The third Lubbers cabinet existed from 1989 to 1994, and was formed by a coalition of the Christian-Democrats (CDA) and the Labour Party (PvdA). The cabinet was formed with a view to social reform. This was impossible because of the then bad shape of the Dutch economy, which made large reductions in government spending necessary. The reduction of the social care for disabled people led to the demonstrations against the Dutch government in 1992. Many angry socialists left the Labour Party. The coalition lost heavily during the elections of 1994.
(*) Alternative title that can be used outside the Netherlands.
On 2 January 1993 Minister for Foreign Affairs Hans van den Broek resigned to become European Commissioner for External Relations and Enlargement in the third term of the Delors Commission. He was succeeded by Professor Pieter Kooijmans, formerly Professor of International Law and European Law at the University of Leiden.
On 1 June 1993, Junior Minister of Defence Berend-Jan van Voorst tot Voorst became the new governor of Limburg Province.
On 10 January 1994, Minister for Internal Affairs Ien Dales unexpectedly died. She was temporarily succeeded by Minister of Justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin until Ed van Thijn, then mayor of Amsterdam, could succeed him on 18 January 1994.
On 26 February 1994, Junior Minister of Welfare, Health and Culture Hans Simons resigned. He was not succeeded.
On 27 May 1994, Minister of Justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin and minister of Internal Affairs Ed van Thijn were forced to resign over illegal interrogation techniques used by the Dutch police. They were succeeded by their junior ministers Aad Kosto and Dieuwke de Graaff-Nauta, respectively. The portfolio of Kingdom Relations was taken care of by the Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers.
Due to the installment of a new European Parliament, several members resigned their functions to become members of this new parliament on 16 July 1994. Because the cabinet was already in "caretaker" mode, their portfolios were assigned to other ministers. The portfolio of minister of Transport and Water Hanja Maij-Weggen was added to the portfolio of the minister of Economic Affairs Coos Andriessen. The portfolio of minister of Welfare, Health and Culture Hedy d'Ancona was added to the portfolio of the minister of Education Jo Ritzen. Junior minister of Foreign Affairs Piet Dankert was not succeeded.