Theo de Meester

Theo de Meester
De Meester in 1905
Chairman of the Council of Ministers
In office
17 August 1905 – 12 February 1908
MonarchWilhelmina
Preceded byAbraham Kuyper
Succeeded byTheo Heemskerk
Member of the Council of State
In office
24 April 1917 – 27 December 1919
Vice PresidentWilhelmus Frederik van Leeuwen
Leader of the Liberal Union in the
House of Representatives
In office
22 September 1913 – 30 March 1917
Preceded byHendrik Goeman Borgesius
Succeeded byEduard Ellis van Raalte
Member of the House of Representatives
for Den Helder
In office
9 May 1910 – 30 March 1917
Preceded byZadok van den Bergh
Succeeded byPieter Oud
Minister of Finance
In office
17 August 1905 – 12 February 1908
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byJan Harte van Tecklenburg
Succeeded byMaximilien Kolkman
Personal details
Born
Theodoor Herman de Meester

(1851-12-16)16 December 1851
Harderwijk, Netherlands
Died27 December 1919(1919-12-27) (aged 68)
The Hague, Netherlands
Political partyLiberal Union
Spouse
Josina Parker
(m. 1881)
Children2 sons and 1 daughter
Alma materUtrecht University
(Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
OccupationPolitician · Civil servant · Economist · Accountant · Nonprofit director · Editor · Author

Theodoor Herman "Theo" de Meester (16 December 1851 – 27 December 1919) was a Dutch politician of the Liberal Union and economist. He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 17 August 1905 until 12 February 1908.

De Meester was the son of Gerrit Abraham de Meester (1817–1864), who had been a member of the House of Representatives for the Zwolle constituency from 1862 to 1864. A former administrator in the Dutch East Indies, De Meester's cabinet was inaugurated on 17 August 1905. It consisted of five Liberal, two Free-minded Democratic, and two non-partisan ministers. It had no majority in either of the two Dutch chambers, and earned the nickname "Porcelain Cabinet". His government first resigned in December 1906, when the defence budget for 1907 was rejected by the Senate. That resignation was refused by Queen Wilhelmina, but the government fell in December 1907, when the Dutch parliament disapproved the defence budget for 1908. The government remained as a demissionary government until 12 February 1908.