers			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Barend Biesheuvel (1920–2001)	Prime Minister	General Affairs		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Roelof Nelissen (1931–2019)	Deputy Prime Minister	Finance		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
			Minister
		Molly Geertsema (1918–1991)	Deputy Prime Minister	Interior		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
			Minister
		Norbert Schmelzer (1921–2008)	Minister	Foreign Affairs		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Dries van Agt (1931–2024)	Minister	Justice		6 July 1971 – 8 September 1977 [Retained] [Continued]	Catholic People's Party
		Harrie Langman (1931–2016)	Minister	Economic Affairs		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Hans de Koster (1914–1992)	Minister	Defence		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Louis Stuyt (1914–2000)	Minister	Health and Environment		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Jaap Boersma (1929–2012)	Minister	Social Affairs		6 July 1971 – 19 December 1977 [Retained] [Continued]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Chris van Veen (1922–2009)	Minister	Education and Sciences		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Christian Historical Union
					• Higher Education • Science	21 July 1972 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]
		Bé Udink (1926–2016)	Minister	Transport and Water Management		21 July 1972 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Christian Historical Union
			Minister	Housing and Spatial Planning		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]
		Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987)	Minister	Agriculture and Fisheries		5 April 1967 – 1 January 1973 [Retained] [Appt]	Catholic People's Party
		Jaap Boersma (1929–2012)				1 January 1973 – 11 May 1973 [Acting]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Piet Engels (1923–1994)	Minister	Culture, Recreation and Social Work		6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
Ministers without portfolio			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987)	Minister	Interior	• Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs	28 January 1972 – 1 January 1973 [Retained] [Appt]	Catholic People's Party
		Molly Geertsema (1918–1991)				1 January 1973 – 11 May 1973	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Kees Boertien (1927–2002)	Minister	Foreign Affairs	• Development Cooperation	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
State Secretaries			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Tjerk Westerterp (1930–2023)	State Secretary	Foreign Affairs	• European Union • Benelux	17 August 1971 – 7 March 1973 [Retained] [Res]	Catholic People's Party
		Willem Scholten (1927–2005)	State Secretary	Finance	• Fiscal Policy • Tax and Customs	14 July 1971 – 19 March 1973 [Retained] [Res]	Christian Historical Union
		Fons van der Stee (1928–1999)			• Governmental Budget	14 July 1971 – 12 March 1973 [Retained] [Res]	Catholic People's Party
		Hans Grosheide (1930–2022)	State Secretary	Justice	• Immigration and Asylum • Civil Law • Penitentiaries • Youth Justice	28 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Jan Oostenbrink (born 1936)	State Secretary	Economic Affairs	• Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Consumer Protection • Tourism	17 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Vice admiral Adri van Es (1913–1994)	State Secretary	Defence	• Human Resources • Equipment	14 August 1963 – 16 September 1972 [Retained] [Res]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Koos Rietkerk (1927–1986)	State Secretary	Social Affairs	• Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services	28 July 1971 – 23 April 1973 [Retained] [Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Kees Schelfhout (1918–1983)	State Secretary	Education and Sciences	• Primary Education • Special Education • Preschool	28 July 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Roelof Kruisinga (1922–2012)	State Secretary	Transport and Water Management	• Public Infrastructure • Water Management • Postal Service • Weather Forecasting	28 July 1971 – 20 March 1973 [Retained] [Res]	Christian Historical Union
		Werner Buck (1925–2010)	State Secretary	Housing and Spatial Planning	• Urban Planning • Spatial Planning	17 August 1971 – 11 May 1973 [Retained]	Catholic People's Party
		Henk Vonhoff (1931–2010)	State Secretary	Culture, Recreation and Social Work	• Social Services • Disability Policy • Youth Care • Nature • Culture • Art • Recreation • Sport	28 July 1971 – 23 April 1973 [Retained] [Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Source: (in Dutch) Rijksoverheid

^Resigned

^{Retained from the previous cabinet}

^{Continued in the next cabinet}

^Acting

^{Appointment European Commissioner}

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Kabinet-Biesheuvel I en II Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Kabinet-Biesheuvel Rijksoverheid