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1939 Belgian general election
First party
Second party
Third party
Leader
Hubert Pierlot
Paul-Henri Spaak
Émile Coulonvaux
Party
Catholic
Labour
Liberal
Leader since
Candidate for PM
Candidate for PM
1937
Last election
61 seats, 27.67%
70 seats, 32.11%
23 seats, 12.40%
Seats won
67
64
33
Seat change
6
6
10
Popular vote
594,133
575,775
335,966
Percentage
30.38%
29.44%
17.18%
Swing
2.71%
2.77%
4.78%
Fourth party
Fifth party
Sixth party
Leader
Staf De Clercq
Julien Lahaut Xavier Relecom Georges Van den Boom
Alfons Verbist
Party
VNV
PVDA-PTB
KVV
Leader since
1933
1936
1936
Last election
16 seats, 7.06%
9 seats, 6.06%
New
Seats won
17
9
6
Seat change
1
New
Popular vote
164,253
90,856
62,548
Percentage
8.40%
4.65%
3.20%
Swing
1.36%
1.41%
New
Hubert Pierlot , Catholic Prime Minister
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 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 for electoral losses. It was not Prime Minister Pierlot, but the Minister of the Interior who provided the required contreseing 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 ones before the Second World War.
Results
Chamber of Representatives
Party
Votes
%
Seats
+/–
Catholic Party
594,133
30.38
67
+6
Belgian Labour Party
575,775
29.44
64
–6
Liberal Party
335,966
17.18
33
+10
Flemish National Union
164,253
8.40
17
+1
Communist Party of Belgium
90,856
4.65
9
0
Rexist Party
83,047
4.25
4
–17
Catholic Flemish People's Party
62,548
3.20
6
New
Technocrat Party
10,843
0.55
1
New
Anc. Combat./Oudstrijder
10,630
0.54
1
New
Heimattreue Front
8,057
0.41
0
New
Walloon Party
7,370
0.38
0
New
Afgescheurde Socialists
5,136
0.26
0
New
Afgescheurde Liberals
4,228
0.22
0
New
Action Soc. Rév. - Rev
2,119
0.11
0
New
Lahaut List
367
0.02
0
New
Liste De Keyser (Tchno)
343
0.02
0
New
Walloon Dissident Party
317
0.02
0
New
Verbist
195
0.01
0
New
Independents
91
0.00
0
0
Invalid/blank votes
151,342
–
–
–
Total
2,107,156
100
202
0
Registered voters/turnout
2,667,341
79.00
–
–
Source: Belgian Elections
Senate
Party
Votes
%
Seats
+/–
Catholic Party
703,250
30.71
35
+1
Belgian Labour Party
701,552
30.64
35
–4
Liberal Party
402,326
17.57
16
+5
Flemish National Union
177,666
7.76
8
+3
Communist Party of Belgium
115,308
5.04
3
–1
Rexist Party
94,543
4.13
1
–7
Catholic Flemish People's Party
62,976
2.75
3
New
Independents
32,209
1.41
0
–
Invalid/blank votes
199,033
–
–
–
Total
2,488,863
100
101
0
Registered voters/turnout
2,667,341
93.31
–
–
Source: Belgian elections
References