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 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.”
First Beel cabinet
Image: Louis Beel 1945 (1)
Image: Minister van Sociale Zaken dr. Drees aan zijn bureau, pen in de hand. 29 mei 1947. SFA001014095
Image: Petrus Johannes Witteman
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands.
Willem Drees, co-founder, party leader (1946–1958) and Prime Minister (1948–1958)
Joop den Uyl, party leader (1966–1986) and Prime Minister (1973–1977)
Wim Kok, Third Way party leader (1986–2001) and Prime Minister (1994–2002)
Wouter Bos, party leader (2002–2010)