Drees-Van Schaik Cabinet

Drees-Van Schaik Cabinet

Drees-Van Schaik (7 August 1948 – 15 March 1951), under prime minister Willem Drees, consisted of ministers of PvdA, KVP, VVD and CHU and two independent ministers.

This coalition had a 76% representation in the second chamber of parliament. It had to have a broad basis for the change in constitution that was required to make the Dutch East Indies independent, resulting in the new country Indonesia (in December 1949). In 1948 a second politionele actie (litt: politional action, but actually a military intervention) was embarked upon, but ended under international pressure. The rejection of a VVD-motion over New Guinea in 1951 led to the fall of the cabinet. However, no elections were held and a new cabinet was formed with the same parties, Drees I.

In 1949, the Netherlands entered the NATO. In the same year several alterations of the German border took place.