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    "localId": "486500096",
    "label": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Belgium and Luxembourg, Situation Report 19",
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    "title": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Belgium and Luxembourg, Situation Report 19",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500096",
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 16,
            "logicalDate": "1948-11-16",
            "month": 11,
            "year": 1948
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    "seq": 13,
    "pageIndex": 0,
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    "ocrText": "SECRET\nCabinet resigned and a new one was formed by the same Prime Minister. The new\nCabinet provided a more equitable distribution of the posts among the Catholics,\nSocialists, and Liberals, and included, as an innovation in Belgian politics, two Com-\nmunists.\nThe question of permitting the return of King Leopold precipitated a crisis in\nthe postwar four-party Cabinet in June 1945, which caused the Catholics, staunch\nLeopold supporters, to resign. The parties of the Left-Socialists, Liberals, and Com-\nmunists-made up the four succeeding Cabinets, except for a short-lived Socialist\nCabinet. Their instability was recognized by all, but the intransigence of both the\nCatholics and the Socialists on the question of Leopold left no alternative combination.\nEven the national elections in February 1946, which clearly revealed that the Catholics\nwere the strongest party in Parliament, did not bring the Catholics into the Government.\nThese elections also showed that the ratio between the Right and the combined strength\nof the Left was almost unchanged as compared with the last prewar election, the com-\nbined Left increasing its slight majority by only two seats. However, there was a\nmoderate swing to the left by the political parties as a whole which was not obvious in\nthe election returns. Finally, on 20 March 1947, after the Communists suddenly with-\ndrew from the Government and refused to join another leftist coalition, Socialist Paul\nHenri Spaak was successful in forming a Government composed of Socialists and Catho-\nlics, the two strongest parties in Parliament. Only by agreeing to shelve the problem\nof Leopold's return for the time being were they able to reach an agreement. While\nserious disagreement on the King's return could precipitate another crisis, cooperation\nbetween the Socialists and Catholics to reach a compromise solution may be possible.\nOther problems with which the Government is confronted are not as likely to cause\nserious intra-Government friction.\n(1) Christian Social Party. (former Catholic Party)\nSupport. This party is composed of divergent social groups of the Cath-\nolic faith. Its greatest strength stems from the Flemish areas. The party is divided\ninto Flemish and Walloon sections and within each section there are four distinct\ngroups: conservatives, middle class, peasants, and liberals (called Christian Demo-\ncrats). It also receives the support of some pro-Leopoldist non-Catholics.\nPlatform. The platform of the Christian Social Party is designed to appeal\nto all of its members and offend none. It advocates increased government aid to\nfamilies, greater labor participation with management in industry-wide committees,\nincreased social benefits. It favors the reduction of taxes and government economic\ncontrols and calls for a balanced budget. As the traditional Royalist Party,\nit\nalso\ndemands the return of King Leopold although the left wing may be willing to com-\npromise on the issue. To a certain degree, it represents the position of the Catholic\nChurch in Belgian political life.\nHistory. The party was established in 1831, at the time of the formation\nof independent Belgium. For 30 years prior to World War I, it formed a single-party\nGovernment. With the rise of organized socialism in the late 19th century, the\nCatholics found it necessary, in order to retain their hold on the enlarged electorate,\nSECRE\n4"
}