The Second Biesheuvel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 9 August 1972 until 11 May 1973. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU) and the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the fall of the previous Cabinet Biesheuvel I. The cabinet was a centre-right caretaker government and had a minority in the House of Representatives. Protestant Leader Barend Biesheuvel of the Anti-Revolutionary Party served as Prime Minister. Prominent Catholic politician Roelof Nelissen served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and former Liberal Leader Molly Geertsema served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. The rump cabinet served until the election of 1972.^[1]

Quick Facts Date formed, Date dissolved ...

Second Biesheuvel cabinet
54th Cabinet of the Netherlands
The members of the Second Biesheuvel cabinet in the House of Representatives on 17 August 1972
Date formed	9 August 1972 (1972-08-09)
Date dissolved	11 May 1973 (1973-05-11) 275 days in office (Demissionary from 29 November 1972 (1972-11-29))
People and organisations
Head of state	Queen Juliana
Head of government	Barend Biesheuvel
Deputy head of government	Roelof Nelissen Molly Geertsema
No. of ministers	14
Ministers removed	1
Total no. of members	14
Member party	Catholic People's Party (KVP) People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) Christian Historical Union (CHU)
Status in legislature	Centre-right Caretaker government
History
Election(s)	1971 election
Outgoing election	1972 election
Legislature term(s)	1971–1972
Incoming formation	1971 formation
Outgoing formation	1972–1973 formation
Predecessor	First Biesheuvel cabinet
Successor	Den Uyl cabinet

Close

Following the fall of the First Biesheuvel cabinet the Democratic Socialists '70 (DS'70) left the coalition and the Catholic People's Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union formed a Rump cabinet. Because the following negotiations for forming the next cabinet took rather long, the cabinet took further reaching decisions than a caretaker cabinet is usually supposed to do.

^Resigned

^{Retained from the previous cabinet}

^{Continued in the next cabinet}

^Acting

^{Appointment European Commissioner}