1939 Belgian general election
Belgium
2 April 1939
Chamber of Representatives

All 202 seats in the Chamber of Representatives
PartyLeader % Seats +/–
PCKVV Hubert Pierlot 32.71 73 +12
Labour Paul-Henri Spaak 30.19 64 −6
Liberal Émile Coulonvaux 17.19 33 +10
VNV Staf De Clercq 8.28 17 +1
PVDA-PTB Collective leadership 5.36 9 0
Rexist Léon Degrelle 4.44 4 −17
Technocrat Leo Frenssen 1 New
Veterans 1 New
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Chamber of Representatives

All 101 seats in the Senate
PartyLeader % Seats +/–
Catholic Hubert Pierlot 30.71 35 +1
Labour Paul-Henri Spaak 30.64 35 −4
Liberal Émile Coulonvaux 17.57 16 +5
VNV Staf De Clercq 7.76 8 +3
PVDA-PTB Collective leadership 5.04 3 −1
Rexist Léon Degrelle 4.13 1 −7
KVV Alfons Verbist 2.75 3 New
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Government before Government after election
Spaak I
National Unity (LabCatholicLib)
Pierlot I
CatholicLab

General elections were held in Belgium on 2 April 1939.[1] The result was a victory for the Catholic Party, which won 67 of the 202 seats in the Chamber of Representatives. Voter turnout was 93.3%.[2]

On 22 February 1939, the Pierlot Government succeeded the Spaak Government. The Spaak Government was in a political crisis caused by, among other things, the Martens Affair. As the Pierlot Government fell as well and the ministers failed to form a stable government, King Leopold III insisted on a dissolution of parliament, but the council of ministers refused due to fear of electoral losses. It was not Prime Minister Pierlot, but the Minister of the Interior who provided the required contresignant of the royal order of 6 March 1939 which dissolved the Chambers and triggered the snap elections.

After the election, Pierlot continued as Prime Minister. The elections were the last before World War II.

Results

Chamber of Representatives

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Catholic Party764,84332.7167+6
Catholic Flemish People's Party6New
Belgian Labour Party705,96930.1964–6
Liberal Party401,99117.1933+10
Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond193,5288.2817+1
Communist Party of Belgium125,4285.3690
Rexist Party103,8214.444–17
Heimattreue Front7,7330.330New
Technocrat Party35,1241.501New
Veterans1New
Walloon Party0New
Socialist dissidents00
Liberal dissidents0New
Revolutionary Socialist Action00
Lahaut List0New
Liste De Keyser (Tchno)0New
Walloon Dissident Party0New
Verbist0New
Independents00
Total2,338,437100.002020
Valid votes2,338,43793.96
Invalid/blank votes150,4426.04
Total votes2,488,879100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,667,34193.31
Source: Mackie & Rose, Belgian Elections

Senate

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Catholic Party703,25030.7135+1
Belgian Labour Party701,55230.6435–4
Liberal Party402,32617.5716+5
Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond177,6667.768+3
Communist Party of Belgium115,3085.043–1
Rexist Party94,5434.131–7
Catholic Flemish People's Party62,9762.753New
Independents32,2091.4100
Total2,289,830100.001010
Valid votes2,289,83092.00
Invalid/blank votes199,0338.00
Total votes2,488,863100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,667,34193.31
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, p290
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