Liberalism in Belgium
Encyclopedia
This article gives an overview of liberalism in Belgium
. It is limited to liberal
parties
with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament
. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it is not necessary that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.
independence from Holland
.
(Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, member LI
, ELDR), comprising both market and left of center liberals, is one of the dominant parties. Smaller liberal parties are Spirit, allied with the social democrats, and Vivant
, allied to the VLD. In the French speaking part of the country the nowadays center liberal Reformist Movement
(Mouvement Réformateur, member LI
, ELDR) is one of the major parties. Affiliated with this party is the German speaking Party for Freedom and Progress
(Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt).
the following Belgian thinkers are included:
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...
. It is limited to liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament
Belgian Federal Parliament
The Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament. It consists of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate . It sits in the Palace of the Nation .- Chamber of Representatives :...
. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it is not necessary that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.
Background
Liberalism was a dominant force since the BelgianBelgium
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...
independence from Holland
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
History
Since 1972 the traditional liberal current is divided in parties for each language. In Flanders the liberal Flemish Liberals and DemocratsFlemish Liberals and Democrats
' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999...
(Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, member LI
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
, ELDR), comprising both market and left of center liberals, is one of the dominant parties. Smaller liberal parties are Spirit, allied with the social democrats, and Vivant
Vivant
Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal...
, allied to the VLD. In the French speaking part of the country the nowadays center liberal Reformist Movement
Reformist Movement
The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections...
(Mouvement Réformateur, member LI
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
, ELDR) is one of the major parties. Affiliated with this party is the German speaking Party for Freedom and Progress
Party for Freedom and Progress
The Party for Freedom and Progress was a liberal party in Belgium which existed from 1961 until 1992 and was the successor of the Liberal Party, which had roots dating back to 1846. It was succeeded in Flanders by the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and in Wallonia by the Parti Réformateur...
(Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt).
Liberal Party/Party for Freedom and Progress
- 1846: Liberals formed the Liberal PartyLiberal Party (Belgium)The Liberal Party was a Belgian political party that existed from 1846 until 1961, when it became the Party for Freedom and Progress, Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès or PVV-PLP, under the leadership of Omer Vanaudenhove.-History:The Liberal Party was founded...
(Parti Libéral) - 1887: A radical faction seceded as the ⇒ Progressive PartyProgressive Party (Belgium)The Progressive Party of Belgium was a progressive Liberal party which existed from 1887 until 1900.-History:After the defeat of the Liberal party in the general elections of 1884 the doctrinarian faction continued to dominate the Belgian Liberal party. However, the progressistes or radicals no...
- 1900: The ⇒ Progressive Party rejoined the party
- The party name gradually included the DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
version Liberale Partij - 1961: The LP/PL is reorganised into Party for Freedom and ProgressParty for Freedom and ProgressThe Party for Freedom and Progress was a liberal party in Belgium which existed from 1961 until 1992 and was the successor of the Liberal Party, which had roots dating back to 1846. It was succeeded in Flanders by the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and in Wallonia by the Parti Réformateur...
(Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti pour la Liberté et le Progrès) (PVV/PLP) - 1972: The PVV/PLP fell apart in three parties with the same name in the three state languages (FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Dutch and GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
)
Progressive Party
- 1887: A radical faction of the ⇒ Liberal Party formed the Progressive PartyProgressive Party (Belgium)The Progressive Party of Belgium was a progressive Liberal party which existed from 1887 until 1900.-History:After the defeat of the Liberal party in the general elections of 1884 the doctrinarian faction continued to dominate the Belgian Liberal party. However, the progressistes or radicals no...
(Parti Progressiste)- 1900: The PP merged into the ⇒ Liberal Party
(Flemish) Party for Freedom and Progress/Flemish Liberals and Democrats
- 1972: The Flemish section of the ⇒ PVV/PLP formed the Party for Freedom and ProgressParty for Freedom and ProgressThe Party for Freedom and Progress was a liberal party in Belgium which existed from 1961 until 1992 and was the successor of the Liberal Party, which had roots dating back to 1846. It was succeeded in Flanders by the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and in Wallonia by the Parti Réformateur...
(Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang) - 1992: The PVV is reorganised into the present-day Flemish Liberals and DemocratsFlemish Liberals and Democrats' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999...
(Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or VLD)
(Francophone) Party for Freedom and Progress/Liberal Reformist Party
- 1972: The francophone section of the ⇒ PVV/PLP became the Party for Freedom and ProgressParty for Freedom and ProgressThe Party for Freedom and Progress was a liberal party in Belgium which existed from 1961 until 1992 and was the successor of the Liberal Party, which had roots dating back to 1846. It was succeeded in Flanders by the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and in Wallonia by the Parti Réformateur...
(Parti pour la Liberté et le Progrès) - 1973: The Brussels section of the PLP formed the ⇒ Liberal Party
- 1976: The PLP merged with a faction of the Walloon RallyWalloon RallyThe Walloon Rally is a Belgian political party, active in Wallonia since 1968. The party favoured federalism and since 1985 independence....
(Rassemblement Wallon) into the Party for Reforms and Freedom of WalloniaParty for Freedom and ProgressThe Party for Freedom and Progress was a liberal party in Belgium which existed from 1961 until 1992 and was the successor of the Liberal Party, which had roots dating back to 1846. It was succeeded in Flanders by the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and in Wallonia by the Parti Réformateur...
(Parti pour les Réformes et la Liberté de Wallonie) - 1979: The party merged with the ⇒ Liberal Party into the Reformist Liberal Party (Parti Réformateur Libéral)
- 2002: The PRL is reorganised into the present-day Reformist MovementReformist MovementThe Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections...
(Mouvement Réformateur or MR)
(Brussels) Liberal Party
- 1973: The Brussels section of the ⇒ PLP formed the Liberal Party (Parti Libéral)
- 1979: The Liberal Party merged into the ⇒ Liberal Reform Party
(German speaking) Party for Freedom and Progress
- 1976: The German speaking section of the ⇒ PLP became the present-day Party for Freedom and ProgressParty for Freedom and ProgressThe Party for Freedom and Progress was a liberal party in Belgium which existed from 1961 until 1992 and was the successor of the Liberal Party, which had roots dating back to 1846. It was succeeded in Flanders by the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and in Wallonia by the Parti Réformateur...
(Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt) - 2002: The PFF became affiliated to the ⇒ Reformist Movement
New liberal parties formed in the 2000s
- FlemishProgressives (left-liberalism), cartel partner of the Different Socialist Party.
- VivantVivantVivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal...
(social-liberalism), cartel partner of the VLD. - Liberal Appeal (right-liberalism), cartel partner of the VLD.
- Veilig Blauw-Safe Blue (right-liberalism), local party, defunct.
- Verstandig Rechts-Smart Right (right-liberalism), local party, defunct.
- VLOTTVLOTTVLOTT is a Belgian right-wing liberal or fortuynist political party. The acronym VLOTT stands for Flemish Liberal Independent Tolerant and Transparent . It was founded on November 23, 2005 by ex-Flemish Liberals and Democrats member Hugo Coveliers...
(far-right liberalism), cartel partner of the Vlaams BelangVlaams BelangVlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
. - List Dedecker (populist right-liberalism).
Liberal leaders
- Parti Libéral
- Charles RogierCharles RogierCharles Latour Rogier was a Belgian liberal statesman and a leader in the Belgian Revolution of 1830. He became Prime Minister of Belgium on two separate occasions: from 1847 to 1852, and again from 1857 to 1868....
- Walthère Frère-Orban (1812-1896), wrote the first charter of the liberal party
- Paul JansonPaul JansonPaul Janson was a Belgian liberal politician.Born in Herstal, Janson studied philosophy and law at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. From an early age he was a strong supporter of electoral reform and stood on the progressive wing of the Belgian liberal movement...
- Paul HymansPaul HymansPaul Louis Adrien Henri Hymans , was a Belgian politician associated with the Liberal Party. He was the first President of the League of Nations, and served again as its president in 1932-33....
- Paul-Emile JansonPaul-Emile JansonPaul-Emile Janson was a Belgian liberal politician.Born in Brussels, Janson was the son of liberal statesman Paul Janson . He studied law at the Free University of Brussels , practised as a lawyer, and also taught at the university...
- Charles Rogier
- Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten
- Guy VerhofstadtGuy VerhofstadtGuy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
- Guy Verhofstadt
Liberal thinkers
In the Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theory
Individual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
the following Belgian thinkers are included:
- Dirk VerhofstadtDirk VerhofstadtDirk Verhofstadt is a Belgian social liberal theorist and brother of former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt. He has a keen interest in political philosophy, and his philosophical outlook is influenced by Karl Popper, John Stuart Mill, Thomas Paine, Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum...
(born 1955) - Boudewijn BouckaertBoudewijn BouckaertBoudewijn Bouckaert is a Belgian law professor, a member of the Flemish Movement, and a libertarian conservative thinker and politician. He chairs the academic board of the LIB-ERA! think tank and serves as Member of the Flemish Parliament for the liberal party List Dedecker...
See also
- Liberal ArchiveLiberal Archive (Belgium)The Liberal Archive , located in Ghent, is the central archive of the Belgian liberal organizations, such as the liberal party , the Willemsfonds, the Liberaal Vlaams Verbond and the liberal young guards/Pvv-Jongeren.The Liberal Archive was founded in Ghent in 1982 and was recognised by the Flemish...
- History of BelgiumHistory of BelgiumThe history of Belgium, from pre-history to the present day, is intertwined with the histories of its European neighbours, in particular those of the Netherlands and Luxembourg...
- Politics of BelgiumPolitics of BelgiumPolitics of Belgium takes place in a framework of a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic, constitutional monarchy, whereby the King of the Belgians is the Head of State and the Prime Minister of Belgium is the head of government in a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by...
- List of political parties in Belgium