The Law on Economic Growth, Social Progress and Fiscal Redressment (french: Loi d'expansion économique, de progrès social et de redressement financier, nl, wet voor de economische expansie, de sociale vooruitgang en het financieel herstel), better known as the Unitary Law (''Loi unique'' or ''Eenheidswet''), was a Belgian law passed in 1961. The law introduced a fiscal austerity programme, intended to reduce Belgium’s large government debt and to respond to the independence of the Belgian Congo in 1960. It was championed by the Christian Social Party government of

Gaston Eyskens Gaston François Marie, viscount Eyskens (1 April 1905 – 3 January 1988) was a Christian democratic politician and prime minister of Belgium. He was also an economist and member of the Belgian Christian Social Party (CVP-PSC). He served th ...

. The bill met with fierce protest from Liberals and

Socialists Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

alike. Opposition culminated in a general strike over the winter of 1960-61, described as "one of the most serious class confrontations in Belgium's social history", which brought out 700,000 workers out on strike. The protest was unsuccessful, however, and the law was passed on 14 February 1961. New elections were held soon afterwards, bringing to power a coalition of the Christian Social Party and Socialists.

References

Bibliography

*{{cite book, ref={{harvid, Witte et al., 2009, last1=Witte, first1=Els, last2=Craeybeckx, first2=Jan, last3=Meynen, first3=Alain, title=Political history of Belgium from 1830 onwards, date=2009, publisher=ASP, location=Brussels, isbn=978-90-5487-517-8, edition=New

External links

Full text of the law
at the Belgian Official Journal Belgian legislation 1961 in Belgium Economic history of Belgium