The cabinet was a centre-left[1] grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with prominent Catholic politician Louis Beel serving as Prime Minister and dual served as Minister of the Interior continuing from the previous cabinet.

According to Beel, that program should be socio-economically progressive, that is to say reform-oriented in favor of broad layers of the population.

The socialists should not have to fear that a conservative wing within the KVP would rule the roost.”[2] The cabinet served during early years of the post-war 1940s.

In November 1946 the Linggadjati Agreement was signed, but different interpretations led to Dutch military intervention (politionele acties).

Under international pressure through the UN, this ended and negotiations restarted, ultimately resulting in the new country Indonesia, but only under the next cabinet, Drees I.