1936 Belgian general election

1936 Belgian general election

← 1932 24 May 1936 1939 →

All 202 seats in the Chamber of Representatives
All 101 seats in the Senate
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Emile Vandervelde Paul van Zeeland Léon Dens
Party Labour Catholic Liberal
Leader since 1933 Candidate for PM 1935
Last election 73 seats, 37.03% 79 seats, 38.42% 24 seats, 14.08%
Seats won 70 61 23
Seat change Decrease 3 Decrease 18 Decrease 1
Popular vote 758,485 653,717 292,970
Percentage 32.11% 27.67% 12.40%
Swing Decrease 4.92% Decrease 10.75% Decrease 1.68%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Léon Degrelle Staf De Clercq Joseph Jacquemotte
Party Rexist VNV PVDA-PTB
Leader since 1935 1933 1934
Last election New New 3 seats, 2.90%
Seats won 21 16 9
Seat change New New Increase 6
Popular vote 271,481 164,253 143,223
Percentage 11.49% 7.06% 6.06%
Swing New New Increase 3.16%

Government before election

van Zeeland I
National Unity (Catholic-Lab-Lib)

Government after election

van Zeeland II
National Unity (Catholic-Lab-Lib)

Prime Minister Paul van Zeeland

General elections were held in Belgium on 24 May 1936.[1] The result was a victory for the Belgian Labour Party, which won 70 of the 202 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 39 of the 101 seats in the Senate.[2] Voter turnout was 94.7%.[3]

Despite the rise of far-right and far-left parties, Paul van Zeeland continued as Prime Minister leading a government of national unity, composed of the three major parties (Catholics, Socialists and Liberals).

Results

Chamber of Representatives

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Belgian Labour Party758,48532.1170–3
Catholic Party653,71727.6761–18
Liberal Party292,97012.4023–1
Rexist Party271,48111.4921New
Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond166,7377.0616+8
Communist Party of Belgium143,2236.069+6
Christian Democratic Party22,2240.942New
Realists14,9890.630New
People's Candidates7,9970.340New
Socialist dissidents7,0500.3000
Agrarians4,9890.210New
Revolutionary Socialist Action2,0820.090New
Independent National Party2,0720.090New
Farmers1,9950.0800
VNV dissidents1,6180.0700
Clock1,5180.060New
Isolated1,1530.0500
Pigeon Fanciers9180.040New
Taxpayers Bloc8980.0400
Radical Party7090.0300
Cooperative Bloc6920.030New
Merchants3910.020New
Producers2250.010New
Quaedvlieg670.000New
Independents4,2360.180New
Total2,362,436100.00202+15
Valid votes2,362,43694.07
Invalid/blank votes148,8105.93
Total votes2,511,246100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,652,70794.67
Source: Belgian Elections

Senate

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Belgian Labour Party769,49833.46390
Catholic Party667,73929.0434–8
Liberal Party297,28012.93110
Rexist Party250,27210.888New
Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond160,2126.975+4
Communist Party of Belgium110,8554.824+4
Christian Democratic Party19,4770.850New
Other parties4,5200.200
Independents19,6550.850New
Total2,299,508100.00101+8
Valid votes2,299,50891.67
Invalid/blank votes209,0558.33
Total votes2,508,563100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,652,70794.57
Source: Belgian Elections

Constituencies

The distribution of seats among the electoral districts of the Chamber of Representatives was as follows.[4] Several arrondissements got one or more additional seats. Roeselare-Tielt lost one seat, which was a rare occurrence since population generally increased throughout the Belgian territory with each census.

Province Arrondissement(s) Seats Change
Antwerp Antwerp 18 +3
Mechelen 6 +1
Turnhout 5 +1
Limburg Hasselt 4 +1
Tongeren-Maaseik 5 +1
East Flanders Aalst 6 +1
Oudenaarde 3
Gent-Eeklo 12
Dendermonde 4
Sint-Niklaas 4
West Flanders Bruges 4
Roeselare-Tielt 4 –1
Kortrijk 6 +1
Ypres 3
Veurne-Diksmuide-Ostend 5
Brabant Leuven 7
Brussels 30 +4
Nivelles 5 +1
Hainaut Tournai-Ath 6
Charleroi 11
Thuin 4 +1
Mons 7
Soignies 3
Liège Huy-Waremme 4
Liège 14 +1
Verviers 5
Luxembourg Arlon-Marche-Bastogne 3
Neufchâteau-Virton 3
Namur Namur 5
Dinant-Philippeville 4
Total 202 +15

References

  1. ^ Nohlen, Dieter; Stöver, Philip (31 May 2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. p. 289. ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7.
  2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, pp308-310
  3. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p290
  4. ^ List of members of the Chamber of Representatives (1936)