1977 Belgian general election

Summary

General elections were held in Belgium on 17 April 1977.[1] The result was a victory for the Christian People's Party, which won 56 of the 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 28 of the 106 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 95.1%.[2] Elections were also held for the nine provincial councils and for the Council of the German Cultural Community.

1977 Belgian general election

← 1974 17 April 1977 1978 →

212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives
  First party Second party Third party
 
Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F050938-0028, Bonn, Tagung CDU-Bundesausschuss, Tindemans.jpg
Andre_Cools.jpg
Karel_van_Miert_(SP,_Belgi%C3%AB),_Bestanddeelnr_933-5684.jpg
Leader Leo Tindemans André Cools Karel Van Miert
Party CVP Socialist Socialist
Leader since Candidate for PM 1973 1977
Last election 50 seats, 23.25% 59 seats, 26.66%[a] 59 seats, 26.66%[a]
Seats won 56 34 27
Seat change Increase 6 Decrease 15 Decrease 22
Popular vote 1,460,757 602,132 725,513
Percentage 26.20% 10.80% 13.01%
Swing Increase 2.95% Decrease 15.86% Decrease 13.65%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
PSC
VU
PVV
Leader Georges Gramme Hugo Schiltz Frans Grootjans
Party cdH VU Open Vld
Leader since 1976 1975 1973
Last election 22 seats, 9.09% 22 seats, 10.20% 30 seats, 15.19%
Seats won 24 20 17
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 2 Decrease 13
Popular vote 406,694 559,567 475,917
Percentage 7.29% 10.04% 8.54%
Swing Decrease 1.80% Decrease 0.16% Decrease 6.65%

Results by constituency for the Chamber of Representatives

Government before election

Tindemans I
CVP-PSC-PVV-PRL

Government after election

Tindemans II
CVP-PSC-BSP/PSB-VU-FDF

Results edit

Chamber of Representatives edit

 
Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
Belgian Socialist PartyBSP (Flanders)725,51313.0127New
PSB-BSP602,13210.8034New
PSB (Wallonia)145,7712.6100
Total1,473,41626.4361+2
Christian People's Party1,460,75726.2056+6
People's Union559,56710.0420–2
Party for Freedom and ProgressPVV475,9178.5417New
PLP of Wallonia5,2200.090
Total481,1378.6317–13
Christian Social Party406,6947.2924+2
Party of Reforms and Freedom of WalloniaPRLW191,1963.4316New
PRLWPRF107,0151.920New
PRLW–Liberal Party92,1781.650New
Total390,3897.0016New
Democratic Front of the Francophones263,1044.7211New
Communist Party of BelgiumKPB/PCB62,4101.120–2
PCB–UDP51,9300.930New
PCB (Wallonia)37,1040.672New
Total151,4442.7220
PSC–CSP138,3612.480New
Walloon Rally132,7732.384–7
PSBWalloon Rally33,5980.601New
All Power to the WorkersAMADA (Flanders)22,9190.410New
TPO (Wallonia)1,9800.040New
Total24,8990.4500
Revolutionary Workers' LeagueRAL (Flanders)8,5620.150New
LRT-RAL3,1270.060New
LRT (Wallonia)2,9050.050New
Total14,5940.260New
ECOLOG11,8390.210New
Party of German-speaking Belgians7,7350.1400
ECOLOG–Snow White and Seven Dwarfs Party4,3210.080New
Ecolo3,8340.070New
United Feminist PartyPFU (Wallonia)1,5140.030New
VFP (Flanders)9670.020New
Total2,4810.0400
Agalev2,4350.040New
Francophone Women's Front2,0990.040New
Centre Party–Belgian Radical Union1,5470.0300
Return to Liège1,4210.0300
Union of Belgians1,0830.020New
People's National Front9940.020New
Kaganovemus8840.0200
ECOLOGIQUE7770.010New
Ecologie Wallonia6050.010New
Communist Party of Belgium – Marxist–Leninist5330.010New
United Independent Party4430.010New
Flanders–Brussels 773770.010New
Union of Marxist–Leninist Communists of Belgium2220.000New
UC–MEUNIER1990.000New
Revolutionary Workers' Party1750.000New
Parti Pris1690.000New
European Workers Party1520.000New
Total5,575,058100.002120
Valid votes5,575,05892.82
Invalid/blank votes431,1537.18
Total votes6,006,211100.00
Registered voters/turnout6,316,66295.09
Source: Belgian Elections

Senate edit

 
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Christian People's Party1,446,80626.1828+1
Belgian Socialist Party (Wallonia)756,40113.6919New
Belgian Socialist Party (Flanders)719,53313.0212New
People's Union562,89410.19100
Christian Social Party522,6139.4611+1
Party for Freedom and Progress472,6458.559New
Party of Reforms and Freedom of Wallonia316,2925.727New
Democratic Front of the Francophones246,3674.466New
Walloon Rally158,6422.872New
Communist Party of Belgium108,0001.9510
Liberal Party70,4581.280New
PCB–UDP50,7490.920New
PSBWalloon Rally33,9450.611New
All Power to the Workers27,6930.500New
Party of German-speaking Belgians10,2130.1800
Ecolo7,5580.140New
Party for Freedom and Progress (Wallonia)5,3050.1000
United Feminist Party3,4130.0600
Agalev3,2700.060New
Union of Belgians1,1820.020New
United Independent Party8960.020New
Revolutionary Workers' League3870.010New
Belgian Radical Union2070.0000
Other parties5020.010
Total5,525,971100.001060
Valid votes5,525,97191.91
Invalid/blank votes486,0918.09
Total votes6,012,062100.00
Registered voters/turnout6,012,062100.00
Source: Belgian Elections

References edit

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p289 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p291