The second Van Agt cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch government from 11 September 1981 until 29 May 1982. The cabinet comprised members of the Christian-democratic party Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the social-liberal party Democrats 66 (D'66) after the election of 1981. The cabinet was a centre-leftChanging Liaisons: The Dynamics of Social Partnership in 20th Century West-European Democracies, Karel Davids, 2007, p. 165 grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives. The Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal, Dries van Agt, served as Prime Minister. Former Prime Minister Joop den Uyl, the Labour leader, served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, and was also given the portfolio of Netherlands Antilles Affairs. Democrats 66's leader Jan Terlouw served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs.

The cabinet served in the early years of the turbulent 1980s. Domestically it had to deal with a recession and growing inflation, but it was able to implement a major reform of social security during its brief tenure.

The cabinet suffered several major internal conflicts between its Christian Democratic Appeal members and Labour Party members, especially a poor working relationship between Prime Minister Van Agt and Deputy Prime Minister Den Uyl. These led to the fall of the cabinet just 243 days into its term, on 12 May 1982; the Labour Party cabinet members resigned, and the cabinet was replaced on 29 May by the Third Van Agt cabinet in a caretaker role.

Formation

At the 1981 general election the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), led by incumbent Prime Minister Dries van Agt, lost one seat but ended up with 48 seats, the greatest number of any party. The Labour Party (PvdA), led by former Prime Minister Joop den Uyl, lost nine seats, ending up with 44. Democrats 66 (D'66), led by Jan Terlouw, gained the most, adding nine new seats, for a total of 17. A long negotiation between CDA, PvdA and D'66 followed. The negotiation was troubled by personal animosity between leader of CDA Dries van Agt and leader of PvdA Joop den Uyl. The two men had previously, as (respectively) Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister, had a bad working relationship during the Den Uyl cabinet (1973–1977). In the end a coalition was formed.

Term Many conflicts made a healthy coalition impossible. Den Uyl, as Minister of Social Affairs, tried to create employment; but a plan to reform health insurance was met with huge resistance from the left wing. The cabinet fell because the Christian Democrats wanted a cut in government spending, while the Labour Party opposed this.

Cabinet members Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party Dries van Agt (1931–2024) Prime Minister General Affairs 19 December 1977 – 4 November 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal Joop den Uyl (1919–1987) Deputy Prime Minister Social Affairs and Employment 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Minister Minister Interior • Netherlands Antilles Jan Terlouw (1931–2025) Deputy Prime Minister Economic Affairs 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Democrats 66 Minister Ed van Thijn (1934–2021) Minister Interior 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Max van der Stoel (1924–2011) Minister Foreign Affairs 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Fons van der Stee (1928–1999) Minister Finance 5 March 1980 – 4 November 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal Job de Ruiter (1930–2015) Minister Justice 19 December 1977 – 4 November 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010) Minister Defence 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Democrats 66 Til Gardeniers-Berendsen (1925–2019) Minister Health and Environment 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal Jos van Kemenade (1937–2020) Minister Education and Sciences 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Henk Zeevalking (1922–2005) Minister Transport and Water Management 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Democrats 66 Jan de Koning (1926–1994) Minister Agriculture and Fisheries 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal Marcel van Dam (born 1938) Minister Housing and Spatial Planning 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party André van der Louw (1933–2005) Minister Culture, Recreation and Social Work 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Minister without portfolio Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party Kees van Dijk (1931–2008) Minister Foreign Affairs • Development Cooperation 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal State Secretaries Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party Saskia Stuiveling (1945–2017) State Secretary Interior • Municipalities 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Gerard van Leijenhorst (1928–2001) • Emergency Management • Minorities 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal Hans van den Broek (1936–2025) State Secretary Foreign Affairs • European Union • Benelux 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal Hans Kombrink (born 1946) State Secretary Finance • Fiscal Policy • Governmental Budget 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Michiel Scheltema (born 1939) State Secretary Justice) • Immigration and Asylum • Civil Law • Youth Justice 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Democrats 66 Piet van Zeil (1927–2012) State Secretary Economic Affairs • Small and Medium-sized Businesses • Regional Development • Consumer Protection • Tourism 11 September 1981 – 22 June 1986 Christian Democratic Appeal Wim Dik (1939–2022) • Trade and Export 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Democrats 66 Bram Stemerdink (born 1936) State Secretary Defence • Equipment • Justice 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Jan van Houwelingen (1939–2013) • Human Resources 14 September 1981 – 7 November 1989 Christian Democratic Appeal Ineke Lambers-Hacquebard (1946–2014) State Secretary Health and Environment • Environmental Policy • Food Policy 11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 Democrats 66 Ien Dales (1931–1994) State Secretary Social Affairs and Employment • Social Security • Unemployment • Elderly Care • Disability Policy 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Hedy d'Ancona (born 1937) • Occupational Safety • Adult Education • Equality • Emancipation 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Ad Hermes (1929–2002) State Secretary Education and Sciences • Primary Education 9 January 1978 – 4 November 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal Wim Deetman (born 1945) • Secondary Education 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal Jaap van der Doef (1934–2025) State Secretary Transport and Water Management • Public Transport • Aviation • Water Management • Postal Service • Weather Forecasting 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Siepie de Jong (born 1940) State Secretary Housing and Spatial Planning • Public Housing • Spatial Planning 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Labour Party Hans de Boer (born 1937) State Secretary Culture, Recreation and Social Work • Social Services • Nature • Culture • Art • Recreation 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Christian Democratic Appeal

Trivia Five cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Dries van Agt (Criminal Law and Procedure), Jan Terlouw (Nuclear Physics), Job de Ruiter (Civil Law), Jos van Kemenade (Education Sociology) and Michiel Scheltema (Constitutional and Administrative Law). Four cabinet members (later) served as Party Leaders and Lijsttrekkers: Dries van Agt (1976–1982) of the Christian Democratic Appeal, Joop den Uyl (1966–1986) of the Labour Party, Jan Terlouw (1973–1982) and Hans van Mierlo (1966–1973, 1986–1998) of the Democrats 66. Four cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title of Minister of State: Max van der Stoel (1991), Hans van Mierlo (1998), Jos van Kemenade (2002) and Hans van den Broek (2005). Twelve cabinet members (later) served as Mayor: Ed van Thijn (Amsterdam), Jos van Kemenade (Eindhoven), Henk Zeevalking (Utrecht and Rijswijk), André van der Louw (Rotterdam), Hans Kombrink (Zaanstad), Piet van Zeil (Heerlen), Jan van Houwelingen (Haarlemmermeer), Ien Dales (Nijmegen), Wim Deetman (The Hague), Jaap van der Doef (Vlissingen and Almere), Siepie de Jong (Leek) and Hans de Boer (Haarlemmermeer).

References

External links Kabinet-Van Agt II Parlement & Politiek Kabinet-Van Agt II Rijksoverheid