Paul Van Zeeland

Vocation

Prime Minster of Belgium(25 March 1935 to 23 November 1937). A Belgian lawyer, economist and politician he becomes Prime Minister in March 1935. His government is forced to resign in the Spring of 1936 due to opposition from Rexism (a Belgian fascist party). He returns to power that summer in June 1936 until November 1937. The second Van Zeeland government carried through a progressive social reform program, introducing the 40 h working week and measures against unemployment, which helped to ease the political tensions. Also during his second term, Belgium gave up its military alliance with France and reverted to its traditional "neutrality" policy, now dubbed "policy of independence". Becomes president of the Committee on Refugees, in London and he is made High Commissioner for the repatriation of displaced Belgians in 1944. After the war, in 1946 he helps found the European League for Economic Cooperation and he goes on to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Belgian government and is an economic adviser to the Belgian government and the council of ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (NATO) He dies 22 September 1973 at the age of 79. Link to Wikipedia biography