Jo Cals
Jo Cals | |
---|---|
Prime Minister of the Netherlands | |
In office 14 April 1965 – 22 November 1966 | |
Monarch | Juliana |
Deputy | Anne Vondeling Barend Biesheuvel |
Preceded by | Victor Marijnen |
Succeeded by | Jelle Zijlstra |
Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences | |
In office 4 February 1962 – 23 April 1963 | |
Prime Minister | Jan de Quay |
Preceded by | Marga Klompé(ad interim) |
Succeeded by | Marga Klompé(ad interim) |
In office 2 September 1952 – 7 November 1961 | |
Prime Minister | See list
|
Preceded by | Theo Rutten |
Succeeded by | Marga Klompé(ad interim) |
State Secretary for Education, Arts and Sciences | |
In office 15 March 1950 – 2 September 1952 | |
Prime Minister | Willem Drees |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Anna de Waal |
Member of theHouse of Representatives | |
In office 2 July 1963 – 14 April 1965 | |
In office 20 March 1959 – 19 May 1959 | |
In office 3 July 1956 – 3 October 1956 | |
In office 15 July 1952 – 2 September 1952 | |
In office 19 August 1948 – 15 March 1950 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Jozef Maria Laurens Theo Cals 18 July 1914 Roermond,Netherlands |
Died | 30 December 1971 The Hague,Netherlands | (aged 57)
Cause of death | Brain tumor |
Political party | Catholic People's Party (from 1945) |
Other political affiliations | Roman Catholic State Party(until 1945) |
Spouse |
Truus van der Heijden
(m.1941) |
Children | 3 sons and 2 daughters |
Alma mater | Radboud University Nijmegen(LL.B.,LL.M.) |
Occupation | Politician · Diplomat · civil servant ·Jurist· Lawyer ·Prosecutor· Judge · Researcher ·Corporate director·Nonprofit director·Academic administrator·Lobbyist· Teacher |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Netherlands |
Branch/service | Royal Netherlands Army |
Years of service | 1945 (Active duty) 1945–1946 (Reserve) |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | Justice Corps |
Battles/wars | |
Jozef Maria Laurens Theo "Jo" Cals(18 July 1914 – 30 December 1971) was a Dutch politician of theCatholic People's Party(KVP) and jurist who served asPrime Minister of the Netherlandsfrom 14 April 1965 until 22 November 1966.[1][2][3]
Cals studied law at theRadboud University Nijmegenobtaining aMaster of Lawsdegree and worked as a lawyer and prosecutor inNijmegenfrom November 1940 until August 1948 and as researcher at his alma mater from February 1941 until May 1949. Cals also worked as a legal and economics teacher inRoermondfrom October 1943 until June 1945. Cals became a member of theHouse of Representativesshortly after1948 general electiontaking office on 19 August 1948 serving as afrontbencherand spokesperson for education and social work. Following acabinet reshufflehe was appointed asState Secretary for Education, Arts and Sciencesin theDrees–Van Schaik cabinet,taking office on 15 March 1950. The Drees–Van Schaik cabinet fell on 24 January 1951 and was replaced by thefirst Drees cabinet,with Cals continuing his office. After the1952 general election,Cals was appointed asMinister of Education, Arts and Sciencesin thesecond Drees cabinet,taking office on 2 September 1952. After the1956 general election,Cals retained his position in thethird Drees cabinet.The third Drees cabinet fell on 11 December 1958 and was replaced by thecaretakersecond Beel cabinet,with Cals continuing his function. After the1959 general election,Cals once again retained his office in theDe Quay cabinet.After the1963 general election,Cals was not offered a cabinet post in the newcabinetand returned to the House of Representatives on 2 July 1963, serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for the interior and Kingdom relations. Cals also became active in thepublic sectoras a non-profit director and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government.
After the fall of theMarijnen cabinet,Cals was asked to lead a new cabinet. Following a successfulcabinet formation,Cals formed theCals cabinetand becamePrime Minister of the Netherlands,taking office on 14 April 1965. The cabinet fell just one year into its term after a major political crisis and following a difficult cabinet formation was not included in a new cabinet. Cals left office upon the installation of thecaretakerZijlstra cabineton 22 November 1966 and announced his retirement.
Cals semi-retired from active politics at just 52 and became active in theprivateandpublic sectorsas a corporate and non-profit director, and served as a diplomat and lobbyist for several economic delegations and presided over several state commissions and councils for the government. Cals was known for his abilities as a efficient manager and his work ethics. During his premiership, his cabinet were responsible for major social reforms to social security,closing the mines in Limburgand stimulating urban development in theRandstad.Cals was granted the honorary title ofMinister of Stateon 5 December 1966 and continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until he was diagnosed with aterminalbrain tumorand died in December 1971 at the age of just 57. He holds the distinction of as the fourth longest-serving cabinet member since 1850 with 14 years and 353 days and his premiership is consistentlyconsideredboth by scholars and the public to have been average.[4][5][6][7][8]
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Jozef Maria Laurens Theo Cals was born inRoermondon 18 July 1914. After completing his secondary education in his home town, he studied for the priesthood in Rolduc. In 1935, however, he interrupted his theological training to study law at theRadboud University Nijmegen,after graduating in 1940 he practised law in that same city up until 1950, in the meantime also teaching economics at his old secondary school inRoermond.
Politics
[edit]In 1945 Cals became leader of theCatholic People's Partyin the municipal council ofNijmegenuntil 1946. He was elected to theHouse of Representativesin 1948. From 15 March 1950 to 2 September 1952 he wasState SecretaryforEducation, Arts and Sciences,serving from 15 March 1950 until 2 September 1952 in theDrees-Van SchaikandDrees Icabinets. He becameMinister of Education, Arts and Sciencesserving from 2 September 1952 until 24 July 1963 in the cabinetsDrees IIandIII,Beel IIandDe Quay,he helped pass theMammoetwet,a law that transformed secondary education. In the debate, he spoke for 6 hours and 50 minutes, setting a record. In 1963, however, he returned to the House of Representatives. Alongside his duties there, he was a member of the board of governors of theUniversity of Groningen,chairman of the Arts Council and a member of the Press Council.
In the aftermath of the collapse of theMarijnen cabinet,Cals becamePrime Minister of the Netherlandson 14 April 1965. After two decades of economic growth, his cabinet experienced a slightrecession.Plans to build sports halls, roads and houses had to be tempered. InLimburgthe coal mines were closed and plans were drawn to educate and re-employ the former miners. There was also social unrest ('the sixties'), which became apparent in theProvomovement, construction worker protests, riots over the marriage of princessBeatrixin Amsterdam and the rise of new parties likeFarmers' Party(BP),Pacifist Socialist Party(PSP),Reformed Political League(GPV) and theDemocrats 66(D'66). Especially the last party wanted to change the political order.
On 14 October 1966,Norbert Schmelzer,the leader of theCatholic People's Partyand chair of its parliamentary group in the House of Representatives, tabled a motion that was interpreted as amotion of no confidenceagainst the government and Prime Minister Cals. A shocking and surprised action inDutch politics,later known as theNight of Schmelzer,it marked the first time that a motion of no confidence was tabled against a government by a member of a government party.[citation needed]The cabinet resigned the next day.
Scouting
[edit]Cals was in 1930, just after the foundation as a separate Scouting organisation, one of the first members ofDe Katholieke Verkenners(The Catholic Scouts). He went to the4th World Scout Jamboreein Gödöllo, Hungary in 1933. After the liberation of the southern part of the Netherlands in 1944 he was one of the main forces in rebuilding Catholic Scouting as a separate Scouting movement in the Netherlands. During his second term asMinister of Education, Arts and Sciences,theState SecretaryforEducation, Arts and Scienceswas his formerScout MasterRené Höppener.
Trivia
[edit]Between 1968 and 1970, Cals was in charge of the Dutch entry to theExpo '70in Japan. From 1967 he was chairman of the National Advisory Committee on the amendment of the Constitution.
Cals was a hard worker but this was at the expense of his health, he died from abrain tumorin theMCH Westeinde hospitalinThe Hagueon 30 December 1971 at the age of 57.
Decorations
[edit]Honours | ||||
Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
Knightof theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre | Holy See | |||
Knight Grand Crossof theOrder of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 27 July 1963 | ||
Commanderof theOrder of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 5 December 1966 | ||
HonorificTitles | ||||
Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
Minister of State | Netherlands | 5 December 1966 | StyleofExcellency |
References
[edit]- ^"Cals, Jozef Maria Laurens Theo (1914–1971)"(in Dutch). Huygens ING. 12 November 2013.Retrieved24 May2019.
- ^"Jo Cals"(in Dutch). Politicalheroes.org. 8 March 2015.Retrieved1 September2019.
- ^"Kabinetscrisis 1966: de Nacht van Schmelzer"(in Dutch). Parlement & Politiek. 10 December 2010.Retrieved3 June2019.
- ^Abrahams, Frits (12 October 1991)."Noud Cals over zijn vader mr. Jo Cals en het einde van diens kabinet;" Hij was geen bezeten man, eerder: bevlogen'".NRC(in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad.Retrieved1 September2019.
- ^"Cals, J.M.L.T."(in Dutch). Katholiek Documentatie Centrum. 21 March 2012.Retrieved1 September2019.
- ^(in Dutch)Willem Drees gekozen tot ‘Dé premier na WO II’,Geschiedenis24.nl, 15 January 2006
- ^(in Dutch)NRC-enquête: Drees en Lubbers beste premiers sinds 1900,NRC Handelsblad, 28 September 2013
- ^(in Dutch)I&O Research,I&O Research, 13 March 2020
External links
[edit]- (in Dutch)Mr. J.M.L.Th. (Jo) CalsParlement & Politiek
- (in Dutch)Kabinet-CalsRijksoverheid
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