The Liberal Party (, ; , ) was a Belgian political party that existed from 1846 until 1961, when it became the Party for Freedom and Progress, Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès or PVV-PLP, under the leadership of Omer Vanaudenhove.
History The Liberal Party was founded in 1846 and as such was the first political party of Belgium. Walthère Frère-Orban wrote the first charter for the new party.
The Liberal Party had a clear victory in the 1848 elections, following lower tax requirements that benefited urban populations, where liberals were stronger. The Liberal Party remained in dominant position for the most part of the period from 1848 until 1884, where it lost to Catholics due to the First School War. The Liberal Party suffered even more losses in the next elections, most notable in the 1894 elections, the first ones with universal suffrage. However, they made a comeback in 1900 upon the introduction of proportional representation.
From 1887 until 1900, the Progressive Party (French: Parti Progressiste, Dutch: Progressieve Partij) existed as a separate progressive Liberal party.
For much of the party’s history, Belgian Liberals advocated progressive measuresCONGRESSEN VAN DE LIBERALE PARTIJ, 1846-1961 such as health and safety provisions,TEXTE DU PROGRAMME Adopté par le CONGRÈS LIBÉRAL DE 1894 a minimum wage,LIBERAAL CONGRES VAN 26-27 JULI 1919 Beslissingen gestemd door de Vergadering cheap housing,LIBERAAL CONGRES VAN 18 EN 19 JUNI 1932 RESOLUTIES and improvements in social security.CONGRES VAN DE LIBERALE PARTIJ BRUSSEL, 23-24 juni 1945 CONGRESVERKLARING, CONGRESMOTIES, RESOLUTIES, SOCIAAL HANDVEST DER LIBERALE PARTIJ, CONGRESWENSCHEN
Presidents 1920 - 1921 : Albert Mechelynck 1924 - 1926 : Edouard Pécher 1927 - 1933 : Albert Devèze 1933 - 1934 : Octave Dierckx 1935 - 1936 : Léon Dens 1936 - 1937 : Victor de Laveleye 1937 - 1940 : Emile Coulonvaux 1940 - 1945 : Jane Brigode and Fernand Demets (co-presidency) 1945 - 1953 : Roger Motz 1953 - 1954 : Henri Liebaert 1954 - 1958 : Maurice Destenay 1958 - 1961 : Roger Motz 1961 : Omer Vanaudenhove
Notable members
Jules Bara Gustave Boël (1837-1912), industrialist François Bailleux first party secretary Charles Buls, mayor of Brussels (1881-1899) Jacques Coghen, (1791-1858), second Minister of Finance of Belgium Eugène Defacqz François-Philippe de Haussy, (1789-1869), first governor of the National Bank of Belgium Constant de Kerchove de Denterghem Louis Franck (1868–1937), a leading Flemish liberal politician. Walthère Frère-Orban, (1812–1896), wrote the first charter of the liberal party. Charles Graux Julius Hoste Jr. (1884–1954), businessman and leading Flemish liberal politician. Paul Hymans, first President of the League of Nations Paul Janson Paul-Émile Janson Joseph Lebeau Albert Lilar Adolphe Max, mayor of Brussels (1909-1939) Eudore Pirmez Eugène Prévinaire, (1805-1877), second governor of the National Bank of Belgium. Jean Rey (1902-1983), President of the European Commission Charles Rogier Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns Ernest Solvay (1838-1922), chemist, industrialist and philanthropist. Patrice Lumumba Henri Story (1897-1944) Herman Teirlinck (1879–1967), a famous Belgian writer. Pierre Van Humbeeck Jan Van Rijswijck Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen, founder of the Université libre de Bruxelles Raoul Warocqué
See also Politics of Belgium Liberal Archive Liberalism in Belgium Progressive Party
References
Sources Liberal Archive Th. Luykx, M. Platel, Politieke geschiedenis van België, 2 vol., Kluwer, 1985 E. Witte, J. Craeybeckx, A. Meynen, Politieke geschiedenis van België, Standaard, 1997