The De Jong cabinet (April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971) was a Dutch centre-right cabinet with ministers from Catholic People's Party (KVP), People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), Anti Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU). It was the first Cabinet of the Netherlands after World War II that completed a full term without any internal conflicts. The cabinet was confronted with a demand for democratic reforms in the society and it decided to democratise colleges and universities after the famous maagdenhuisbezetting. Plans were made to modernise politics by establishing an electoral system with districts or a chosen prime minister, but these plans were not implemented. Meanwhile, a pay pause due to the decision of employers and employees to raise wages was partly revoked after anti-government demonstrations and strikes. The minister of economic affairs, De Block, resigned, officially as a protest against the wage rise in the metal industry, but another reason was his slow reaction to the inflation and rising prices after the introduction of Value added tax. More unrest took shape in demonstrations against the war in Vietnam. Internationally, relations with Indonesia improved, resulting in a visit by president Suharto, which was, however, overshadowed by the occupation of the Indonesian embassy by Moluccans. The Soviet Union invasion in Czechoslovakia was seen as a reason to increase the defence budget.
| Minister | Title | Function | Party | Time in Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piet de Jong | Prime Minister | General Affairs | Catholic People's Party | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Johan Witteveen | Deputy Prime Minister | Finance | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Joop Bakker | Deputy Prime Minister | Transport and Water Management Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs |
Anti Revolutionary Party | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Henk Beernink | Minister | Interior | Christian Historical Union | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Joseph Luns | Minister | Foreign Affairs | Catholic People's Party | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Carel Polak | Minister | Justice | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Willem den Toom | Minister | Defence | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Leo de Block | Minister | Economic Affairs | Catholic People's Party | April 5, 1967 – January 7, 1970 |
| Roelof Nelissen | Minister | Economic Affairs | Catholic People's Party | January 14, 1970 - July 6, 1971 |
| Gerard Veringa | Minister | Education | Catholic People's Party | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Pierre Lardinois | Minister | Agriculture and Fisheries | Catholic People's Party | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Wim Schut | Minister | Housing and Spatial Planning | Anti Revolutionary Party | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Bauke Roolvink | Minister | Social Affairs and Health | Anti Revolutionary Party | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Marga Klompé | Minister | Culture, Recreation and Social work | Catholic People's Party | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
| Berend Jan Udink | Minister without portfolio | Development Cooperation | Christian Historical Union | April 5, 1967 – July 6, 1971 |
- As of 2012, the following cabinet members are still alive:
- Piet de Jong - (1915-04-03) April 3, 1915 (age 97)
- Johan Witteveen - (1921-06-12) June 12, 1921 (age 91)
- Roelof Nelissen - (1931-04-04) April 4, 1931 (age 81)
- Berend Jan Udink - (1926-02-12) February 12, 1926 (age 86)
- State Secretaries
- Hans Grosheide - (1930-08-06) August 6, 1930 (age 82)
- Anthony Duynstee - (1920-12-24) December 24, 1920 (age 91)
Famous quotes containing the words jong and/or cabinet:
“Back in the days when men were hunters and chestbeaters and women spent their whole lives worrying about pregnancy or dying in childbirth, they often had to be taken against their will. Men complained that women were cold, unresponsive, frigid.... They wanted their women wanton. They wanted their women wild. Now women were finally learning to be wanton and wild—and what happened? The men wilted.”
—Erica Jong (b. 1942)
“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 (1803–1882)