This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2024) |
Louis Beel | |
---|---|
Prime Minister of the Netherlands | |
In office 22 December 1958 – 19 May 1959 | |
Monarch | Juliana |
Deputy | Teun Struycken |
Preceded by | Willem Drees |
Succeeded by | Jan de Quay |
In office 3 July 1946 – 7 August 1948 | |
Monarch | Wilhelmina |
Deputy | Willem Drees |
Preceded by | Willem Schermerhorn |
Succeeded by | Willem Drees |
Vice-President of the Council of State | |
In office 1 August 1959 – 1 July 1972 | |
Monarch | Juliana |
Preceded by | Bram Rutgers |
Succeeded by | Marinus Ruppert |
Minister of Social Affairs and Health | |
In office 22 December 1958 – 19 May 1959 | |
Prime Minister | Himself |
Preceded by | Ko Suurhoff |
Succeeded by | Charles van Rooy |
Member of the Council of State | |
In office 1 June 1959 – 1 August 1959 | |
In office 1 April 1958 – 22 December 1958 | |
Vice President | Bram Rutgers |
Minister of Justice | |
In office 4 February 1956 – 15 February 1956 Ad interim | |
Prime Minister | Willem Drees |
Preceded by | Leendert Antonie Donker |
Succeeded by | Julius Christiaan van Oven |
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands | |
In office 2 September 1952 – 7 July 1956 | |
Prime Minister | Willem Drees |
Preceded by | Josef van Schaik |
Succeeded by | Teun Struycken |
Minister of Social Work | |
In office 2 September 1952 – 9 September 1952 Ad interim | |
Prime Minister | Willem Drees |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Frans-Jozef van Thiel |
High Commissioner of the Dutch East Indies | |
In office 29 October 1948 – 2 June 1949 | |
Monarch | Juliana |
Prime Minister | Willem Drees |
Preceded by | Hubertus van Mook |
Succeeded by | Tony Lovink |
Minister of Colonial Affairs | |
In office 30 August 1947 – 3 November 1947 Ad interim | |
Prime Minister | Himself |
Preceded by | Jan Jonkman |
Succeeded by | Jan Jonkman |
Member of the House of Representatives | |
In office 27 July 1948 – 7 September 1948 | |
In office 4 June 1946 – 3 July 1946 | |
Minister of the Interior | |
In office 6 December 1951 – 7 July 1956 | |
Prime Minister | Willem Drees |
Preceded by | Frans Teulings (ad interim) |
Succeeded by | Julius Christiaan van Oven (ad interim) |
In office 23 February 1945 – 15 September 1947 | |
Prime Minister | See list
|
Preceded by | Hendrik van Boeijen (ad interim) |
Succeeded by | Piet Witteman |
Personal details | |
Born | Louis Joseph Maria Beel 12 April 1902 Roermond, Netherlands |
Died | 11 February 1977 Utrecht, Netherlands | (aged 74)
Cause of death | Leukemia |
Political party | Catholic People's Party (from 1945) |
Other political affiliations | Roman Catholic State Party (1933–1945) |
Spouse |
Jet van der Meulen
(m. 1926; died 1971) |
Children | 3 daughters and 1 son |
Alma mater | Radboud University Nijmegen (LL.B., LL.M., PhD) |
Occupation | Politician · Civil servant · Jurist · Lawyer · Researcher · Nonprofit director · Author · Professor |
Louis Joseph Maria Beel (12 April 1902 – 11 February 1977) was a Dutch politician of the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP) and later co-founder of the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 3 July 1946 until 7 August 1948 and from 22 December 1958 until 19 May 1959.[1]
Beel studied Law at the Radboud University Nijmegen obtaining a Master of Laws degree and worked as a civil servant in Eindhoven and for the provincial executive of Overijssel from July 1929 until May 1942 and as a researcher at his alma mater before finishing his thesis and graduating as a Doctor of Law in Administrative law and during World War II worked as a lawyer in Eindhoven from May 1942 until January 1945. Shortly before the end of the War, Beel was appointed as Minister of the Interior in the Gerbrandy III cabinet, the last government-in-exile taking office on 23 February 1945. After a cabinet formation, Beel retained his position in the national unity Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet. After the 1946 general election Beel was asked to lead a new cabinet and following a successful cabinet formation with Labour Leader Willem Drees formed the Beel I cabinet and became Prime Minister of the Netherlands and dual served as Minister of the Interior taking office on 3 July 1946.
After the 1948 general election, Beel failed to achieve a new coalition following a difficult cabinet formation and was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives on 27 July 1948. Beel left office following the installation of the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet on 7 August 1948 and continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a backbencher. In September 1948, Beel was nominated as the next high commissioner of the Dutch East Indies, serving from 29 October 1948 until 2 June 1949 and worked as a professor of administrative law and public administration at his alma mater and the Catholic Economic University from October 1949 until December 1951. Following a cabinet reshuffle he was again appointed as minister of the interior in the Drees I cabinet, taking office on 6 December 1951. After the 1952 general election, Beel continued his office in the Drees II cabinet and also became deputy prime minister, taking office on 2 September 1952. On 7 July 1956 Beel, resigned after his appointment to lead a special commission investigating a political crisis concerning the royal family. In February 1958, Beel was nominated as a Member of the Council of State taking office on 1 April 1958. After the fall of the Drees III cabinet, Beel was asked to lead an interim cabinet until the next election, and following a successful cabinet formation formed the caretaker Beel II cabinet and again became Prime Minister of the Netherlands and dual served as Minister of Social Affairs and Health taking office on 22 December 1958.
Before the 1959 general election, Beel indicated that he would not serve another term as prime minister or not stand for the election. Beel left office a second time following the installation of the De Quay cabinet on 19 May 1959. Beel continued to be active in politics and in July 1959 was nominated as the next vice-president of the Council of State, serving from 1 August 1959 until 1 July 1972.
Beel retired from active politics at 70 and became active in the public sector as a non-profit director and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government. Beel was known for his abilities as an efficient manager and effective consensus builder. Beel was granted the honorary title of minister of state on 21 November 1956 and continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until he was diagnosed with leukemia in August 1976, dying six months later at the age of 74. He holds the distinction as the only prime minister to have served two non-consecutive terms after World War II and because of his short terms in office his premiership is therefore usually omitted both by scholars and the public in rankings but his legacy as a minister in the 1940s and 50s and later as vice-president of the Council of State continue to this day.[2][3][4][5][6]