Jean Marie Joseph, Baron Van Houtte ( 17 March 1907–23 May 1991) was a Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 politician.

Born in Ghent

Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...

, van Houtte held a doctorate in law and lectured at Ghent University

Ghent University

Ghent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...

 and the University of Liège

University of Liège

The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...

. He served as chairman of the Belgian Institute of Public Finance and represented the PSC-CVP

Christian Social Party (Belgium, defunct)

The Christian Social Party was a Belgian Catholic political party, which existed from 1945 until 1968.-History:At the end of World War II, on 18–19 August 1945 the Christelijke Volkspartij-Parti Social Chrétien was founded under the presidency of August de Schryver as the successor to the...

 in the Belgian Senate

Belgian Senate

The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...

 from 1949 to 1968.

Having served as Finance minister in the governments of Jean Duvieusart

Jean Duvieusart

Jean Pierre Duvieusart was a Belgian Catholic politician of the PSC-CVP and minister of economy . After two months as the 36th Prime Minister of Belgium , he resigned after the abdication of King Leopold III...

 (1950) and Joseph Pholien

Joseph Pholien

Joseph Clovis Louis Marie Emmanuel Pholien was a Belgian Catholic politician and member of the PSC-CVP. He was born in Liège, and volunteered to serve with the Belgian army during World War I, being commissioned as a first lieutenant...

 (1950–1952), van Houtte replaced Pholien to become the 38th Prime Minister of Belgium in January 1952. His period in office was marked by disputes over conscription

Conscription

Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...

, and in particular the length of service of conscripts, and over the treatment of collaborators, where van Houtte controversially favoured a mild approach. An economic recession added to his troubles.

Van Houtte again served as Finance minister from 1958 to 1961 under Gaston Eyskens

Gaston Eyskens

Gaston François Marie, Viscount Eyskens was a Belgian economist, Christian Democratic politician of the CVP-PSC, and statesman.He was a six-time Prime Minister of Belgium from 1949 to 1950, 1958 to 1961 and 1968 to 1973...

. He was governor of the World Bank

World Bank

The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...

, named an honorary Minister of State

Minister of State

Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...

 in 1966, and made a Baron

Baron

Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...

 in 1970.