After the election of 1994 Zalm was appointed as Minister of Finance in the Cabinet Kok I , taking office on 22 August 1994 . Zalm took a medical leave of absence from 4 June 1996 until 26 June 1996 during which Minister of Economic Affairs Hans Wijers served as acting Minister of Finance . Zalm was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1998 , taking office on 19 May 1998 . Zalm continued as Minister of Finance in the Cabinet Kok II , taking office on 3 August 1998 . The Cabinet Kok II resigned on 16 April 2002 following the conclusions of the NIOD report into the Srebrenica massacre during the Bosnian War with the cabinet continuing to serve in a demissionary capacity . Following the election of 2002 the People 's Party for Freedom and Democracy sufferd a big loss and the Leader of the People 's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Parliamentary leader of the People 's Party for Freedom and Democracy in the House of Representatives Hans Dijkstal accepted responsibility for the defeat and sequentially announced he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader on 16 May 2002 with Zalm chosen to succeed him the same day . Zalm returned as a Member of the House of Representatives and became the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives on 23 May 2002 . The following cabinet formation resulted in a coalition agreement between the People 's Party for Freedom and Democracy , the Christian Democratic Appeal ( CDA ) and the Pim Fortuyn List ( LPF ) which formed the Cabinet Balkenende I with Zalm opting to remain in the House of Representatives instead of a ministerial post . The Cabinet Kok II was succeeded by the Cabinet Balkenende I on 22 July 2002 . The Cabinet Balkenende I fell just four months later on 16 October 2002 after Zalm announced that the People 's Party for Freedom and Democracy had lost confidence in the Pim Fortuyn List as a coalition partner following several internal struggles with the cabinet continuing to serve in a demissionary capacity . For the election of 2003 Zalm was the '' Lijsttrekker '' ( top candidate ) of the People 's Party for Freedom and Democracy . The People 's Party for Freedom and Democracy booked a small win , gaining 4 seats and now had 28 seats in the House of Representatives . The following cabinet formation resulted in a coalition agreement between the People 's Party for Freedom and Democracy , the Christian Democratic Appeal and the Democrats 66 ( D66 ) Cabinet Balkenende II with Zalm appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance , taking office on 27 May 2003
Srebrenica massacre
Srebrenica massacre
Gerrit Zalm