1968 Belgian general election

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.

1968 Belgian general election

31 March 1968

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

Colours denote the winning party in each electoral district (for the Chamber of Deputies).

Government before election

Vanden Boeynants I
CVP/PSC-PVV/PLP

Elected Government

G. Eyskens V
CVP/PSC-BSP/PSB

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 Leuven Crisis.

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 Party1,643,78531.7569–8
Belgian Socialist Party1,403,10727.1059–5
Party for Freedom and Progress1,080,89420.8747–1
People's Union506,6979.7920+8
Vanden Boeynants Cartel236,2834.560New
Communist Party of Belgium170,6253.305–1
Democratic Front of the Francophones154,0232.926+3
Walloon Rally151,4212.926New
Red Lions46,0650.890New
Walloon Workers3,4740.070New
Pro-Peking Communists3,1190.060New
ULS2,6940.050New
Return to Liège1,9330.040New
Flemish Social Movement1,9220.040New
Kaganovemus1,6340.0300
Dierenbes1,6080.030New
Walloon Communists9640.020New
Z. Kleur7230.010New
Flemish Communists7020.010New
FU Pop5720.010New
Trotskyists2890.010New
SH1980.000New
RJB1610.000New
Invalid/blank votes376,700
Total5,554,6521002120
Registered voters/turnout6,170,16790.02
Source: Belgian Elections

Senate

Party Votes % Seats +/–
Belgian Socialist Party1,454,87928.4633+2
Christian Social Party1,393,17427.2529–15
Party for Freedom and Progress1,114,42821.8022–1
People's Union513,34210.049+5
FDF-RW308,8596.045+4
Communist Party of Belgium271,5865.312–1
Vanden Boeynants-Christian Social Party Kartel252,3314.946New
Red Lions45,0970.880New
Walloon Workers3,7770.070New
Pro-Peking Communists3,4520.070New
Kaganovemus2,6940.0500
ULS2,3640.050New
Flemish Communists8010.020New
Walloon Communists5200.010New
FU Pop4950.010New
Invalid/blank votes441,379
Total5,553,1971001060
Registered voters/turnout6,170,16790.00
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, pp309-311
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p291
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