Third Lubbers cabinet

The third Lubbers cabinet existed from 1989 to 1994, and was formed by a coalition of the Christian-Democrats (CDA) and the Labour Party (PvdA). The cabinet was formed with a view to social reform. This was impossible because of the then bad shape of the Dutch economy, which made large reductions in government spending necessary. The reduction of the social care for disabled people led to the demonstrations against the Dutch government in 1992. Many angry socialists left the Labour Party. The coalition lost heavily during the elections of 1994.

Ministers

Portfolio	Minister
Prime Minister, General Affairs (CDA)	Ruud Lubbers
Deputy Prime Minister, Finances (PvdA)	Wim Kok
Foreign Affairs (CDA)	Hans van den Broek; Pieter Kooijmans
Justice and Kingdom Relations(CDA/PVDA)	Ernst Hirsch Ballin (CDA); Aad Kosto (PvdA)
Interior Affairs (PVDA/CDA)	Ien Dales (PvdA); Ernst Hirsch Ballin (CDA); Ed van Thijn (PvdA); Dieuwke de Graaff-Nauta (CDA)
Education and Sciences (CDA)	Jo Ritzen
Defence (PvdA)	Relus ter Beek
Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment (PvdA)	Hans Alders
Transport and Water (CDA)	Hanja Maij-Weggen; Koos Andriessen
Economic Affairs (CDA)	Koos Andriessen
Agriculture, Nature Management and Fishery (CDA)	Gerrit Braks; Bert de Vries; Piet Bukman
Social Affairs and Work Opportunity (CDA)	Bert de Vries
Welfare, Health and Culture (PvdA)	Hedy d'Ancona; Jo Ritzen
Minister of Development Cooperation (PvdA)	Jan Pronk

Staatssecretarissen

Portfolio	Staatssecretaris
Foreign Affairs (PvdA)	Piet Dankert
Justice (PvdA)	Aad Kosto
Internal Affairs (CDA)	Dieuwke de Graaff-Nauta
Education and Sciences (PvdA)	Jacques Wallage; Roel in 't Veld; Job Cohen
Finances (CDA)	Marius van Amelsvoort
Defence (CDA)	Berend-Jan van Voorst tot Voorst; Ton Frinking
Housing, Spacial Planning and Environment (CDA)	Enneüs Heerma
Economic Affairs (CDA), Minister of Foreign Trade(*)	Piet Bukman; Yvonne van Rooy
Agriculture, Nature Management and Fishery (CDA)	Dzsingisz Gabor
Social Affairs and Work Opportunity (PvdA)	Elske ter Veld; Jacques Wallage
Welfare, Health and Culture (PvdA)	Hans Simons

(*) Alternative title that can be used outside the Netherlands.

Changes

On 2 January 1993 Minister for Foreign Affairs Hans van den Broek resigned to become European Commissioner for External Relations and Enlargement in the third term of the Delors Commission. He was succeeded by Professor Pieter Kooijmans, formerly Professor of International Law and European Law at the University of Leiden.

On 1 June 1993, Junior Minister of Defence Berend-Jan van Voorst tot Voorst became the new governor of Limburg Province.

On 10 January 1994, Minister for Internal Affairs Ien Dales unexpectedly died. She was temporarily succeeded by Minister of Justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin until Ed van Thijn, then mayor of Amsterdam, could succeed him on 18 January 1994.

On 26 February 1994, Junior Minister of Welfare, Health and Culture Hans Simons resigned. He was not succeeded.

On 27 May 1994, Minister of Justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin and minister of Internal Affairs Ed van Thijn were forced to resign over illegal interrogation techniques used by the Dutch police. They were succeeded by their junior ministers Aad Kosto and Dieuwke de Graaff-Nauta, respectively. The portfolio of Kingdom Relations was taken care of by the Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers.

Due to the installment of a new European Parliament, several members resigned their functions to become members of this new parliament on 16 July 1994. Because the cabinet was already in "caretaker" mode, their portfolios were assigned to other ministers. The portfolio of minister of Transport and Water Hanja Maij-Weggen was added to the portfolio of the minister of Economic Affairs Coos Andriessen. The portfolio of minister of Welfare, Health and Culture Hedy d'Ancona was added to the portfolio of the minister of Education Jo Ritzen. Junior minister of Foreign Affairs Piet Dankert was not succeeded.