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1857 Belgian general election

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1857 Belgian general election

1856 10 December 1857(1857-12-10) 1859

All 108 seats in theChamber of Representatives
55 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party
Leader Charles Rogier Pierre de Decker
Party Liberal Catholic
Last election 45 seats 63 seats
Seats won 70 38
Seat change Increase25 Decrease25
Popular vote 39,280 32,503
Percentage 54.72% 45.28%

Governmentbefore election

de Decker
Catholic-Liberal

Government after election

Rogier II
Liberal

General elections were held inBelgiumon 10 December 1857,[1][2]the first full general elections since1848.[3]The elections were called byroyal orderof 12 November 1857, dissolving the Chamber of Representatives that had convened in a new session only two days earlier.

Going into the elections, Liberals held a majority in the Senate and the Catholics in the Chamber of Representatives. The unionist (Catholic–liberal)De Deckergovernment resigned and a liberal government led byCharles Rogiertook over shortly before the elections were called.

In the elections for theChamber of Representativesthe result was a victory for theLiberal Party,which won 70 of the 108 seats.[2]The Liberal Party now had a majority in both chambers of parliament.

Voter turnout was 79%,[3]although only 90,543 men (2% of the country's population) were eligible to vote.[2]

Campaign[edit]

Twelve of the 108 seats were uncontested, of which the Liberals won three and the Catholics nine.[3]

Results[edit]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Liberal Party39,28054.7270+25
Catholics32,50345.2838–25
Total71,783100.001080
Total votes71,783
Registered voters/turnout90,54379.28
Source: Mackie & Rose,[3]Sternbergeret al.

References[edit]

  1. ^CodebookConstituency-level Elections Archive, 2003
  2. ^abcSternberger, D, Vogel, B & Nohlen, D (1969)Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band I: Europa - Erster Halbband,p105
  3. ^abcdThomas T Mackie & Richard Rose (1991)The International Almanac of Electoral History,Macmillan, p46