1977 Belgian general election

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

17 April 1977
212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives
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 6 15 22 Popular vote 1,460,757 602,132 725,513 Percentage 26.20% 10.80% 13.01% Swing 2.95% 15.86% 13.65%   Leader Georges Gramme Hugo Schiltz Frans Grootjans Party PSC VU PVV 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 2 2 13 Popular vote 406,694 559,567 475,917 Percentage 7.29% 10.04% 8.54% Swing 1.80% 0.16% 6.65%
Colours denote the winning party in each electoral district (for the Chamber of Deputies). ^a Whilst still technically the same party in this election, for the first time the Walloon and Flemish sections of the party ran candidates separately.
Government before election Tindemans I CVP-PSC-PVV-PRL Elected Government Tindemans II CVP-PSC-BSP/PSB-VU-FDF

Results

Chamber of Deputies

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Christian People's Party	1,460,757	26.20	56	+6
Belgian Socialist Party (Flanders)	725,513	13.01	27	New
Belgian Socialist Party	602,132	10.80	34	New
People's Union	559,567	10.04	20	–2
Party for Freedom and Progress	475,917	8.54	17	New
Christian Social Party	406,694	7.29	24	+2
Democratic Front of the Francophones	263,104	4.72	11	New
Liberal Reformist Party	191,196	3.34	16	New
Belgian Socialist Party (Wallonia)	145,771	2.61	0	0
PSC-CSP	138,361	2.48	0	New
Walloon Rally	132,773	2.38	4	–7
PLRW/PRF	107,015	1.92	0	New
PLRW-PL	92,178	1.65	0	New
Communist Party of Belgium	62,410	1.12	0	–2
PCB-UDP	51,930	0.93	0	New
Community Party (Wallonia)	37,104	0.67	2	New
PSB-RW	33,598	0.60	1	New
AMADA	22,919	0.41	0	New
ECOLOG	11,839	0.21	0	New
RAL	8,562	0.15	0	New
Party of German-speaking Belgians	7,735	0.14	0	0
PLPW	5,220	0.09	0	New
ECOLOG-PBNZ	4,321	0.08	0	New
Ecolo	3,834	0.07	0	New
LRT-RAL	3,127	0.06	0	New
LRT	2,905	0.05	0	New
AGALEV	2,435	0.04	0	New
FFF	2,099	0.04	0	New
TPO	1,980	0.04	0	New
CPC/URB	1,547	0.03	0	New
PRF	1,514	0.03	0	New
RLiège	1,421	0.03	0	0
UB	1,083	0.02	0	New
FNP	994	0.02	0	New
VFP	967	0.02	0	New
KAGANO	884	0.02	0	New
COLOGIQUE	777	0.01	0	New
EW	605	0.01	0	New
PCBML	533	0.01	0	New
VOP	443	0.01	0	New
VB77	377	0.01	0	New
UCMLB	222	0.00	0	New
UC-MEUNIER	199	0.00	0	New
PORT	175	0.00	0	New
PP	169	0.00	0	New
POE	152	0.00	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	431,153	–	–	–
Total	6,006,211	100	212	0
Source: Belgian Elections

Senate

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Christian People's Party	1,446,806	26.18	28	+1
Belgian Socialist Party (Wallonia)	756,401	13.69	19	New
Belgian Socialist Party (Flanders)	719,533	13.02	12	New
People's Union	562,894	10.19	10	0
Christian Social Party	522,613	9.46	11	+1
Party for Freedom and Progress	472,645	8.55	9	New
Liberal Reformist Party	316,292	5.72	7	New
Democratic Front of the Francophones	546,367	4.46	6	New
Walloon Rally	158,642	2.87	2	New
Communist Party of Belgium	108,000	1.95	1	0
PL	70,458	1.28	0	New
PCB-UDP	50,749	0.92	0	New
BSP-RW	33,945	0.61	1	New
AMADA-TPO	27,693	0.50	0	New
Party of German-speaking Belgians	10,213	0.18	0	0
Ecolo	7,558	0.14	0	New
PLPW	5,305	0.10	0	New
VFP-PFU	3,413	0.06	0	New
AGALEV	3,270	0.06	0	New
UB	1,182	0.02	0	New
VOP	896	0.02	0	New
LRT-RAL	387	0.01	0	New
URB	207	0.00	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	486,091	–	–	–
Total	6,012,062	100	106	0
Source: Belgian Elections

References

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