Party for Freedom and Progress
Party for Freedom and Progress | |
|---|---|
| French name | Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès |
| Dutch name | Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Dissolved | 1992 |
| Preceded by | Liberal Democrat and Reform |
The Party for Freedom and Progress (
History
Foundation of a new party
In 1961, Omer Vanaudenhove, leader of the Liberal Party, reorganised it into the Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès (PVV/PLP). The new party, among other things, jettisoned the Liberals' traditional anti-clericalism. In 1965, the party obtained a victory in the general elections with 21.6% of the votes. In 1966, the PVV joined the government of Paul Vanden Boeynants. The liberal ministers during this period were Willy De Clercq, Jacques Van Offelen, Frans Grootjans, Herman Vanderpoorten, Charles Poswick and August De Winter.
Separation between PVV and PRL
On 27 June 1971, the party was split up in a Flemish (PVV) and Walloon party (the Liberal Reformist Party, PRL). Only a few months later, on 24 September 1971, the parliament was dissolved. In the elections which followed The Flemish PVV gained votes, but the Walloon PRL lost in the elections.
In this period (1971–1992), the PVV ministers in the government were: Willy De Clercq, Herman Vanderpoorten, Herman De Croo, Karel Poma, Alfred Vreven, André Kempinaire, Guy Verhofstadt, Louis Waltniel, Jean Pede, Patrick Dewael, Ward Beysen, and Jacky Buchmann.
The PRL ministers in the government were: André Damseaux, François-Xavier de Donnea, Jean Gol, Louis Olivier, Charles Poswick, and Michel Toussaint.
Flanders: VLD
In Flanders, the PVV ceased to exist in 1992. On 15 November 1992, the
French-speaking Community: MR
In 1976, the name of the party was changed into Parti des Réformes et des Libertés de Wallonie|Parti de Réformes et de la Liberté en Wallonie (PRLW). In 1979, the name was changed to
Presidents
Presidents PVV-PLP
- 1961 – 1968 : Omer Vanaudenhove
- 1968 – 1969 : Norbert Hougardy and Milou Jeunehomme (co-presidency)
- 1969 – 1972 : Pierre Descamps
Presidents PVV
- 1972 – 1973 : Willy De Clercq
- 1973 – 1977 : Frans Grootjans
- 1977 – 1982 : Willy De Clercq
- 1982 – 1985 : Guy Verhofstadt
- 1985 – 1989 : Annemie Neyts
- 1989 – 1992 : Guy Verhofstadt
Notable members
- Lucienne Herman-Michielsens (1926–1995)
- Jean Rey (1902–1983), President of the European Commission
- Jules Audent (1834-1910)
Electoral results
Federal Parliament
Chamber
| Election year | # of overall votes | % of overall vote | % of language group vote |
# of overall seats won | # of language group seats won |
+/- | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 709,758 | 11.5 (#4) | 25 / 212
|
 3
|
|||
| 1991 | 738,016 | 12.0 (#3) | 26 / 212
|
1
|
|||
Regional parliaments
Brussels Parliament
| Election year | # of overall votes | % of overall vote | % of language group vote |
# of overall seats won | # of language group seats won |
+/- | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1989
|
12,143 | 2.8 (#8) | 2 / 75
|
||||
European Parliament
| Election year | # of overall votes | % of overall vote | % of electoral college vote |
# of overall seats won | # of electoral college seats won |
+/- | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979
|
512,363 | 9.4 | 15.3 | 2 / 24
|
2 / 13
|
||
1984
|
494,277 | 14.2 | 2 / 24
|
2 / 13
|
 0
|
||
1989
|
625,561 | 17.1 | 2 / 24
|
2 / 13
|
0
|
See also
Sources
- Liberal Archive (in Dutch)
- History of liberalism in Belgium (in French)
- Th. Luykx, M. Platel, Politieke geschiedenis van België, 2 vol., Kluwer, 1985
- E. Witte, J. Craeybeckx, A. Meynen, Politieke geschiedenis van België, Standaard, 1997
