First Beel cabinet

First Beel cabinet

42nd Cabinet of the Netherlands
First meeting of the cabinet at the Ministry of General Affairs on 3 July 1946
Date formed3 July 1946 (1946-07-03)
Date dissolved7 August 1948 (1948-08-07)
2 years, 35 days in office
(Demissionary from 7 July 1948 (1948-07-07))
People and organisations
MonarchQueen Wilhelmina
Prime MinisterLouis Beel
Deputy Prime MinisterWillem Drees
No. of ministers17
Ministers removed5
Total no. of members19
Member partyCatholic People's Party
(KVP)
Labour Party
(PvdA)
Status in legislatureCentrist
Majority government
(Grand coalition/Roman-Red)
History
Election1946 election
Outgoing election1948 election
Legislature terms1946–1948
Incoming formation1946 formation
Outgoing formation1948 formation
PredecessorSchermerhorn–Drees cabinet
SuccessorDrees–Van Schaik cabinet

The First Beel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 3 July 1946 until 7 August 1948. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) after the election of 1946. The cabinet was a centre-left[1] grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with prominent Catholic politician Louis Beel serving as Prime Minister and dual served as Minister of the Interior continuing from the previous cabinet. Labour Leader Willem Drees continued as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs from the previous cabinet. According to one study, “Beel was of the opinion that a joint KVP-PvdA program should be presented to other political groups. According to Beel, that program should be socio-economically progressive, that is to say reform-oriented in favor of broad layers of the population. The socialists should not have to fear that a conservative wing within the KVP would rule the roost.”[2]

The cabinet served during early years of the post-war 1940s. Domestically the beginning of the recovery and rebuilding following World War II continued with the Marshall Plan, it was also to implement several major social reforms to social security. Internationally the beginning of the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies was continued. The cabinet suffered no major internal and external conflicts. Following a major revision of the constitution a snap election was called to simultaneously elect a new parliament. Following the election the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced with the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet.[3][4]

  1. ^ Changing Liaisons The Dynamics of Social Partnership in 20th Century West-European DemocraciesBy Karel Davids, 2007, P.165
  2. ^ III. De kabinetsformatie van 1946 a. De formatie tot 17 juni 1946
  3. ^ "Coalities tussen sociaaldemocraten en confessionelen" (in Dutch). Historisch Nieuwsblad. 10 August 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  4. ^ F.J.F.M. Duynstee; J. Bosmans (1977). Parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederland na 1945 , deel 1, Het kabinet-Schermerhorn-Drees (1945-1946). Van Gorcum. p. 5. ISBN 90-232-1412-9.

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