Third Balkenende cabinet

Third Balkenende cabinet
66th Cabinet of the Netherlands
The installation of the third Balkenende cabinet on 7 July 2006
Date formed	7 July 2006 (2006-07-07)
Date dissolved	22 February 2007 (2007-02-22) 230 days in office (Demissionary from 22 November 2006 (2006-11-22))
People and organisations
Monarch	Queen Beatrix
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Deputy Prime Minister	Gerrit Zalm
No. of ministers	16
Ministers removed	2
Total no. of members	18
Member party	Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD)
Status in legislature	Centre-right Minority government (Caretaker/Rump)
History
Outgoing election	2006 election
Legislature terms	2003–2007
Outgoing formation	2006–2007 formation
Predecessor	Second Balkenende cabinet
Successor	Fourth Balkenende cabinet

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The third Balkenende cabinet was the executive branch of the Government of the Netherlands from 7 July 2006 until 22 February 2007. The cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the fall of the second Balkenende cabinet. The caretaker rump cabinet was a centre-right coalition and had a minority in the House of Representatives with Christian Democratic Leader Jan Peter Balkenende serving as Prime Minister. Former Liberal Leader Gerrit Zalm continued as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

The cabinet served during the middle years of unstable 2000s. Domestically, its primary objective was to make preparations for a snap election in 2006, but immigration was also a major point of attention. Internationally, it had to deal with the war on terror and the government support for the Iraq War. The cabinet suffered several major internal and external conflicts including, such as the resignations of Justice Minister Donner and Housing Minister Dekker following a critical rapport by the Dutch Safety Board about the fire at the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol that killed 11 people, and Immigration Minister Verdonk losing the portfolio of Immigration and Asylum following a motion of no confidence. Following the election the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was superseded by the fourth Balkenende cabinet.^[1]