Willem Drees

His Excellency Willem Drees
Drees in 1958
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 7 August 1948 – 22 December 1958
Monarchs	Wilhelmina Juliana
Deputy	See list Josef van Schaik (1948–1951) Frans Teulings (1951–1952) Louis Beel (1952–1956) Teun Struycken (1956–1958)
Preceded by	Louis Beel
Succeeded by	Louis Beel
Minister of Finance
In office 1 July 1952 – 2 September 1952 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Piet Lieftinck
Succeeded by	Jo van de Kieft
Minister of Colonial Affairs
In office 15 March 1951 – 30 March 1951 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Johan van Maarseveen
Succeeded by	Leonard Peters
Leader of the Labour Party
In office 9 February 1946 – 22 December 1958
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Jaap Burger
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 25 June 1945 – 7 August 1948
Prime Minister	Willem Schermerhorn (1945–1946) Louis Beel (1948)
Preceded by	Hendrik van Boeijen (1942)
Succeeded by	Josef van Schaik
Minister of Social Affairs
In office 25 June 1945 – 7 August 1948
Prime Minister	Willem Schermerhorn (1945–1946) Louis Beel (1948)
Preceded by	Dolf Joekes
Succeeded by	Frans Wijffels
Leader of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
In office 14 May 1940 – 9 February 1946
Preceded by	Willem Albarda
Succeeded by	Office discontinued
Additional positions Member of the House of Representatives In office 3 July 1956 – 3 October 1956 In office 15 July 1952 – 2 September 1952 In office 27 July 1948 – 10 August 1948 In office 4 June 1946 – 4 July 1946 In office 9 May 1933 – 25 June 1945 Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives In office 10 August 1939 – 25 September 1945 Preceded by Willem Albarda Succeeded by Marinus van der Goes van Naters Parliamentary group Social Democratic Workers' Party
Personal details
Born	(1886-07-05)5 July 1886 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died	14 May 1988(1988-05-14) (aged 101) The Hague, Netherlands
Political party	Labour Party (1946–1971)
Other political affiliations	Social Democratic Workers' Party (1904–1946)
Relatives	Willem Drees Jr. (son) Willem B. Drees (grandson) Jacques Wallage (grandson-in-law)
Alma mater	Amsterdam Public Trade School (B.Acc)
Occupation	Politician · civil servant · Accountant · Stenographer · Historian · Author
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Willem Drees Sr. (Dutch pronunciation^ⓘ; 5 July 1886 – 14 May 1988) was a Dutch politician of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later co-founder of the Labour Party (PvdA) and historian who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 7 August 1948 to 22 December 1958.^[1][2][3][4]

Drees was elected to the House of Representatives for the SDAP in the 1933 general election and served as a frontbencher and spokesperson for social affairs. He succeeded Willem Albarda as party leader in 1940, and following the end of World War II, Drees was appointment Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs in the national unity Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet. In February 1946, Drees was one of the co-founders of the Labour Party and became its first Leader. After the 1948 general election, Drees led his party through a successful cabinet formation with the Catholic People's Party and formed the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet, with Drees becoming Prime Minister of the Netherlands, taking office on 7 August 1948.^[5]

The Drees-Van Schaik cabinet fell on 24 January 1951 and after a short cabinet formation was replaced by the first Drees cabinet, with Drees continuing as prime minister. For the 1952 general election, Drees served again as lead candidate and following a successful cabinet formation formed the second Drees cabinet and continued as prime minister for a second term. For the 1956 general election Drees once again served as lead candidate and following another cabinet formation formed the third Drees cabinet and continued as prime minister for a third term. The third Drees cabinet fell on 11 December 1958 and shortly thereafter Drees announced his retirement and would step down as Leader and would not serve another term as prime minister. Drees left office upon the installation of the caretaker second Beel cabinet on 22 December 1958.

Drees was known for his abilities as a skilful team leader and effective manager. From 1948 to 1958, his four cabinets were mostly praised and supported by the largest parties in the Netherlands.^[6] During his premiership, his cabinets were responsible for several major social reforms to social security, welfare, child benefits and education, overseeing the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies following the Indonesian National Revolution, the fallout of the annexation of former German territory and dealing with several major crises such as the North Sea flood of 1953 and Hofmans scandal.

Drees retired from active politics at 72 but continued to be active as a valued historian and prolific author and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government. Drees was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 22 December 1958 and continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until his death in May 1988 at the age of 101. He holds the record as the fourth longest-serving and longest-lived Prime Minister at 101 years, 314 days and his premiership is consistently regarded both by scholars and the public to have been one of the best in Dutch history.^[7][8][9]