The second Kok cabinet, also called the second Purple cabinet, was the executive branch of the Dutch government from 3 August 1998 until 22 July 2002.

Second Kok cabinet
Second Purple cabinet

Cabinet of the Netherlands
The installation of the second Kok cabinet on 3 August 1998
Date formed3 August 1998 (1998-08-03)
Date dissolved22 July 2002 (2002-07-22)
(Demissionary from 16 April 2002 (2002-04-16))
People and organisations
Head of stateQueen Beatrix
Head of governmentWim Kok
Deputy head of governmentAnnemarie Jorritsma
Els Borst
No. of ministers15
Ministers removed2
Total no. of members17
Member partyLabour Party
(PvdA)
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy

(VVD)
Democrats 66
(D66)
Status in legislatureCentrist
Majority government
(Grand coalition/Purple)
History
Election1998 election
Outgoing election2002 election
Legislature terms1998–2002
Incoming formation1998 formation
Outgoing formation2002 formation
PredecessorFirst Kok cabinet
SuccessorFirst Balkenende cabinet

The cabinet was a continuation of the previous first Kok cabinet and was formed by the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA), the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the social-liberal Democrats 66 after the election of 1998. The cabinet was a centrist grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with Labour Leader Wim Kok serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Liberal politician Annemarie Jorritsma, the Minister of Transport and Water Management in the previous cabinet, served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, while former progressive-liberal leader Els Borst continued as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport and also served as Deputy Prime Minister.

The cabinet served during the economic expansion of the late 1990s and early unstable 2000s. Domestically, it was able to implement several major social reforms such as legalising same-sex marriage, and had to deal with the assassination of Pim Fortuyn. Internationally, it had to deal with several crises such as the fallout of the Srebrenica massacre and the response to September 11 attacks. The cabinet suffered several major internal and external conflicts including multiple cabinet resignations; the cabinet itself resigned prematurely on two occasions: first following a major political crisis in May 1999 (it later came back on its resignation), and second, following the conclusions of a report into the Srebrenica massacre on 16 April 2002. It continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced following the election of 2002.[1][2]

Formation

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The new cabinet was the successor of the First Kok cabinet (First Purple cabinet) and was formed from the same coalition of Labour Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Democrats 66. It was also known as the 'tweede paarse kabinet' ('second purple cabinet') called such because it contained both the social-democratic Labour Party (red) and the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (blue).

Term

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The aim of the cabinet was to continue the policy of cabinet Kok I, which was concerned with economizing, tax reduction and making an end to unemployment. Wim Kok was the Prime Minister, Annemarie Jorritsma as the Deputy Prime Minister for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, and Els Borst for Democrats 66. The cabinet was considered boring, because both left-wing and right-wing political parties were a part of it. There was no strong opposition in the parliament. The cabinet completed processes of liberalisation which were started by the previous cabinet: the legalisation of prostitution in 2000, same-sex marriage in 2001 and Euthanasia in 2002. This cabinet was notable for resigning twice. The first time was in May 1999, when Democrats 66 stepped out of the coalition when proposed legislation entered by this party was blocked; through negotiations the crisis was solved and the cabinet stayed together. The second and final time was on 16 April 2002, just one month before the next election, when Prime Minister Kok wished to resign over the NIOD report into the genocide of Srebrenica in 1995 and the other ministers had no choice but to follow him. The Second Kok cabinet remained in place as a Demissionary cabinet until 22 July 2002, when it was replaced by the First Balkenende cabinet.

Changes

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On 7 June 1999 Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries Haijo Apotheker (D66) resigned citing that as a former mayor he could not adjust to national politics. Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Klaas de Vries (PvdA) served as acting Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries until 9 June 1999 when Member of the European Parliament Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (D66), a former State Secretary for Foreign Affairs was appointed as his successor.

On 13 March 2000 Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Bram Peper (PvdA) resigned after a report was released about inappropriate declarations he had made when he served as Mayor of Rotterdam. Minister for Integration and Urban Planning Roger van Boxtel (D66) served as acting Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations until 24 March 2000 when Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Klaas de Vries (PvdA) was installed as his successor. That same day State Secretary for Finance Willem Vermeend (PvdA) was appointed as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and Member of the House of Representatives Wouter Bos (PvdA) was installed as State Secretary for Finance.

On 1 January 2001 State Secretary for Justice Job Cohen (PvdA) resigned after he was appointed as Mayor of Amsterdam. That same day Member of the House of Representatives Ella Kalsbeek (PvdA) was installed as his successor.

 
Minister Frank de Grave and United States Secretary of Defense William Cohen at The Pentagon on 25 September 2000.
 
Prime Minister Wim Kok and President of Russia Vladimir Putin at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on 19 January 2001.
 
Minister Jozias van Aartsen at The Pentagon on 18 May 2001.

Cabinet members

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Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Wim Kok
(1938–2018)
Prime Minister General Affairs 22 August 1994 –
22 July 2002
[Retained]
Labour Party
  Annemarie
Jorritsma

(born 1950)
Deputy
Prime Minister
Economic Affairs 3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
Minister
  Dr.
Els Borst
(1932–2014)
Deputy
Prime Minister
Health, Welfare
and Sport
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Democrats 66
Minister 22 August 1994 –
22 July 2002
[Retained]
  Dr.
Bram Peper
(1940–2022)
Minister Interior and
Kingdom Relations
3 August 1998 –
13 March 2000
[Res]
Labour Party
  Roger
van Boxtel

(born 1954)
13 March 2000 –
24 March 2000
[Ad Interim]
Democrats 66
  Klaas de Vries
(born 1943)
24 March 2000 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
  Jozias van
Aartsen

(born 1947)
Minister Foreign Affairs 3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Gerrit Zalm
(born 1952)
Minister Finance 22 August 1994 –
22 July 2002
[Retained]
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Benk Korthals
(born 1944)
Minister Justice 3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Frank de Grave
(born 1955)
Minister Defence 3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Klaas de Vries
(born 1943)
Minister Social Affairs and
Employment
3 August 1998 –
24 March 2000
[App]
Labour Party
  Dr.
Willem
Vermeend

(born 1948)
24 March 2000 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
  Loek Hermans
(born 1951)
Minister Education, Culture
and Science
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Tineke
Netelenbos

(born 1944)
Minister Transport and
Water Management
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
Haijo Apotheker
(born 1950)
Minister Agriculture, Nature
and Fisheries
3 August 1998 –
7 June 1999
[Res]
Democrats 66
  Klaas de Vries
(born 1943)
7 June 1999 –
9 June 1999
[Ad Interim]
Labour Party
  Laurens Jan
Brinkhorst

(born 1937)
9 June 1999 –
22 July 2002
Democrats 66
  Jan Pronk
(born 1940)
Minister Housing, Spatial
Planning and the
Environment
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
Ministers without portfolio Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Roger
van Boxtel

(born 1954)
Minister Interior and
Kingdom Relations
Urban Planning
Integration
Minorities
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Democrats 66
  Eveline
Herfkens

(born 1952)
Minister Foreign Affairs Development
Cooperation
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
State Secretaries Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Gijs de Vries
(born 1956)
State Secretary Interior and
Kingdom Relations
Kingdom
Relations

Emergency
Services

Emergency
Management

Regional
Languages
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Dick Benschop
(born 1957)
State Secretary Foreign Affairs European Union
Benelux
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
  Dr.
Willem
Vermeend

(born 1948)
State Secretary Finance Fiscal Policy
Tax and Customs
Governmental
Budget
22 August 1994 –
24 March 2000
[Retained] [App]
Labour Party
  Wouter Bos
(born 1963)
24 March 2000 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
  Dr.
Job Cohen
(born 1947)
State Secretary Justice Immigration
and Asylum

Civil Law
Judicial Reform
• Youth Justice
Penitentiaries
Debt
• Gambling
3 August 1998 –
1 January 2001
[App]
Labour Party
  Ella Kalsbeek
(born 1955)
1 January 2001 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
  Gerrit Ybema
(1945–2012)
State Secretary
[Title]
Economic Affairs Trade and Export
Small and
Medium-sized
Businesses

Regional
Development

• Consumer
Protection
Tourism
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Democrats 66
  Commander
Henk van Hoof
(born 1947)
State Secretary Defence Human
Resources

Equipment
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Margo
Vliegenthart

(born 1958)
State Secretary Health, Welfare
and Sport
Elderly Care
Youth Care
Disability Policy
Pharmaceutical
Policy

Sport
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
  Hans
Hoogervorst

(born 1956)
State Secretary Social Affairs and
Employment
• Social Security
Occupational
Safety

• Social Services
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Annelies
Verstand

(born 1949)
• Unemployment
Equality
Emancipation
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Democrats 66
  Karin
Adelmund

(1949–2005)
State Secretary Education, Culture
and Science
Primary
Education

Secondary
Education

Special
Education
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
  Dr.
Rick van
der Ploeg

(born 1956)
Media
Culture
Art
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
  Monique
de Vries

(born 1947)
State Secretary Transport and
Water Management
Telecommunication
Water
Management

Postal Service
Weather
Forecasting
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
  Geke Faber
(born 1952)
State Secretary Agriculture, Nature
and Fisheries
Food Policy
• Nature
• Fisheries
• Forestry
Animal Welfare
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
Labour Party
  Johan Remkes
(born 1951)
State Secretary Housing, Spatial
Planning and the
Environment
• Public Housing
Spatial Planning
Environmental
Policy
3 August 1998 –
22 July 2002
People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
Resigned
Retained from the previous cabinet
Ad Interim
Designated with the diplomatic rank of Minister
Medical leave of absence from 4 June 1996 until 26 June 1996
Appointed as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
Appointed as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
Appointed as Mayor of Amsterdam

Trivia

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References

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  1. ^ "De formatie van Paars 1: een heidens karwei" (in Dutch). Andere Tijden. 3 September 2002. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Tweede kabinet Kok wil niet op routine verder" (in Dutch). Trouw. 4 August 1998. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
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