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Party for Freedom and Progress
open-in-new
<h2 id="history">History</h2> <h3>Foundation of a new party</h3> <p>In 1961, <a href="/facts/Omer_Vanaudenhove/BJPwb88M">Omer Vanaudenhove</a>, leader of the Liberal Party, reorganised it into the Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès (PVV/PLP). The new party, among other things, jettisoned the Liberals' traditional <a href="/facts/Anti-clericalism/b8Vf1NB0">anti-clericalism</a>. In 1965, the party obtained a victory in the general elections with 21.6% of the votes. In 1966, the PVV joined the government of <a href="/facts/Paul_Vanden_Boeynants/lXsxIGrz">Paul Vanden Boeynants</a>. The liberal ministers during this period were <a href="/facts/Willy_De_Clercq/SAzGSXTB">Willy De Clercq</a>, <a href="/facts/Jacques_Van_Offelen/alRNHomA">Jacques Van Offelen</a>, <a href="/facts/Frans_Grootjans/GCJDxzGY">Frans Grootjans</a>, <a href="/facts/Herman_Vanderpoorten/PeGD2X1y">Herman Vanderpoorten</a>, <a href="/facts/Charles_Poswick/LsrjE7ky">Charles Poswick</a> and <a href="/facts/August_De_Winter/qxS4BPMM">August De Winter</a>. </p> <h3>Separation between PVV and PRL</h3> <p>On 27 June 1971, the party was split up in a Flemish (PVV) and Walloon party (the <a href="/facts/Liberal_Reformist_Party_(Belgium)/LtmuGn2T">Liberal Reformist Party</a>, PRL). Only a few months later, on 24 September 1971, the parliament was dissolved. In the elections which followed The Flemish PVV gained votes, but the Walloon PRL lost in the elections. </p><p>In this period (1971–1992), the PVV ministers in the government were: <a href="/facts/Willy_De_Clercq/SAzGSXTB">Willy De Clercq</a>, <a href="/facts/Herman_Vanderpoorten/PeGD2X1y">Herman Vanderpoorten</a>, <a href="/facts/Herman_De_Croo/GSBbNvvG">Herman De Croo</a>, <a href="/facts/Karel_Poma/njzqedMH">Karel Poma</a>, <a href="/facts/Alfred_Vreven/URfqublp">Alfred Vreven</a>, <a href="/facts/Andr%25C3%25A9_Kempinaire/gd8pDeAL">André Kempinaire</a>, <a href="/facts/Guy_Verhofstadt/zXoFkAm0">Guy Verhofstadt</a>, <a href="/facts/Louis_Waltniel/M4sH6dA3">Louis Waltniel</a>, <a href="/facts/Jean_Pede/fdQl4NKw">Jean Pede</a>, <a href="/facts/Patrick_Dewael/PvWRGbsn">Patrick Dewael</a>, <a href="/facts/Ward_Beysen/cgPEfhaT">Ward Beysen</a>, and <a href="/facts/Jacky_Buchmann/b2ebM0sT">Jacky Buchmann</a>. </p><p>The PRL ministers in the government were: <a href="/facts/Andr%25C3%25A9_Damseaux/E3QpKr1F">André Damseaux</a>, <a href="/facts/Fran%25C3%25A7ois-Xavier_de_Donnea/dxuMrS3v">François-Xavier de Donnea</a>, <a href="/facts/Jean_Gol/qApY9NdQ">Jean Gol</a>, <a href="/facts/Louis_Olivier/LQc3etXv">Louis Olivier</a>, <a href="/facts/Charles_Poswick/LsrjE7ky">Charles Poswick</a>, and Michel Toussaint. </p> <h3>Flanders: VLD</h3> <p>In Flanders, the PVV ceased to exist in 1992. On 15 November 1992, the <a href="/facts/Open_Vlaamse_Liberalen_en_Democraten/SY79SKU4">Flemish Liberals and Democrats</a> (VLD) was founded. </p> <h3>French-speaking Community: MR</h3> <p>In 1976, the name of the party was changed into Parti des Réformes et des Libertés de Wallonie|Parti de Réformes et de la Liberté en Wallonie (PRLW). In 1979, the name was changed to <a href="/facts/Liberal_Reformist_Party_(Belgium)/LtmuGn2T">Liberal Reformist Party</a> (PRL) after the merger with the Liberal Party of Brussels. In March 2002, the PRL merged with the German-speaking <a href="/facts/Partei_f%25C3%25BCr_Freiheit_und_Fortschritt/Nr5GP4LB">Party for Freedom and Progress</a> (PFF) of the <a href="/facts/East_Cantons/UGsL7r8c">East Cantons</a>, the <a href="/facts/F%25C3%25A9d%25C3%25A9ralistes_D%25C3%25A9mocrates_Francophones/6s8HHEKa">Democratic Front of Francophones</a> (FDF) and the <a href="/facts/Mouvement_des_Citoyens_pour_le_Changement/1zWluaFn">Citizens' Movement for Change</a> (MCC) into the <a href="/facts/Mouvement_R%25C3%25A9formateur/pIlo0fkW">Reformist Movement</a> (MR). </p> <h2 id="presidents">Presidents</h2> <h3>Presidents PVV-PLP</h3> <ul><li>1961 – 1968 : <a href="/facts/Omer_Vanaudenhove/BJPwb88M">Omer Vanaudenhove</a></li> <li>1968 – 1969 : <a href="/facts/Norbert_Hougardy/UJ60E85n">Norbert Hougardy</a> and <a href="/facts/Milou_Jeunehomme/FfGoxNcv">Milou Jeunehomme</a> (co-presidency)</li> <li>1969 – 1972 : <a href="/facts/Pierre_Descamps/NjvyenLY">Pierre Descamps</a></li></ul> <h3>Presidents PVV</h3> <ul><li>1972 – 1973 : <a href="/facts/Willy_De_Clercq/SAzGSXTB">Willy De Clercq</a></li> <li>1973 – 1977 : <a href="/facts/Frans_Grootjans/GCJDxzGY">Frans Grootjans</a></li> <li>1977 – 1982 : <a href="/facts/Willy_De_Clercq/SAzGSXTB">Willy De Clercq</a></li> <li>1982 – 1985 : <a href="/facts/Guy_Verhofstadt/zXoFkAm0">Guy Verhofstadt</a></li> <li>1985 – 1989 : <a href="/facts/Annemie_Neyts/qtrRtA5n">Annemie Neyts</a></li> <li>1989 – 1992 : <a href="/facts/Guy_Verhofstadt/zXoFkAm0">Guy Verhofstadt</a></li></ul> <h2 id="notable-members">Notable members</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Lucienne_Herman-Michielsens/tSva3Nx8">Lucienne Herman-Michielsens</a> (1926–1995)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Jean_Rey_(politician)/VtGKRFyq">Jean Rey</a> (1902–1983), <a href="/facts/President_of_the_European_Commission/b6H0Yf26">President of the European Commission</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Jules_Audent/Hv2G5X0z">Jules Audent</a> (1834-1910)</li></ul> <h2 id="electoral-results">Electoral results</h2> <h3>Federal Parliament</h3> <p>Chamber </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Election year</th><th># of overall votes</th><th>% of overall vote</th><th>% of languagegroup vote</th><th># of overall seats won</th><th># of languagegroup seats won</th><th>+/-</th><th>Notes</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/1987_Belgian_general_election/T4rMPNWF">1987</a></th><td>709,758</td><td colspan="2">11.5 (#4)</td><td colspan="2">25 / 212</td><td> 3</td><td></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/1991_Belgian_general_election/nJtR2Dp1">1991</a></th><td>738,016</td><td colspan="2">12.0 (#3)</td><td colspan="2">26 / 212</td><td> 1</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Regional parliaments</h3> <h4>Brussels Parliament</h4> <table><tbody><tr><th>Election year</th><th># of overall votes</th><th>% of overall vote</th><th>% of languagegroup vote</th><th># of overall seats won</th><th># of languagegroup seats won</th><th>+/-</th><th>Notes</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/1989_Belgian_regional_elections/hcAR2jcF">1989</a></th><td>12,143</td><td colspan="2">2.8 (#8)</td><td colspan="2">2 / 75</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>European Parliament</h3> <table><tbody><tr><th>Election year</th><th># of overall votes</th><th>% of overall vote</th><th>% of electoralcollege vote</th><th># of overall seats won</th><th># of electoralcollege seats won</th><th>+/-</th><th>Notes</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/European_Parliament_election%2c_1979_(Belgium)/JPjTUaVs">1979</a></th><td>512,363</td><td>9.4</td><td>15.3</td><td>2 / 24</td><td>2 / 13</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/European_Parliament_election%2c_1984_(Belgium)/695ByAM0">1984</a></th><td>494,277</td><td></td><td>14.2</td><td>2 / 24</td><td>2 / 13</td><td> 0</td><td></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/European_Parliament_election%2c_1989_(Belgium)/4Ihuf13v">1989</a></th><td>625,561</td><td></td><td>17.1</td><td>2 / 24</td><td>2 / 13</td><td> 0</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Liberalism_in_Belgium/xnf02xqN">Liberalism in Belgium</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Liberal_Archive_(Belgium)/P49JLxkJ">Liberal Archive</a></li></ul> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h2 id="sources">Sources</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.liberaalarchief.be/">Liberal Archive</a> (in Dutch)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070415115516/http://www.mr.be/Le-Mouvement/Notre-Histoire/Le-Liberalisme.php">History of liberalism in Belgium</a> (in French)</li> <li>Th. Luykx, M. Platel, <i>Politieke geschiedenis van België</i>, 2 vol., Kluwer, 1985</li> <li>E. Witte, J. Craeybeckx, A. Meynen, <i>Politieke geschiedenis van België</i>, Standaard, 1997</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Dutch pronunciation: [pɑrˈtɛi voːr ˈvrɛiɦɛit ɛɱ voːrˈœytxɑŋ]. <a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Dutch" target="_blank">/wiki/Help:IPA/Dutch</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>French pronunciation: [paʁti d(ə) la libɛʁte e dy pʁɔɡʁɛ]. <a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/French" target="_blank">/wiki/Help:IPA/French</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>German pronunciation: [paʁˈtaɪ fyːɐ̯ ˈfʁaɪhaɪt ʔʊnt ˈfɔʁt.ʃʁɪt]. <a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Standard_German" target="_blank">/wiki/Help:IPA/Standard_German</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>