ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the changes in international politics in the 1970s, particularly the rise of summitry. Traditionally, foreign policy was seen largely as the responsibility of the Foreign Minister. In the early 1970s this situation changed with the rise of multilateral summitry. Especially through the creation of the European Council in 1974 the prime minister became an important spokesman for the Netherlands. The author analyses how Prime Minister Joop den Uyl and Foreign Minister Max van der Stoel managed to deal with the anomalous situation. He shows that the extension of the Dutch prime minister’s activities initially had more to do with the international developments than with his personal ambitions. Nevertheless Den Uyl intended to act not only as prime minister, but also as party leader in the Socialist International and in bilateral relations. This caused widespread resentment among senior levels of the Foreign Ministry for whom the prime minister lacked competence in foreign affairs. Major collisions were avoided by Den Uyl’s tactful behaviour and his good working relationship with Foreign Minister Van der Stoel.
