Netherlands
sworn in later in the year. In 1980 Princess Beatrix succeeded to the throne on the abdication of
her mother, Queen Juliana. Van Agt's cabinet lost its parliamentary majority in May 1981, but
he formed a new coalition that lasted from September 1981 to May 1982. Parliamentary
elections were held in September 1982, after which van Agt unexpectedly resigned his party
leadership. His successor as head of the Christian Democratic Party was Ruud Lubbers, who
formed a new coalition in November 1982 and remained in power until 1994. During this
period the island of Aruba reached an agreement with the government of the Netherlands
separating the island from the Netherlands Antilles. In 1993 the Netherlands became the first
governmental body to regulate euthanasia or mercy killing. In the May 1994 elections, the
Labor Party emerged victorious and assumed control of the Dutch government for the first time
since 1977. (3)
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