Walthère Frère-Orban

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Walthère Frère-Orban
Prime Minister of Belgium
In office
19 June 1878 – 16 June 1884
MonarchLeopold II
Preceded byJules Malou
Succeeded byJules Malou
In office
3 January 1868 – 2 July 1870
MonarchLeopold II
Preceded byCharles Rogier
Succeeded byJules d'Anethan
Personal details
Born(1812-04-24)24 April 1812
Liège, France
(now Belgium)
Died2 January 1896(1896-01-02) (aged 83)
Brussels, Belgium
Political partyLiberal Party

Hubert Joseph Walthère Frère-Orban (French pronunciation: [ybɛʁ ʒozɛf waltɛʁ fʁɛʁ ɔʁbɑ̃]; 24 April 1812 – 2 January 1896) was a Belgian liberal statesman.

Early life[edit]

He was born at Liège, received his education at home and in Paris, and began the practice of law in his native town. He identified himself with the Liberal party, and was conspicuous in the controversy with the Catholic clergy.

Career[edit]

In 1846, he wrote the program, which was accepted as the charter for a liberal political party. In 1847 he was elected to the Belgian Chamber and appointed Minister of Public Works. and from 1848 to 1852 he held the portfolio of Finance. He reduced postage, abolished the newspaper tax and was a strong advocate of free trade.

His work, La mainmorte et la charité (1854–57), directed against the Conservatives, produced a great effect on the position of parties in Belgium. As a result, in 1857, the Liberals returned to power and Frère-Orban became once more minister of Finance in the cabinet of Charles Rogier, whom he succeeded to become the prime minister in 1868. In 1870 the Catholics regained their supremacy and forced him to retire, but from 1878 to 1884 he was again at the head of the cabinet, most notably breaking off diplomatic relations with the Papal States in 1880 (which were restored in 1884).

As finance minister, Frère-Orban was instrumental in the creation of Belgium's three major public financial institutions, namely the National Bank of Belgium in 1850,[1] the Caisse Générale d'Épargne et de Retraite in 1850-1865,[2] and the Crédit Communal de Belgique in 1860.[3]

Standing as a liberal again in the October 1894 elections, he categorically refused the support of Catholics against progressives and socialists. He was not re-elected, defeated by the socialist Célestin Demblon.

Weakened by illness, he died on 2 January 1896. Frère-Orban lies in its birthplace, Liège, in the cemetery of Robermont.

Political philosophy[edit]

Frère-Orban's liberalism consisted in the assertion of the authority of the state over the church and the defense of the system of secular public instruction against the clergy. He was at all times opposed to the "undue extension" of suffrage. Among other works he wrote La question monétaire.

Honours[edit]

National
Foreign

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Charles A. Conant (1910), The National Bank of Belgium (PDF), Washington DC: U.S. Senate - National Monetary Commission
  2. ^ René Brion; Jean-Louis Moreau. "Inventaire des archives de la Caisse générale d'épargne et de retraite (CGER) 1850–2000" (PDF). BNP Paribas Fortis. BNP Paribas Historical Center & Association pour la Valorisation des Archives d’Entreprises asbl.
  3. ^ Jacques Moden (1996), "La restructuration du Credit communal", Courrier hebdomadaire du CRISP (1539), Brussels: Centre de recherche et d'information socio-politiques
  4. ^ "FRÈRE". ars-moriendi.be.
  5. ^ Handelsblad (Het) 11-06-1881
  6. ^ Handelsblad (Het) 07-05-1881
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Almanach royal officiel: 1875
  8. ^ "Rother Adler-orden", Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (in German), vol. 1, Berlin, 1886, p. 29 – via hathitrust.org{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Sources[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Belgium
1868–1870
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Belgium
1878–1884
Succeeded by