nl, Liberale Partij , logo = , leader1_title = Historical presidents , leader1_name = Albert Mechelynck (first)

Omer Vanaudenhove Omer Rudolphe Jean, Viscount Vanaudenhove (3 December 1913 – 26 November 1994) was a Belgian liberal politician, mayor and minister. A businessman, Vanaudenhove was an owner of a shoe factory. He was burgomaster of Diest (1947–1955 and 1974� ...

(last) , foundation = 1846 , dissolved = 1961 , predecessor = , successor =

Party for Freedom and Progress The Party for Freedom and Progress ( nl, Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang; french: Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès; german: Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt, PVV-PLP) was a liberal political party in Belgium which existed from 1961 unti ...

, headquarters =

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, wing1_title = Trade Union's wing , wing1 =

General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium The General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium (ACLVB or CGSLB) is the smallest of Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country i ...

, ideology =

Liberalism Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...

Classical liberalism Classical liberalism is a political tradition Political culture describes how culture impacts politics. Every political system is embedded in a particular political culture. Definition Gabriel Almond defines it as "the particular patt ...

Anti-clericalism Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...

, position =

Centre-left Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The c ...

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

, international =

Liberal International Liberal International (LI) is a worldwide organization of liberal political parties - a political international. It was founded in Oxford in 1947 and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties, aiming to strengthen liberalism around ...

, colours =

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

, country = Belgium The Liberal Party ( nl, Liberale Partij, french: Parti libéral) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

political party that existed from 1846 until 1961, when it became the

, ''Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès'' or PVV-PLP, under the leadership of

History

The Liberal Party was founded in 1846 and as such was the first political party of

Walthère Frère-Orban Hubert Joseph Walthère Frère-Orban (24 April 1812 – 2 January 1896) was a Belgian liberal statesman. Early life He was born at Liège, received his education at home and in Paris, and began the practice of law in his native town. He identif ...

wrote the first charter for the new party. The Liberal Party had a clear victory in the 1848 elections, following lower tax requirements that benefited urban populations, where liberals were stronger. The Liberal Party remained in dominant position for the most part of the period from 1848 until 1884, where it lost to Catholics due to the

First School War The First School War (french: Première guerre scolaire, nl, Eerste schoolstrijd) was a political crisis in Belgium over the issue of religion in education. The School War marks the high water mark of the conflict between the conservative Cathol ...

. The Liberal Party suffered even more losses in the next elections, most notable in the 1894 elections, the first ones with universal suffrage. However, they made a comeback in

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

upon the introduction of proportional representation. From 1887 until 1900, the

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...

(French: ''Parti Progressiste'', Dutch: ''Progressieve Partij'') existed as a separate progressive Liberal party.

Presidents

* 1920 - 1921 : Albert Mechelynck * 1924 - 1926 : Edouard Pécher * 1927 - 1933 :

Albert Devèze Albert Joseph Charles Devèze (; 6 June 1881 – 28 November 1959) was a Belgian liberal politician and minister. Devèze was a doctor in law and a lawyer. He was a liberal municipality Council member in Schaerbeek and in Ixelles and a member of ...

* 1933 - 1934 : Octave Dierckx * 1935 - 1936 : Léon Dens * 1936 - 1937 : Victor de Laveleye * 1937 - 1940 : Emile Coulonvaux * 1940 - 1945 :

Jane Brigode Jane Brigode (born Jane Ouwerx; 30 May 1870 – 3 May 1952) was a Belgian liberal and politician. From 1940 until 1945 she was co-president of the Liberal Party. In 1921, she and Marthe Boël founded the ''Union des femmes libérales de l’arro ...

and Fernand Demets (co-presidency) * 1945 - 1953 : Roger Motz * 1953 - 1954 : Henri Liebaert * 1954 - 1958 : Maurice Destenay * 1958 - 1961 : Roger Motz * 1961 :

Notable members

Liberale verkiezingsaffiche, 1958 - Campaign poster, Belgian Liberal Party, National elections 1958 (30533323910)

Jules Bara Jules Bara (23 August 1835 – 26 June 1900) was a Belgian statesman and liberal politician. Early years He was born in Tournai and pursued the study of law in his native town, showing remarkable intellectual gifts and a fine power of orato ...

* Gustave Boël (1837-1912), industrialist * François Bailleux first party secretary *

Charles Buls Charles Buls or Karel Buls (13 October 1837 – 13 July 1914) was a Belgian politician and mayor of the City of Brussels. Early life Charles François Gommaire Buls was born in Brussels as the son of a goldsmith from the region of Mechelen. ...

, mayor of Brussels (1881-1899) * Jacques Coghen, (1791-1858), second Minister of Finance of Belgium * Eugène Defacqz * François-Philippe de Haussy, (1789-1869), first governor of the

National Bank of Belgium The National Bank of Belgium (NBB; nl, Nationale Bank van België, french: Banque nationale de Belgique, german: Belgische Nationalbank) has been the central bank of Belgium since 1850. The National Bank of Belgium was established with 100% pr ...

Constant de Kerchove de Denterghem Count Constant de Kerchove de Denterghem (31 December 1790 – 12 July 1865) was a Belgian liberal politician. He was a son of Jean de Kerchove and Sabine della Faille d'Assenede, both descendants of Flemish nobility. He was a nephew of Jozef-Seba ...

* Louis Franck (1868–1937), a leading Flemish liberal politician. *

, (1812–1896), wrote the first charter of the liberal party. * Charles Graux * Julius Hoste Jr. (1884–1954), businessman and leading Flemish liberal politician. *

Paul Hymans Paul Louis Adrien Henri Hymans (23 March 1865 – 8 March 1941), was a Belgian politician associated with the Liberal Party. He was the second president of the League of Nations and served again as its president in 1932–1933. Life Hymans was ...

, first President of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

Paul Janson Paul Janson (11 April 1840 – 19 April 1913) was a Walloon Belgian liberal politician.Jean Francis ''Mes belges années'' 1974 "Paul Janson ne demeura que quatre ans dans la cité liégeoise car sa famille vint s'établir à Ixelles, rue d ...

Paul-Émile Janson Paul-Émile (Paul Emil) Janson (30 May 1872 – 3 March 1944) was a francophone Belgian liberal politician and the prime minister from 1937 to 1938. During the German occupation, he was arrested as a political prisoner and died in a German concen ...

Joseph Lebeau Jean Louis Joseph Lebeau (3 January 1794 – 19 March 1865) was a Belgian liberal statesman, the prime minister of Belgium on two occasions. Biography Born in Huy, he received his early education from an uncle who was parish priest in Hannut, a ...

* Albert Lilar *

Adolphe Max Adolphe Eugène Jean Henri Max (30 December 1869 – 6 November 1939) was a Belgian liberal politician and mayor of the City of Brussels from 1909 until his death. He was also an irregular freemason, an honorary Minister of State and a membe ...

, mayor of Brussels (1909-1939) * Eudore Pirmez *

Eugène Prévinaire Eugène Marie Ignace Prévinaire (18 October 1805 – 2 June 1877) was a Belgian businessman, liberal politician, civil servant, and from 1870 to 1877, governor of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB). Born in Leuven on 18 October 1805, Prév ...

, (1805-1877), second governor of the

. * Jean Rey (1902-1983), President of the European Commission *

Charles Rogier Charles Latour Rogier (; 17 August 1800 – 27 May 1885) was a Belgian liberal statesman and a leader in the Belgian Revolution of 1830. He served as the prime minister of Belgium on two occasions: from 1847 to 1852, and again from 1857 to ...

Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns Gustave Henri Ange Hippolyte Rolin-Jaequemyns (31 January 1835 – 9 January 1902) was a Belgian lawyer, diplomat and Minister of the Interior (1878–1884) as a member of the Unitarian Liberal Party. Together with the Swiss jurist Gustave Moyni ...

Ernest Solvay Ernest Gaston Joseph Solvay (; 16 April 1838 – 26 May 1922) was a Belgian chemist, industrialist and philanthropist. Born in Rebecq, he was prevented by his acute pleurisy from going to university. He worked in his uncle's chemical fac ...

(1838-1922), chemist, industrialist and philanthropist. *

Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba (; 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June u ...

* Henri Story (1897-1944) *

Herman Teirlinck Herman Louis Cesar Teirlinck (Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, 24 February 1879 – Beersel-Lot, 4 February 1967) was a Belgian writer. He was the fifth child and only son of Isidoor Teirlinck and Oda van Nieuwenhove, who were both teachers in Brussels. As a ...

(1879–1967), a famous Belgian writer. * Pierre Van Humbeeck *

Jan Van Rijswijck Jan Van Rijswijck (14 February 1853 – 23 September 1906) was a Belgian lawyer, liberal politician and journalist. Education He started his education at the boarding school of Melle and continued his education at the Catholic University of Leu ...

* Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen, founder of the Université Libre de Bruxelles *

Raoul Warocqué Raoul Warocqué (Brussels, 4 February 1870 – Brussels, 28 May 1917), was a Belgian industrialist from Wallonia. Biography Raoul was the great-grandson of Nicolas Warocqué, the founder of the prominent Warocqué family. His father was Arthur ...

References

Sources

Liberal Archive
* Th. Luykx, M. Platel, ''Politieke geschiedenis van België'', 2 vol., Kluwer, 1985 * E. Witte, J. Craeybeckx, A. Meynen, ''Politieke geschiedenis van België'', Standaard, 1997 Defunct political parties in Belgium Political parties established in 1846 1846 establishments in Belgium {{Liberal-stub

History

Presidents

Notable members

See also

References

Sources