1961 Belgian general election|
|
|
|
|
First party
|
Second party
|
Third party
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Leader
|
Théo Lefèvre
|
Léo Collard
|
Roger Motz
|
| Party
|
Christian Social
|
Socialist
|
Liberal
|
| Leader since
|
Candidate for PM
|
1959
|
1958
|
| Last election
|
104 seats, 46.50%
|
80 seats, 35.79%
|
20 seats, 11.05%
|
| Seats won
|
96
|
84
|
20
|
| Seat change
|
8
|
4
|
|
| Popular vote
|
2,182,642
|
1,933,424
|
649,376
|
| Percentage
|
41.46%
|
36.72%
|
12.33%
|
| Swing
|
5.04%
|
0.93%
|
1.28%
|
|
|
|
Fourth party
|
Fifth party
|
Sixth party
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Leader
|
Frans Van der Elst
|
Ernest Burnelle
|
Jean-Marie Evrard
|
| Party
|
VU
|
Communist
|
RN
|
| Leader since
|
1955
|
1954
|
1959
|
| Last election
|
1 seat, 1.98%
|
2 seats, 1.89%
|
New
|
| Seats won
|
5
|
5
|
1
|
| Seat change
|
4
|
3
|
New
|
| Popular vote
|
182,407
|
162,238
|
42,450
|
| Percentage
|
3.46%
|
3.08%
|
0.81%
|
| Swing
|
1.48%
|
1.19%
|
New
|
|
Chamber seat distribution by constituency |
|
General elections were held in Belgium on 26 March 1961.[1] The result was a victory for the Christian Social Party, which won 96 of the 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 47 of the 106 seats in the Senate.[2] Voter turnout was 92.3%.[3] Elections for the nine provincial councils were also held.
Prior to the elections, the centre-right government of the Christian Social and Liberal Party led by Gaston Eyskens pushed through austerity measures with a law known as the Eenheidswet or Loi Unique, despite heavy strikes in the preceding weeks, especially in Wallonia. After the elections, the Christian Democrats formed a new government with the Socialist Party instead of the Liberal Party, with Théo Lefèvre as Prime Minister.
Results
Chamber of Deputies
|
|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|
| Christian Social Party | 2,182,642 | 41.46 | 96 | –8 |
| Belgian Socialist Party | 1,933,424 | 36.72 | 84 | +4 |
| Liberal Party | 649,376 | 12.33 | 20 | 0 |
| People's Union | 182,407 | 3.46 | 5 | +4 |
| Communist Party of Belgium | 162,238 | 3.08 | 5 | +3 |
| National Rally | 42,450 | 0.81 | 1 | New |
| Independent Party | 33,174 | 0.63 | 0 | New |
| National Union of Independents | 12,252 | 0.23 | 0 | New |
| National Party | 4,375 | 0.08 | 0 | New |
| Liberal dissidents | 3,956 | 0.08 | 0 | New |
| Walloon Unity | 3,466 | 0.07 | 0 | New |
| Alleenstaande | 3,101 | 0.06 | 0 | New |
| Zelfstandig | 2,307 | 0.04 | 0 | New |
| Francophone Bloc | 1,824 | 0.03 | 0 | New |
| Gekavemus | 604 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| Independent Workers | 551 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| Universal People | 480 | 0.01 | 0 | New |
| EC Group | 154 | 0.00 | 0 | New |
| Independents | 46,244 | 0.88 | 1 | +1 |
| Total | 5,265,025 | 100.00 | 212 | 0 |
|
| Valid votes | 5,265,025 | 94.46 | |
|---|
| Invalid/blank votes | 308,815 | 5.54 | |
|---|
| Total votes | 5,573,840 | 100.00 | |
|---|
| Registered voters/turnout | 6,036,165 | 92.34 | |
|---|
| Source: Belgian Elections[4] |
Senate
|
|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|
| Christian Social Party | 2,200,323 | 42.12 | 47 | –6 |
| Belgian Socialist Party | 1,924,605 | 36.84 | 45 | +5 |
| Liberal Party | 637,922 | 12.21 | 11 | +1 |
| Communist Party of Belgium | 163,576 | 3.13 | 1 | 0 |
| People's Union | 159,096 | 3.05 | 2 | +2 |
| National Movement | 26,211 | 0.50 | 0 | New |
| Independent Party | 21,421 | 0.41 | 0 | New |
| National Union of Independents | 13,284 | 0.25 | 0 | New |
| Liberal dissidents | 7,711 | 0.15 | 0 | New |
| National Rally | 5,425 | 0.10 | 0 | New |
| National Party | 4,457 | 0.09 | 0 | New |
| Walloon Unity | 3,478 | 0.07 | 0 | New |
| Francophone Bloc | 1,947 | 0.04 | 0 | New |
| Other parties | 18,405 | 0.35 | 0 | – |
| Independents | 36,646 | 0.70 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5,224,507 | 100.00 | 106 | 0 |
|
| Valid votes | 5,224,507 | 93.73 | |
|---|
| Invalid/blank votes | 349,475 | 6.27 | |
|---|
| Total votes | 5,573,982 | 100.00 | |
|---|
| Registered voters/turnout | 6,036,165 | 92.34 | |
|---|
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Belgian Elections[5] |
References