Editing Party for Freedom and Progress

{{Distinguish|text=the Belarusian [[Party of Freedom and Progress]] and the Dutch [[Party for Freedom]]}}
{{Short description|Defunct Belgian political party}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Party for Freedom and Progress
| lang1 = French
| name_lang1 = Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès
| lang2 = Dutch
| name_lang2 = Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang
| logo = 
| colorcode = #0073CF
| leader = 
| chairman = 
| president = 
| spokesperson = 
| foundation = {{Start date|1961}}
| predecessor = [[Liberal Party (Belgium)|Liberal Party]]
| dissolution = 1992
| successor = [[Flemish Liberals and Democrats]], <br/>[[Liberal Reformist Party (Belgium)|Liberal Reformist Party]]
| ideology = {{nowrap|[[Liberalism]]<br />[[Classical liberalism]]}}
| position = [[Centre-right politics|Centre-right]]
| headquarters = 
| international = [[Liberal International]]
| european = [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party|European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party]]
| europarl = [[European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (European Parliament group)|Liberal Democrat and Reform]]
| country = Belgium
}}
The '''Party for Freedom and Progress''' ({{langx|nl|Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang}};{{Efn|{{IPA|nl|pɑrˈtɛi voːr ˈvrɛiɦɛit ɛɱ voːrˈœytxɑŋ|small=no}}.}} {{langx|fr|Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès}};{{Efn|{{IPA|fr|paʁti d(ə) la libɛʁte e dy pʁɔɡʁɛ|small=no}}.}} {{langx|de|Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt}};{{Efn|{{IPA|de|paʁˈtaɪ fyːɐ̯ ˈfʁaɪhaɪt ʔʊnt ˈfɔʁt.ʃʁɪt|small=no}}.}} '''PVV-PLP''') was a [[liberalism|liberal]] political party in [[Belgium]] which existed from 1961 until 1992. The party was the successor of the [[Liberal Party (Belgium)|Liberal Party]], which had roots dating back to 1846. It was succeeded in the [[Flemish Community|Flemish Community of Belgium]] by the [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|Flemish Liberals and Democrats]] (VLD) and in the [[French Community of Belgium|French Community]] by the [[Liberal Reformist Party (Belgium)|Liberal Reformist Party]], ''Parti des Réformes et des Libertés de Wallonie'' and the current-day [[Mouvement Réformateur|Reformist Movement]]. In the [[German-speaking Community]], it continued to exist as the [[Perspectives. Freedom. Progress.|Party for Freedom and Progress]] up to 2023.

== History ==
=== Foundation of a new party===

In 1961, [[Omer Vanaudenhove]], 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 [[anti-clericalism]].  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 [[Paul Vanden Boeynants]]. The liberal ministers during this period were [[Willy De Clercq]], [[Jacques Van Offelen]], [[Frans Grootjans]], [[Herman Vanderpoorten]], [[Charles Poswick]] and [[August De Winter]].

=== Separation between PVV and PRL ===

On 27 June 1971, the party was split up in a Flemish (PVV) and Walloon party (the [[Liberal Reformist Party (Belgium)|Liberal Reformist Party]], 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.

In this period (1971–1992), the PVV ministers in the government were: [[Willy De Clercq]], [[Herman Vanderpoorten]], [[Herman De Croo]], [[Karel Poma]], [[Alfred Vreven]], [[André Kempinaire]], [[Guy Verhofstadt]], [[Louis Waltniel]], [[Jean Pede]], [[Patrick Dewael]], [[Ward Beysen]], and [[Jacky Buchmann]].

The PRL ministers in the government were: [[André Damseaux]], [[François-Xavier de Donnea]], [[Jean Gol]], [[Louis Olivier]], [[Charles Poswick]], and [[Michel Toussaint]].

=== Flanders: VLD ===

In Flanders, the PVV ceased to exist in 1992. On 15 November 1992, the [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|Flemish Liberals and Democrats]] (VLD) was founded.

=== French-speaking Community: MR ===

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 [[Liberal Reformist Party (Belgium)|Liberal Reformist Party]] (PRL) after the merger with the Liberal Party of Brussels. In March 2002, the PRL merged with the German-speaking [[Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt|Party for Freedom and Progress]] (PFF) of the [[East Cantons]], the [[Fédéralistes Démocrates Francophones|Democratic Front of Francophones]] (FDF) and the [[Mouvement des Citoyens pour le Changement|Citizens' Movement for Change]] (MCC) into the [[Mouvement Réformateur|Reformist Movement]] (MR).

== Presidents ==
=== Presidents PVV-PLP ===
* 1961 – 1968 : [[Omer Vanaudenhove]]
* 1968 – 1969 : [[Norbert Hougardy]] and [[Milou Jeunehomme]] (co-presidency)
* 1969 – 1972 : [[Pierre Descamps]]

=== Presidents PVV ===
* 1972 – 1973 : [[Willy De Clercq]]
* 1973 – 1977 : [[Frans Grootjans]]
* 1977 – 1982 : [[Willy De Clercq]]
* 1982 – 1985 : [[Guy Verhofstadt]]
* 1985 – 1989 : [[Annemie Neyts]]
* 1989 – 1992 : [[Guy Verhofstadt]]

== Notable members ==
* [[Lucienne Herman-Michielsens]] (1926–1995)
* [[Jean Rey (politician)|Jean Rey]] (1902–1983), [[President of the European Commission]]
* [[Jules Audent]] (1834-1910)

== Electoral results ==
=== Federal Parliament ===
'''Chamber'''
{| class=wikitable
|-
! Election year
! # of overall votes
! % of overall vote
! % of language<br />group vote
! # of overall seats won
! # of language<br />group seats won
! +/-
! Notes
|-
! [[1987 Belgian general election|1987]]
| 709,758
| colspan=2|11.5 (#4)
| colspan=2|{{Composition bar|25|212|hex=Blue}}
| {{increase}} 3
| 
|-
! [[1991 Belgian general election|1991]]
| 738,016
| colspan=2|12.0 (#3)
| colspan=2|{{Composition bar|26|212|hex=Blue}}
| {{increase}} 1
| 
|}

=== Regional parliaments ===
==== Brussels Parliament ====
{| class=wikitable
|-
! Election year
! # of overall votes
! % of overall vote
! % of language<br />group vote
! # of overall seats won
! # of language<br />group seats won
! +/-
! Notes
|-
! [[1989 Belgian regional elections|1989]]
| 12,143
| colspan=2|2.8 (#8)
| colspan=2|{{Composition bar|2|75|hex=Blue}}
| 
| 
|}

===European Parliament===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Election year
! # of overall votes
! % of overall vote
! % of electoral<br />college vote
! # of overall seats won
! # of electoral<br />college seats won
! +/-
! Notes
|-
! [[European Parliament election, 1979 (Belgium)#Dutch-speaking electoral college|1979]]
| 512,363
| 9.4
| 15.3
| {{Composition bar|2|24|hex=Blue}}
| <small>{{Composition bar|2|13|hex=Lightgrey}}</small>
| 
|
|-
! [[European Parliament election, 1984 (Belgium)#Dutch-speaking electoral college|1984]]
| 494,277
|
| 14.2
| {{Composition bar|2|24|hex=Blue}}
| <small>{{Composition bar|2|13|hex=Lightgrey}}</small>
| {{steady}} 0
|
|-
! [[European Parliament election, 1989 (Belgium)#Dutch-speaking electoral college|1989]]
| 625,561
|
| 17.1
| {{Composition bar|2|24|hex=Blue}}
| <small>{{Composition bar|2|13|hex=Lightgrey}}</small>
| {{steady}} 0
|
|}

== See also ==
* [[Liberalism in Belgium]]
* [[Liberal Archive (Belgium)|Liberal Archive]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== Sources ==
* [http://www.liberaalarchief.be/ Liberal Archive] {{in lang|nl}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070415115516/http://www.mr.be/Le-Mouvement/Notre-Histoire/Le-Liberalisme.php History of liberalism in Belgium] {{in lang|fr}}
* Th. Luykx, M. Platel, ''Politieke geschiedenis van België'', 2 vol., Kluwer, 1985
* E. Witte, J. Craeybeckx, A. Meynen, ''Politieke geschiedenis van België'', Standaard, 1997

{{Belgian political parties}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Defunct political parties in Belgium]]
[[Category:Conservative liberal parties]]
[[Category:Classical liberal parties]]
[[Category:Liberal parties in Belgium]]
[[Category:1961 establishments in Belgium]]
[[Category:1992 disestablishments in Belgium]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1961]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 1992]]