Belgian general election, 1932

Belgian general election, 1932
All 187 seats in the Chamber of Representatives ; All 93 seats in the Senate
Government before election; de Broqueville II ; Catholic-Liberal	Elected Government ; de Broqueville II ; Catholic-Liberal

Last updated March 13, 2019

General elections were held in Belgium on 27 November 1932.^[1] The Catholic Party won 79 of the 187 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 42 of the 93 seats in the Senate.^[2] Voter turnout was 94.3%.^[3]

Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Western Europe. It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. It covers an area of 30,688 square kilometres (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.4 million. The capital and largest city is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi and Liège.

The Catholic Party was established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party.

The Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament. Created in 1831 as a chamber fully equal to the Chamber of Representatives, it has undergone several reforms in the past, most notably in 1993 and the reform of 2014 following the sixth Belgian state reform. The 2014 elections were the first ones without a direct election of senators. Instead, the new Senate is completely composed of members of community and regional parliaments and co-opted members. It is a chamber of the communities and regions and serves as a platform for discussion and reflection about matters between the different language communities. The Senate now only plays a very minor role in the federal legislative process. Since the reform, it only holds about ten plenary sessions a year.

Background

Prime Minister de Broqueville M 37 4 Charles de Brocqueville.jpg — Prime Minister de Broqueville

The elections occurred during an economic crisis, the Great Depression. The Catholic-Liberal government led by Jules Renkin faced rising unemployment, derailing public finances and strikes benefiting the Communist Party. Parliamentary elections were due in May 1933 at the latest. On 18 October 1932, Prime Minister Renkin resigned under pressure from King Albert I, allowing the more experienced Charles de Broqueville to take charge. He immediately dissolved parliament and scheduled parliamentary elections for 27 November 1932.

Great Depression 20th-century worldwide economic depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations; in most countries it started in 1929 and lasted until the late-1930s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how intensely the world's economy can decline.

Jules Laurent Jean Louis Renkin was a Belgian politician.

Albert I reigned as the King of the Belgians from 1909 to 1934. This was an eventful period in the history of Belgium, which included the period of World War I (1914–1918), when 90 percent of Belgium was overrun, occupied, and ruled by the German Empire. Other crucial issues included the adoption of the Treaty of Versailles, the ruling of the Belgian Congo as an overseas possession of the Kingdom of Belgium along with the League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi, the reconstruction of Belgium following the war, and the first five years of the Great Depression (1929–1934). King Albert died in a mountaineering accident in eastern Belgium in 1934, at the age of 58, and he was succeeded by his son Leopold III.

Municipal elections had also occurred on 9 October 1932, where the Catholic Party lost ground to socialists and liberals. To avoid losses during the parliamentary elections, de Broqueville used the issue of education in the election campaign, which was a major issue under his previous 1911–1918 government.

His strategy worked; the Catholics won, but also the socialists and communists gained ground, whereas the liberals lost seats. The socialists refused to enter government, and the Catholic-Liberal coalition continued their government and proceeded to take drastic measures for economic recovery.

Results

Chamber of Representatives

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Catholic Party	856,027	38.42	79	+8
	Belgian Labour Party	824,946	37.03	73	+3
	Liberal Party	313,722	14.08	24	–4
Frontpartij		126,113	5.66	8	–3
Communist Party of Belgium		64,552	2.90	3	+2
Other parties		42,516	1.91	0	–6
Invalid/blank votes		38,600	–	–	–
Total		2,266,476	100	187	0
Source: Belgian Elections

Senate

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/-
	Catholic Party	893,290	43.95	42	+4
	Belgian Labour Party	860,053	42.31	39	+3
	Liberal Party	339,127	16.69	11	-2
Frontpartij		119,740	5.89	1	-2
Communist Party of Belgium		54,902	2.70	0	New
Other parties		20,256	1.00	0	-3
Invalid/blank votes		105,105	–	–	-
Total		2,137,611	100	93	0
Source Belgian Elections

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References

↑ Nohlen, Dieter; Stöver, Philip (31 May 2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. p. 289. ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7.
↑ Nohlen & Stöver, p308
↑ Nohlen & Stöver, p290

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[NS-1] Nohlen, Dieter; Stöver, Philip (31 May 2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. p. 289. ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7.

[2] Nohlen & Stöver, p308

[3] Nohlen & Stöver, p290

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