1968 Belgian general election

1968 Belgian general election

← 1965 31 March 1968 1971 →
212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives
First party Second party Third party   Leader Gaston Eyskens Léo Collard Omer Vanaudenhove Party Christian Social Socialist Freedom and Progress Leader since Candidate for PM 1959 1961 Last election 77 seats, 34.45% 64 seats, 28.28% 48 seats, 21.61% Seats won 69 59 47 Seat change 8 5 1 Popular vote 1,643,785 1,403,107 1,080,894 Percentage 31.75% 27.10% 20.87% Swing 2.65% 1.18% 0.74%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Frans Van der Elst Albert Peeters Party VU FDF RW Leader since 1955 1967 Last election 12 seats, 6.69% 3 seats, 1.33% New Seats won 20 6 6 Seat change 8 3 New Popular vote 506,697 154,023 151,421 Percentage 9.79% 2.92% 2.92% Swing 3.10% 1.59% New
Chamber seat distribution by constituency.
Government before election Vanden Boeynants I CVP/PSC-PVV/PLP Government after election G. Eyskens V CVP/PSC-BSP/PSB

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General elections were held in Belgium on 31 March 1968.^[1] The Christian Social Party remained the largest party.^[2] Voter turnout was 90.0%.^[3] Elections for the nine provincial councils were also held.

The snap elections were called after the government, a coalition of the Christian Social Party and the liberal Party for Freedom and Progress led by Christian Democrat Paul Vanden Boeynants, fell due to the .

The linguistic crisis would trigger the split of the dominant Christian Social Party into a Flemish and French-speaking party. The two other main parties would follow suit. The crisis also caused the rise of small linguistic, federalist parties, such as the People's Union on the Flemish side and the Democratic Front of the Francophones and Walloon Rally on the French-speaking side.

Results[]

Chamber of Deputies[]

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Christian Social Party	1,643,785	31.75	69	–8
Belgian Socialist Party	1,403,107	27.10	59	–5
Party for Freedom and Progress	1,080,894	20.87	47	–1
People's Union	506,697	9.79	20	+8
Vanden Boeynants Cartel	236,283	4.56	0	New
Communist Party of Belgium	170,625	3.30	5	–1
Democratic Front of the Francophones	154,023	2.92	6	+3
Walloon Rally	151,421	2.92	6	New
Red Lions	46,065	0.89	0	New
Walloon Workers	3,474	0.07	0	New
Pro-Peking Communists	3,119	0.06	0	New
ULS	2,694	0.05	0	New
Return to Liège	1,933	0.04	0	New
Flemish Social Movement	1,922	0.04	0	New
Kaganovemus	1,634	0.03	0	0
Dierenbes	1,608	0.03	0	New
Walloon Communists	964	0.02	0	New
Z. Kleur	723	0.01	0	New
Flemish Communists	702	0.01	0	New
FU Pop	572	0.01	0	New
Trotskyists	289	0.01	0	New
SH	198	0.00	0	New
RJB	161	0.00	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	376,700	–	–	–
Total	5,554,652	100	212	0
Registered voters/turnout	6,170,167	90.02	–	–
Source: Belgian Elections

Senate[]

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Belgian Socialist Party	1,454,879	28.46	33	+2
Christian Social Party	1,393,174	27.25	29	–15
Party for Freedom and Progress	1,114,428	21.80	22	–1
People's Union	513,342	10.04	9	+5
FDF-RW	308,859	6.04	5	+4
Communist Party of Belgium	271,586	5.31	2	–1
Vanden Boeynants-Christian Social Party Kartel	252,331	4.94	6	New
Red Lions	45,097	0.88	0	New
Walloon Workers	3,777	0.07	0	New
Pro-Peking Communists	3,452	0.07	0	New
Kaganovemus	2,694	0.05	0	0
ULS	2,364	0.05	0	New
Flemish Communists	801	0.02	0	New
Walloon Communists	520	0.01	0	New
FU Pop	495	0.01	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	441,379	–	–	–
Total	5,553,197	100	106	0
Registered voters/turnout	6,170,167	90.00	–	–
Source: Belgian Elections

References[]