Victor Leemans (21 July 1901 – 3 March 1971) was a Belgian sociologist, politician and prominent ideologist of the radical

Flemish movement The Flemish Movement ( nl, Vlaamse Beweging) is an umbrella term which encompasses various political groups in the Belgium, Belgian region of Flanders and, less commonly, in French Flanders. Ideologically, it encompasses groups which have sought ...

in the 1930s. A member of the militant organisation

Verdinaso Verdinaso (''Verbond van Dietsche Nationaal-Solidaristen'', ), sometimes rendered as Dinaso, was a small authoritarian and fascist political party active in Belgium and, to a lesser extent, the Netherlands between 1931 to 1941. Verdinaso was foun ...

, he is seen by some as the main Flemish exponent of the historical phenomenon known as the

Conservative Revolution The Conservative Revolution (german: Konservative Revolution), also known as the German neoconservative movement or new nationalism, was a German national-conservative movement prominent during the Weimar Republic, in the years 1918–1933 (betw ...

. Leemans was born at Stekene,

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

. He obtained his doctorate from the

School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences The School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (french: École des hautes études en sciences sociales; EHESS) is a graduate '' grande école'' and '' grand établissement'' in Paris focused on academic research in the social sciences. Th ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

and lectured at the Catholic University of Leuven. In 1936, he was named president of the ''Arbeidsorde'', a Flemish fascist trade union closely tied to the

Flemish National Union The ( Dutch for "Flemish National Union" or "Flemish National League"), widely known by its acronym VNV, was a Flemish nationalist political party active in Belgium between 1933 and 1945.

(VNV) and Rex-Vlaanderen. During the German occupation of Belgium, Leemans was Director of Health and Food supply (1940), Deputy Commissioner General for Reconstruction (1940), a board member of the Emissiebank (1940–1944) and Secretary-General of Economical Affairs (1940–1944); as such he was prosecuted after the war for collaboration. He was acquitted in 1947. Leemans pursued a political career in the Christian-democratic Christian Social Party (PSC-CVP). He was appointed provincial senator for Antwerp in 1949 and served as parliamentary leader in the Senate from 1964 to 1971. He also served as a

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

from 1958 to 1971 and

President of the European Parliament President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

from 1965 to 1966. He died in Leuven in 1971.

Bibliography

External links

Presidents of Parliament (1958–1969)
at European Parliament.
Victor Leemans
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ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures

Archives of Victor Leemans
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ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures
1901 births 1971 deaths Belgian collaborators with Nazi Germany Belgian trade unionists Christian Social Party (Belgium, defunct) MEPs School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences alumni MEPs for Belgium 1958–1979 People from Stekene Presidents of the European Parliament {{Flanders-politician-stub