Fifth Steegmans cabinet

The Fifth Steegmans cabinet, also referred to as Steegmans V, was the final cabinet under leadership of prime minister Albert Steegmans and would be the last AP-led government for twenty years, until the First Stevens cabinet in 2000.

The broad coalition formed by Steegmans in his fourth cabinet had proven to be stable enough to sit out its full term. Steegmans tried to reassemble the broad coalition, but failed to sway the Christian democratic parties. The traditional AP-UVD alliance was short 26 seats in parliament to form a majority. The LVP were kingmakers and demanded a further liberalisation of the Lindian economy. Negotiations had almost broken down on the issue of privatisation, which caused the formation process to take 148 days.

The cabinet fell in 1980 after prime minister Steegmans was diagnosed with lung cancer. Two months after his diagnosis, Steegmans made his intent to resign public. Prominent LVP deputy prime minister Laurens Rechterhand announced the cabinet's decision that he would take over as prime minister. The AP fraction in parliament rejected this however and withdrew their support from the government. The entire cabinet resigned as a result and Steegmans remained in his role as prime minister until Frank Willehaag had formed his cabinet after the 1980 elections.