1954 Belgian general election|
|
|
|
|
First party
|
Second party
|
Third party
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Leader
|
Jean Van Houtte
|
Achille Van Acker
|
Henri Liebaert
|
| Party
|
Christian Social
|
Socialist
|
Liberal
|
| Leader since
|
Candidate for PM
|
Candidate for PM
|
1953
|
| Last election
|
108 seats, 47.68%
|
73 seats, 34.51%
|
20 seats, 11.25%
|
| Seats won
|
95
|
82
|
24
|
| Seat change
|
13
|
9
|
4
|
| Popular vote
|
2,123,408
|
1,927,015
|
626,983
|
| Percentage
|
41.15%
|
37.34%
|
12.15%
|
| Swing
|
6.53%
|
2.83%
|
0.90%
|
|
|
|
Fourth party
|
Fifth party
|
Sixth party
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Leader
|
N/A
|
Edgard Lalmand
|
Walter Couvreur
|
| Party
|
LSK
|
Communist
|
CVV
|
| Leader since
|
N/A
|
1943
|
1954
|
| Last election
|
4 seats, 1.77%
|
7 seats, 4.75%
|
New
|
| Seats won
|
5
|
4
|
1
|
| Seat change
|
1
|
3
|
New
|
| Popular vote
|
108,175
|
184,108
|
113,632
|
| Percentage
|
2.10%
|
3.57%
|
2.20%
|
| Swing
|
0.33%
|
1.18%
|
New
|
|
Chamber seat distribution by constituency |
|
General elections were held in Belgium on 11 April 1954.[1] The dominant Christian Social Party won 95 of the 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 49 of the 106 seats in the Senate.[2] Voter turnout was 93.2%.[3] Elections for the nine provincial councils were also held.
The outgoing Catholic government led by Jean Van Houtte lost their majority in parliament. The two other main parties, the Socialist and Liberal Party, subsequently formed a rare "purple" government with Achille Van Acker as Prime Minister. Both parties had an anti-clerical agenda and aimed to reverse policies of the Catholic government regarding private schools. This would become known as the Second School War.
Results
Chamber of Deputies
|
|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|
| Christian Social Party | 2,123,408 | 41.14 | 95 | –13 |
| Belgian Socialist Party | 1,927,015 | 37.34 | 82 | +9 |
| Liberal Party | 626,983 | 12.15 | 24 | +4 |
| Communist Party of Belgium | 184,108 | 3.57 | 4 | –3 |
| Christian Flemish People's Union | 113,632 | 2.20 | 1 | New |
| Liberal–Socialist Kartels | 108,175 | 2.10 | 5 | +1 |
| Christian Social Rally of Liberty | 42,979 | 0.83 | 1 | New |
| Radio Antwerp | 10,177 | 0.20 | 0 | New |
| Middle Class | 9,729 | 0.19 | 0 | New |
| Universal People | 3,139 | 0.06 | 0 | New |
| Veteran Combatants | 1,839 | 0.04 | 0 | New |
| Van Wonterghem | 1,817 | 0.04 | 0 | New |
| Liberal dissidents | 1,807 | 0.04 | 0 | New |
| Independent Social Party | 1,613 | 0.03 | 0 | New |
| Hubert List | 1,143 | 0.02 | 0 | New |
| Camus List | 1,001 | 0.02 | 0 | New |
| Independent Union | 884 | 0.02 | 0 | New |
| European Movement | 581 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| Flemish Bloc | 456 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| Mediator | 191 | 0.00 | 0 | New |
| Independents | 246 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5,160,923 | 100.00 | 212 | 0 |
|
| Valid votes | 5,160,923 | 94.46 | |
|---|
| Invalid/blank votes | 302,668 | 5.54 | |
|---|
| Total votes | 5,463,591 | 100.00 | |
|---|
| Registered voters/turnout | 5,863,092 | 93.19 | |
|---|
| Source: Belgian Elections |
Senate
|
|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|
| Christian Social Party | 2,127,699 | 41.63 | 49 | –5 |
| Belgian Socialist Party | 1,915,213 | 37.48 | 42 | +5 |
| Liberal Party | 620,979 | 12.15 | 11 | +1 |
| Communist Party of Belgium | 181,843 | 3.56 | 2 | –1 |
| Liberal–Socialist Kartels | 108,966 | 2.13 | 2 | 0 |
| Christian Flemish People's Union | 155,758 | 3.05 | 0 | New |
| People's Union | 0 | New |
| Christian Social Rally of Liberty | 0 | New |
| Other parties | 0 | – |
| Total | 5,110,458 | 100.00 | 106 | 0 |
|
| Registered voters/turnout | 5,863,092 | – | |
|---|
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Belgian Elections |
References
- ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p289 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
- ^ Nohlen & Stöver, pp309-311
- ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p291