The cabinet was a Centre-left[3] grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, with Labour Leader Willem Drees serving as Prime Minister.

Domestically, the recovery and rebuilding following World War II continued with the assistance of the Marshall Plan, it also able to finalize several major social reforms to social security, welfare, child benefits and education from the previous cabinet.

The excommunication had the result of social exclusion in cities and villages which used to be solidly Catholic blocks.

After considerable growth after World War II, the rising wages, combined with lowered taxes, now led to overspending, which endangered the export.

On 1 January 1957, the state pension AOW after the age of 65, that was proposed during the former cabinet Drees II, was installed.