1958 Belgian general election|
|
|
|
|
First party
|
Second party
|
Third party
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Leader
|
Gaston Eyskens
|
Achille Van Acker
|
Maurice Destenay
|
| Party
|
Christian Social
|
Socialist
|
Liberal
|
| Leader since
|
Candidate for PM
|
Candidate for PM
|
1954
|
| Last election
|
95 seats, 41.15%
|
82 seats, 37.34%
|
24 seats, 12.15%
|
| Seats won
|
104
|
80
|
20
|
| Seat change
|
9
|
2
|
4
|
| Popular vote
|
2,465,549
|
1,897,646
|
585,999
|
| Percentage
|
46.50%
|
35.79%
|
11.05%
|
| Swing
|
5.35%
|
1.55%
|
1.10%
|
|
|
|
Fourth party
|
Fifth party
|
Sixth party
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Leader
|
N/A
|
Ernest Burnelle
|
Frans Van der Elst
|
| Party
|
LSK
|
Communist
|
VU
|
| Leader since
|
N/A
|
1954
|
1955
|
| Last election
|
5 seats, 2.10%
|
4 seats, 3.57%
|
New
|
| Seats won
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
| Seat change
|
|
2
|
New
|
| Popular vote
|
111,284
|
100,145
|
104,823
|
| Percentage
|
2.10%
|
1.89%
|
1.98%
|
| Swing
|
|
1.68%
|
New
|
|
Chamber seat distribution by constituency |
|
General elections were held in Belgium on 1 June 1958.[1] The result was a victory for the Christian Social Party, which won 104 of the 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 53 of the 106 seats in the Senate.[2] Voter turnout was 93.6% in the Chamber election and 93.7% in the Senate election.[3] Elections for the nine provincial councils were also held.
The election took place in a political crisis known as the Second School War. The outgoing anti-clerical "purple" government of the Socialist and Liberal Party, led by Achille Van Acker, reversed policies of the previous Catholic-led government regarding private schools. The Van Acker government lost the election, leading again to a Catholic government led by Gaston Eyskens. That government, which was a few seats short of a majority in the Chamber, would be the last single-party government in Belgian history. Later in 1958, the School War was ended by a cross-party agreement and the Liberal Party joined the government.
Results
Chamber of Deputies
|
|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|
| Christian Social Party | 2,465,549 | 46.50 | 104 | +9 |
| Belgian Socialist Party | 1,897,646 | 35.79 | 80 | –2 |
| Liberal Party | 585,999 | 11.05 | 20 | –4 |
| Liberal–Socialist Kartels | 111,284 | 2.10 | 5 | 0 |
| People's Union | 104,823 | 1.98 | 1 | New |
| Communist Party of Belgium | 100,145 | 1.89 | 2 | –2 |
| Other parties | 36,907 | 0.70 | 0 | – |
| Total | 5,302,353 | 100.00 | 212 | 0 |
|
| Valid votes | 5,302,353 | 95.11 | |
|---|
| Invalid/blank votes | 272,774 | 4.89 | |
|---|
| Total votes | 5,575,127 | 100.00 | |
|---|
| Registered voters/turnout | 5,954,858 | 93.62 | |
|---|
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver |
Senate
|
|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|
| Christian Social Party | 2,478,153 | 47.12 | 53 | +4 |
| Belgian Socialist Party | 1,886,242 | 35.87 | 40 | –2 |
| Liberal Party | 574,230 | 10.92 | 10 | –1 |
| Liberal–Socialist Kartels | 111,299 | 2.12 | 2 | 0 |
| Communist Party of Belgium | 100,788 | 1.92 | 1 | –1 |
| People's Union | 84,364 | 1.60 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic Party | 23,953 | 0.46 | 0 | – |
| Independents | 0 | – |
| Total | 5,259,029 | 100.00 | 106 | 0 |
|
| Valid votes | 5,259,029 | 94.26 | |
|---|
| Invalid/blank votes | 320,096 | 5.74 | |
|---|
| Total votes | 5,579,125 | 100.00 | |
|---|
| Registered voters/turnout | 5,954,858 | 93.69 | |
|---|
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Belgian Elections[4] |
References