1971 Belgian general election

1971 Belgian general election

7 November 1971
212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives
First party Second party Third party   Leader Gaston Eyskens Jos Van Eynde Edmond Leburton Party CVP Socialist Socialist Leader since Candidate for PM 1971 1971 Last election New 59 seats, 27.10%[a] 59 seats, 27.10%[a] Seats won 40 25 25 Seat change New 34 34 Popular vote 967,701 623,395 549,483 Percentage 18.32% 11.80% 10.40% Swing New 15.30% 16.70%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Frans Van der Elst Pierre Descamps Robert J. Houben Party VU Open Vld cdH Leader since 1955 1969 1966 Last election 20 seats, 9.79% 47 seats, 20.87% New Seats won 21 16 15 Seat change 1 31 New Popular vote 586,917 392,130 327,393 Percentage 11.11% 7.42% 6.20% Swing 1.32% 13.45% New
Colours denote the winning party in each electoral district (for the Chamber of Deputies). a Beginning in 1971, the Belgian Socialist Party ran as separate lists for Flanders and Wallonia, however they still existed as a single party, hence why both show their previous united results.
Government before election G. Eyskens V CVP-PSC-BSP/PSB Elected Government G. Eyskens V CVP-PSC-BSP/PSB

General elections were held in Belgium on 7 November 1971. The result was a victory for the Christian People's Party, which won 40 of the 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 34 of the 106 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 91.5%. Elections to the nine provincial councils were also held.

The linguistic issues led to the splitting of the major parties into separate Flemish and Francophone parties. Consequently the election returned a very fragmented parliament.

The election followed the first state reform, with the creation of three cultural communities. The newly elected members of parliament would thus also serve in the newly established cultural councils.

Results

Chamber of Representatives

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Christian People's Party (CVP)	967,701	18.32	40	New
Belgian Socialist Party (Flanders) (BSP)	623,395	11.80	25	New
People's Union (Volksunie)	586,917	11.11	21	+1
Belgian Socialist Party (Wallonia) (PSB)	549,483	10.40	25	New
Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV)	392,130	7.42	16	New
Christian Social Party (PSC)	327,393	6.20	15	New
Walloon Rally (RW)	306,606	5.81	12	+6
PSC-CVP	292,101	5.53	12	−57
FDF-RW	286,639	5.43	12	New
Party for Freedom and Progress (Wallonia) (PLP)	275,776	5.22	11	New
Belgian Socialist Party (Brussels)	162,852	3.08	7	New
PVV/PLP	107,615	2.04	4	–43
Red Lions	104,040	1.97	4	+4
Communist Party (Wallonia) (PC)	91,726	1.74	4	New
Party for Freedom and Progress (Brussels)	90,134	1.71	3	New
Communist Party (Flanders) (KP)	67,487	1.28	1	New
LOB-LIB	21,919	0.42	0	New
Onaf Christ	7,801	0.15	0	New
LVV	2,740	0.05	0	New
Trotskyists	2,660	0.05	0	0
Catholic Greater Netherlands Folkish Social Struggle (Kaganovemus)	2,580	0.05	0	New
PCB	2,304	0.04	0	0
Van Meerhage	2,004	0.04	0	New
Z Kleur	1,547	0.03	0	0
DPU	1,534	0.03	0	New
Francophone Party	1,471	0.03	0	New
New Party	899	0.02	0	New
U Verbruik	640	0.01	0	New
Dieferenbes	633	0.01	0	0
De Keyzer	565	0.01	0	New
R D Wal	339	0.01	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	459,637	–	–	–
Total	5,741,268	100	212	0
Source: Belgian Elections

Senate

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
CVP-PSC	1,547,853	29.70	34	+5
Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV-PLP)	776,514	14.90	15	−7
Belgian Socialist Party (Wallonia) (PSB)	710,437	13.63	16	New
Belgian Socialist Party (Flanders) (BSP)	615,805	11.82	6	New
FDF-RW	598,768	11.49	6	+1
People's Union (Volksunie)	592,509	11.37	12	+3
Communist Party of Belgium (KPB-PCB)	106,799	2.05	1	−1
BSP–Red Lions	97,371	1.87	0	New
Liberal Democrat and Pluralist Party	81,133	1.56	2	New
UDP	61,616	1.18	0	New
LIB-LOB	15,138	0.29	0	New
Kaganovemus	3,800	0.07	0	0
LVV	3,159	0.06	0	New
Valentyn	513	0.01	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	415,246	–	–	–
Total	5,626,661	100	106	0
Source: Belgian Elections