Gaston Eyskens
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2009) |
Baudouin | |
---|---|
Preceded by | Achille Van Acker |
Succeeded by | Théo Lefèvre |
In office 11 August 1949 – 8 June 1950 | |
Monarch | Leopold III |
Regent | Prince Charles |
Preceded by | Paul-Henri Spaak |
Succeeded by | Jean Duvieusart |
Personal details | |
Born | Christian Social Party | 1 April 1905
Spouse | Gilberte Depetter |
Alma mater | Catholic University of Leuven Columbia University |
Gaston François Marie, Viscount Eyskens (1 April 1905 – 3 January 1988) was a
He served three terms as the prime minister of Belgium, holding the position from 1949 to 1950, 1958 to 1961 and 1968 to 1973. During his periods in office, Eyskens was confronted with major ideological and linguistic conflicts within Belgium including the
Family
Eyskens was born in Lier, the son of Antonius Franciscus Eyskens (1875–1948) and Maria Voeten (1872–1960). On 10 August 1931 he married Gilberte Depetter (1902–1981),[3] with whom he had two sons: Erik Eyskens (Leuven 20 July 1935 – Antwerpen 31 August 2008) and Mark Eyskens. His son Mark also became Prime Minister, serving from 6 April 1981 to 17 December 1981.
Career
Academic career
Eyskens studied at the Catholic University of Leuven where he gained a master and doctorate degree. In 1927 he became Master of Science at Columbia University. In 1931 Eyskens became a professor at the University of Leuven. He later became dean of the economics faculty. He also served on the board of Lovanium University in the Congo.
Eyskens was made
Political career
During the early 1930s Eyskens was chief of staff of CVP ministers
In 1945 and between 1947 and 1949 he was
Between 26 June 1958 and 6 November 1958, Eyskens led a minority government which was the most recent government of Belgium (Eyskens II) not to be a coalition government. On 6 November, Eyskens formed a coalition government with the liberals (Eyskens III) which remained in power until 3 September 1960. On 3 September 1960 he formed his third government (Eyskens IV), again a coalition with the liberal party. This government fell on 25 April 1961 over the Unitary Law (which raised the fiscal pressure by 7 billion Belgian francs, cut spending in education and the military, and reformed unemployment benefits and government pensions) and had caused large-scale strikes. During these years he also had to deal with the School War and the independence of the Belgian Congo.
In the
His last two governments were plagued by linguistic troubles regarding the split of the old bilingual
Honours
- Belgium: Minister of State by RD of 5 April 1963.
- Belgium: Created Viscount Eyskens by RD in September 1973.
- Belgium: Member of the Royal Academy.
- Belgium: Commander in the Order of Leopold II, by RD of 15 February 1946.
- Belgium: Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Crown, by RD of 8 April 1954.
- Knight Commander in the Order of Saint Gregory the Great.[6]
References
- ^ "Gaston Eyskens | Belgian politician, economist, statesman | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ "Family tree of Gilberte De Petter". Geneanet. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Gaston Eyskens (Prime Minister of Belgium)". OnThisDay.com. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ "Gaston Eyskens | Belgian politician, economist, statesman | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "EYSKENS". www.ars-moriendi.be. Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
External links
Media related to Gaston Eyskens at Wikimedia Commons
- Gaston Eyskens at Belgium Prime Minister
- Gaston Eyskens at Encyclopædia Britannica
- Territorial Party Politics in Western Europe
- Gaston Eyskens in ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures Archived 28 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- Archives of Gaston Eyskens in ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures Archived 28 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- Gaston Eyskens Collection in KU Leuven Libraries