Gaston Eyskens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gaston Eyskens
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Eyskens photographed in 1969
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| Prime Minister of Belgium | |
| In office 17 June 1968 – 26 January 1973 |
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| Monarch | Baudouin |
| Preceded by | Paul Vanden Boeynants |
| Succeeded by | Edmond Leburton |
| In office 26 June 1958 – 25 April 1961 |
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| Monarch | Baudouin |
| Preceded by | Achille Van Acker |
| Succeeded by | Théo Lefèvre |
| In office 11 August 1949 – 8 June 1950 |
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| Monarch | Leopold III |
| Regent | Prince Charles |
| Preceded by | Paul-Henri Spaak |
| Succeeded by | Jean Duvieusart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 April 1905 Lier, Belgium |
| Died | 3 January 1988 (aged 82) Leuven, Belgium |
| Political party | Christian Social Party |
| Spouse | Gilberte Depetter |
| Alma mater | Catholic University of Leuven Columbia University |
Gaston Eyskens (born April 1, 1905 – died January 3, 1988) was an important Belgian politician. He was a Christian democratic leader and served as the prime minister of Belgium three times. He was also an economist and a member of the Christian Social Party.
Gaston Eyskens was Prime Minister from 1949 to 1950, 1958 to 1961, and 1968 to 1973. During his time in office, he faced many big challenges. These included disagreements about the King's role, conflicts over schools, and the independence of the Belgian Congo. He also started the process of changing Belgium into a country with different regions, called federalization.
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Family and Early Life
Gaston Eyskens was born in Lier. His parents were Antonius Franciscus Eyskens and Maria Voeten. In 1931, he married Gilberte Depetter. They had two sons, Erik and Mark Eyskens. His son Mark also became Prime Minister of Belgium later on.
Education and Teaching
Gaston Eyskens studied at the Catholic University of Leuven. He earned both a master's and a doctorate degree there. In 1927, he also earned a Master of Science degree from Columbia University in the United States.
In 1931, Eyskens became a professor at the University of Leuven. He later became the head of the economics department. He also helped manage Lovanium University in the Congo.
Political Career
In the early 1930s, Gaston Eyskens worked for important ministers from his party. In 1939, he was elected to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, which is like a parliament. He was re-elected many times and served until 1965.
From 1945 to 1949, he was the Minister of Finance. This meant he was in charge of the country's money.
First Term as Prime Minister (1949-1950)
On August 11, 1949, Gaston Eyskens became Prime Minister for the first time. He led a government that included Christian-democrats and liberals. His government ended in June 1950 because of a big problem called the Royal Question. This was a disagreement about whether King Leopold III should return to the throne after World War II.
Second Term as Prime Minister (1958-1961)
Gaston Eyskens became Prime Minister again on June 26, 1958. At first, he led a government with only his party. Then, he formed a government with the liberal party. This government faced two major issues.
One was the School War. This was a conflict about how schools should be run, especially about religious schools. The other big event was the independence of the Belgian Congo in 1960. This meant the Congo, which was a Belgian colony, became its own country.
His government also introduced a law to raise taxes and cut spending. This led to large strikes across the country, and his government fell in April 1961.
Third Term as Prime Minister (1968-1973)
In 1965, Eyskens was elected to the Belgian Senate. He served as Minister of Finance again from 1965 to 1966.
On June 17, 1968, Gaston Eyskens became Prime Minister for his fifth government. This time, it was a coalition between Christian Democrats and Socialists. He formed his sixth and final government on January 20, 1973, again with the Socialists.
His last two governments dealt with major language issues in Belgium. A big problem was the split of the old Catholic University of Leuven. It was divided into a Dutch-speaking university and a French-speaking university. He also started the process of changing Belgium from a single state into a federation. This meant giving more power to different regions based on language.
After his last government ended, Gaston Eyskens retired from politics. He passed away in Leuven.
Honours
Gaston Eyskens received many honours during his life:
- He was made a Minister of State in 1963.
- He was given the title of Viscount Eyskens in 1973.
- He became a member of the Royal Academy.
- He received several important Belgian awards, including Commander in the Order of Leopold II and Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Crown.
- He was also a Knight Commander in the Order of Saint Gregory the Great.
See also
In Spanish: Gaston Eyskens para niños
