1971 Belgian general election

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1971 Belgian general election
← 1968 7 November 1971 1974 →
212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives
  First party Second party Third party
  Gaston Eyskens No image.png No image.png
Leader Gaston Eyskens Jos Van Eynde Edmond Leburton
Party CVP Socialist Socialist
Leader since Candidate for PM 1971 1971
Last election New 59 seats, 27.10%[a] 59 seats, 27.10%[a]
Seats won 40 25 25
Seat change New Decrease 34 Decrease 34
Popular vote 967,701 623,395 549,483
Percentage 18.32% 11.80% 10.40%
Swing New Decrease 15.30% Decrease 16.70%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  No image.png No image.png No image.png
Leader Frans Van der Elst Pierre Descamps Robert J. Houben
Party VU Open Vld cdH
Leader since 1955 1969 1966
Last election 20 seats, 9.79% 47 seats, 20.87% New
Seats won 21 16 15
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 31 New
Popular vote 586,917 392,130 327,393
Percentage 11.11% 7.42% 6.20%
Swing Increase 1.32% Decrease 13.45% New
Belgian federal election 1971 - Chamber - circumscriptions.svg
Colours denote the winning party in each electoral district (for the Chamber of Deputies).
a Beginning in 1971, the Belgian Socialist Party ran as separate lists for Flanders and Wallonia, however they still existed as a single party, hence why both show their previous united results.
Government before election

G. Eyskens V
CVP-PSC-BSP/PSB

Government after election

G. Eyskens V
CVP-PSC-BSP/PSB

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General elections were held in Belgium on 7 November 1971.[1] The result was a victory for the Christian People's Party, which won 40 of the 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 34 of the 106 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 91.5%.[2] Elections to the nine provincial councils were also held.

The linguistic issues led to the splitting of the major parties into separate Flemish and Francophone parties. Consequently the election returned a very fragmented parliament.

The election followed the first state reform, with the creation of three cultural communities. The newly elected members of parliament would thus also serve in the newly established cultural councils.

Results[]

Chamber of Representatives[]

Belgian Chamber 1971.svg
Party Votes % Seats +/–
Christian People's Party (CVP) 967,701 18.32 40 New
Belgian Socialist Party (Flanders) (BSP) 623,395 11.80 25 New
People's Union (Volksunie) 586,917 11.11 21 +1
Belgian Socialist Party (Wallonia) (PSB) 549,483 10.40 25 New
Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV) 392,130 7.42 16 New
Christian Social Party (PSC) 327,393 6.20 15 New
Walloon Rally (RW) 306,606 5.81 12 +6
PSC-CVP 292,101 5.53 12 −57
FDF-RW 286,639 5.43 12 New
Party for Freedom and Progress (Wallonia) (PLP) 275,776 5.22 11 New
Belgian Socialist Party (Brussels) 162,852 3.08 7 New
PVV/PLP 107,615 2.04 4 –43
Red Lions 104,040 1.97 4 +4
Communist Party (Wallonia) (PC) 91,726 1.74 4 New
Party for Freedom and Progress (Brussels) 90,134 1.71 3 New
Communist Party (Flanders) (KP) 67,487 1.28 1 New
LOB-LIB 21,919 0.42 0 New
Onaf Christ 7,801 0.15 0 New
LVV 2,740 0.05 0 New
Trotskyists 2,660 0.05 0 0
Catholic Greater Netherlands Folkish Social Struggle (Kaganovemus) 2,580 0.05 0 New
PCB 2,304 0.04 0 0
Van Meerhage 2,004 0.04 0 New
Z Kleur 1,547 0.03 0 0
DPU 1,534 0.03 0 New
Francophone Party 1,471 0.03 0 New
New Party 899 0.02 0 New
U Verbruik 640 0.01 0 New
Dieferenbes 633 0.01 0 0
De Keyzer 565 0.01 0 New
R D Wal 339 0.01 0 New
Invalid/blank votes 459,637 – – –
Total 5,741,268 100 212 0
Source: Belgian Elections

Senate[]

Party Votes % Seats +/–
CVP-PSC 1,547,853 29.70 34 +5
Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV-PLP) 776,514 14.90 15 −7
Belgian Socialist Party (Wallonia) (PSB) 710,437 13.63 16 New
Belgian Socialist Party (Flanders) (BSP) 615,805 11.82 6 New
FDF-RW 598,768 11.49 6 +1
People's Union (Volksunie) 592,509 11.37 12 +3
Communist Party of Belgium (KPB-PCB) 106,799 2.05 1 −1
BSP–Red Lions 97,371 1.87 0 New
Liberal Democrat and Pluralist Party 81,133 1.56 2 New
UDP 61,616 1.18 0 New
LIB-LOB 15,138 0.29 0 New
Kaganovemus 3,800 0.07 0 0
LVV 3,159 0.06 0 New
Valentyn 513 0.01 0 New
Invalid/blank votes 415,246 – – –
Total 5,626,661 100 106 0
Source: Belgian Elections

References[]

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p289 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p291
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