He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 17 August 1905 until 12 February 1908.

A former administrator in the Dutch East Indies, De Meester's cabinet was inaugurated on 17 August 1905.

It had no majority in either of the two Dutch chambers, and earned the nickname "Porcelain Cabinet".

His government first resigned in December 1906, when the defence budget for 1907 was rejected by the Senate.

That resignation was refused by Queen Wilhelmina, but the government fell in December 1907, when the Dutch parliament disapproved the defence budget for 1908.