The first Van Agt cabinet (1977-1981) was a right-wing coalition of the CDA and the VVD. The Labour Party was the largest party after the elections, but the demands of Labour leader Joop den Uyl were too great for Christian-Democrat Dries van Agt, who formed a coalition with right-wing liberal Hans Wiegel. The cabinet had to deal with a major economic depression, but refused to cut government spending due to fierce left-wing opposition in the parliament, which had nearly half of the seats. Many left-wing demonstrations were held on the street against the government. Notorious were the harsh demonstrations in Amsterdam during the crowning of queen Beatrix and the squatting riots. There was a sharp increase in unemployment and the government was seen to have created too much debt.
|
This article about politics in the Netherlands is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Famous quotes containing the words van and/or cabinet:
“It is not a certain conformity of manners that the painting of Van Gogh attacks, but rather the conformity of institutions themselves. And even external nature, with her climates, her tides, and her equinoctial storms, cannot, after van Goghs stay upon earth, maintain the same gravitation.”
—Antonin Artaud (18961948)
“I suppose an entire cabinet of shells would be an expression of the whole human mind; a Flora of the whole globe would be so likewise, or a history of beasts; or a painting of all the aspects of the clouds. Everything is significant.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)