The First Van Agt cabinet, also called the Van Agt–Wiegel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 19 December 1977 until 11 September 1981. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the election of 1977. The cabinet was a centre-right coalition and had a slim majority in the House of Representatives with Christian Democratic Leader Dries van Agt serving as Prime Minister. Liberal Leader Hans Wiegel served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.

Quick Facts Date formed, Date dissolved ...

First Van Agt cabinet Van Agt–Wiegel cabinet
56th Cabinet of the Netherlands
Installation of the cabinet by Queen Juliana at Soestdijk Palace on 19 December 1977
Date formed	19 December 1977 (1977-12-19)
Date dissolved	11 September 1981 (1981-09-11) 3 years, 266 days in office (Demissionary from 26 May 1981 (1981-05-26))
People and organisations
Monarch	Queen Juliana (1977–1980) Queen Beatrix (1980–1981)
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Deputy Prime Minister	Hans Wiegel
No. of ministers	17
Ministers removed	5
Total no. of members	21
Member party	Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD)
Status in legislature	Centre-right Majority government
History
Election(s)	1977 election
Outgoing election	1981 election
Legislature term(s)	1977–1981
Incoming formation	1977 formation
Outgoing formation	1981 formation
Predecessor	Den Uyl cabinet
Successor	Second Van Agt cabinet

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The cabinet served in the final years of the radical 1970s and the early years of the economic expansion of the 1980s. Domestically it had to deal with the last days of the counterculture, the abdication of Queen Juliana and the installation of Queen Beatrix, a growing inflation following the recession in the 1980s but it was able to implement several major social reforms to the public sector and civil reforms and stimulating deregulation and privatization. Internationally it had to deal with the 1979 oil crisis and the fallout of the increasing international stand against Apartheid in South Africa. The cabinet suffered several major internal and external conflicts including multiple cabinet resignations, including a informal caucus of several Christian Democrats in the House of Representatives that only supported the cabinet in a confidence and supply construction, but it was able to complete its entire term and was succeeded by the Second Van Agt cabinet following the election of 1981.^[1][2][3]

After the 1977 general election the Labour Party (PvdA) of incumbent Prime Minister Joop den Uyl was the winner of the election which won ten new seats and had now a total of 53 seats. The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of Hans Wiegel won six seats and had now 28 seats. The Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP), Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) participated for the first time as the combined party Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) with Dries van Agt as its new Leader. This electoral fusion resulted in one new seat and now had a total of 49 seats in the House of Representatives. A long negotiation between the Labour Party and Christian Democratic Appeal followed. Both parties had come out of the elections as equal partners. The negotiations were troubled by the personal animosity between incumbent Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party Joop den Uyl and the Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal Dries van Agt. Van Agt who served as Deputy Prime Minister under Den Uyl his cabinet had a bad working relationship. In the end Van Agt found that the demands of the Den Uyl were too great and instead he formed a coalition with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.

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.

^Resigned

^{Retained from the previous cabinet}

^{Continued in the next cabinet}

^{Ad Interim}

^Acting

^{Died in Office}

^{Appointed as Vice-President of the Council of State}

^{Appointed as Minister of Finance}

^{Appointed as Mayor of Apeldoorn}