First Biesheuvel cabinet


The First Biesheuvel cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 6 July 1971 until 9 August 1972. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Catholic People's Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Anti-Revolutionary Party, Christian Historical Union and the Democratic Socialists '70 after the election of 1971. The centre cabinet was a majority government in the House of Representatives. It was the first of two cabinets of Barend Biesheuvel, the Leader of the Anti-Revolutionary Party as Prime Minister, with Roelof Nelissen of the Catholic People's Party and Molly Geertsema the Deputy Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy serving as Deputy Prime Ministers.

Term

Problems of the cabinet were the release of war criminals and the increasing inflation, combined with a stagnating economy. The decision to cut government expenses was not supported by DS'70, so the cabinet lost its majority in the parliament, resulting in Biesheuvel II.
Minister Stuyt, the first minister for environmental affairs, issued an urgency-note concerning the environment. In 1972, the first report from the Club of Rome was published, which showed that the environment is in a bad state worldwide and that resources will eventually run out.
The cabinet recognised the GDR and voted to allow China back into the United Nations.

Cabinet Members