Third Steegmans cabinet

The Third Steegmans cabinet, also referred to as Steegmans III, was the third of five consecutive cabinets under the leadership of Labourers Party (AP) prime minister Albert Steegmans.

The cabinet was formed in a time where support for the Centre Party (MP) had almost doubled. This electoral victory made the party kingmakers in the cabinet, this allowed the MP to take influential ministerial posts such as the ministry for foreign affairs and the ministry of economic affairs. The cabinet fell after the Centre Party withdrew their support. They demanded AP not increase the government's investment in to the stagnating Lindian economy. Deputy prime minister Jan van Blaak did not seem to be worried about losing his position in power, and is quoted as saying to the press: "Of course they [Labourers Party and Union of Democrats] will come in to agreement with us - who else could they even form a government with?". As the party's popularity increased in the polls the MP's rhetoric became more hostile and their demands had increased. In September of 1974 the AP and UVD party leaderships announced they would under no circumstance accept the MP's demands, in response the MP formally withdrew its support and snap elections were held at the end of that month.

After the elections the cabinet (now just consisting of AP and UVD ministers) was declared demissionary, it remained in that state until March of 1975 when the Fourth Steegmans cabinet was formed between a grand coalition of the Labourers Party (AP), Union of Democrats (UVD), Reformed State Party (GSP), Liberal People's Party (LVP) and the Catholic Union (KU).