1946 Belgian general election

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1946 Belgian general election
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg
  1939 17 February 1946 (1946-02-17) 1949  

All 202 seats in the Chamber of Representatives
102 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Hubert Pierlot 1947.jpg Bundesarchiv Bild 183-39998-0427, Paul-Henri Spaak.jpg 20161101 seraing040.jpg
Leader Hubert Pierlot Paul-Henri Spaak Julien Lahaut
Party Christian Social Socialist PVDA-PTB
Leader sinceCandidate for PM?Candidate for PM1945
Last election73 seats, 33.58%64 seats, 29.44%9 seats, 4.65%
Seats won926923
Seat changeIncrease2.svg19Increase2.svg5Increase2.svg14
Popular vote1,006,293746,738300,099
Percentage42.54%31.57%12.69%
SwingIncrease2.svg8.96%Increase2.svg2.13%Increase2.svg8.04%

 Fourth partyFifth party
  No image.png No image.png
Leader Roger Motz Pierre Clerdent
Antoine Delfosse
Party Liberal Democratic Union
Leader since19451945
Last election33 seats, 17.18%New party
Seats won171
Seat changeDecrease2.svg16Increase2.svg1
Popular vote211,14351,095
Percentage8.93%2.16%
SwingDecrease2.svg8.25Increase2.svg2.16%

1946 Belgian legislative election results map.svg
Seats by constituency

Government before election

van Acker II
BSP/PSB-Lib-UDB-KPB/PCB

Government after election

Spaak II
BSP/PSB

General elections were held in Belgium on 17 February 1946. [1] The result was a victory for the Christian Social Party, which won 92 of the 202 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 51 of the 101 seats in the Senate. [2] Voter turnout was 90.3%. [3]

Contents

They were the first elections after the Second World War and saw fundamental changes among the political parties. The Flemish National Union, which held 17 seats prior to the war and collaborated with Nazi Germany during the war, was outlawed. The Catholic Party changed into the Christian Social Party while the Belgian Labour Party changed into the Belgian Socialist Party. The Liberal Party suffered major losses, while the Christian Social Party and the Communist Party made major gains.

Following the elections, Paul-Henri Spaak formed a Socialist minority government supported by the Communists. After he failed to win the confidence of the Christian Social and Liberal parties, outgoing PM Achille Van Acker formed a new government which included Socialists, Communists and Liberals.

Results

Chamber of Deputies

Belgian Chamber 1946.svg
PartyVotes%Seats
Christian Social Party 1,006,29342.5492
Belgian Socialist Party 746,73831.5769
Communist Party of Belgium 300,09912.6923
Liberal Party 211,1438.9317
Belgian Democratic Union 51,0952.161
Liberal–Socialist Kartels37,8441.600
Union of Trades3,3600.140
FRENSSEN2,4800.100
Walloon Unity Party1,7740.070
Belgian People's Movement8650.040
Resistant6760.030
Middle Classes2740.010
Belgian Free Independents2120.010
Independents2,7850.120
Total2,365,638100.00202
Valid votes2,365,63896.14
Invalid/blank votes94,9713.86
Total votes2,460,609100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,724,79690.30
Source: Belgian Elections

Senate

Belgium Senate 1946.svg
PartyVotes%Seats
Christian Social Party 999,26442.7451
Belgian Socialist Party 729,94331.2234
Communist Party of Belgium 300,65512.8611
Liberal Party 214,8379.194
Belgian Democratic Union 48,4412.070
Liberal–Socialist Kartels33,7321.441
Union of Trades3,7640.160
Demarrez3,7530.160
Independents3,8660.170
Total2,338,255100.00101
Valid votes2,338,25595.63
Invalid/blank votes106,7674.37
Total votes2,445,022100.00
Source: Belgian Elections

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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p289 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, pp309-311
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p290