Third Walloon national congress

The Third national congress Walloon was held with Namur May 3rd and 4th 1947.

It is at this time that the militants could take note of the project of Fédéralisme voted on October 21st, 1945 with the Walloon National congress of Liege. It was adopted unanimously less nine votes and two abstentions. It is as in Naùmur as was created the Central committee of Walloon Action.

In spite of the votes in favor of the federalism, the partisans of the Réunionisme tried to put forward their point of view. Militants transfer themselves to refuse the prole but Charles Plisnier (still reunionist at that time), managed to put forward its point of view. Plisnier preached the désobéirssance and made fun of the Constitution; matter what accommodated vifsd applause in the room. The intervention dfu great writer created an incident. The President of the assembly, Jean-Joseph Merlot recalled Plisnier to the order making the point to him that it was easy of poroposer unrealizable projects when one did not exert oneself of real political responsibilities.

It was now a question of knowing if the constitutional reform proposal were going to be or not taken into account (the catch in consideration does not mean pasd that the proposal is accepted but which it can be discussed until a vote has place). Before even as the Room does not decide, Jean Rey and Hubert Rassart proposed that meet law professors in order to examine the objections of constitutional order against the project of Marcel-Hubert Gregoire. It is necessary to indeed know quela Belgian Constitution prohibited any revision of the Constitution in period of regency. Seven law professors constitutional met and examined the question. On the seven, only Fernand Dehousse estimated that there was no objectoion so that this proposal is taken into account. The Commission regarded consequently the proposal as irrecevbable.

The Room meets on November 19th, 1947. It followed the opinion of the Commission of the lawyers and rejected the catch in consideration by 105 votes against, 51 for and 3 abstentions. On the 202 deputies of the time, there are 96 Flemish, 76 Wallons and 30 Bruxellois. 159 present ago at the time of the vote on the rejection of the Walloon proposal for a constitutional revision in the direction ddu Fédéralisme. On the 51 deputies favorable to the federalistic proposal, there are 40 Walloons (that is to say majoritré of the Walloon parliamentary Groupe), 8 Inhabitants of Brussels French-speaking and three Flemings.

At the conclusion of the vote, the persons in charge of the Walloon National congresses, had well to note ml' failure of the voiue legalist carried out by the Congress since 1945 considering the fact that the Walloon deputies are minortaires with the Belgian Parlement. It also notes that the hostile majority with the proposal was a majority Flemish and of Brussels and greeted the fact that Two thirds of the Walloon deputies adhered, directly or indirectly, with the federalism and that the constitutional argument was only one pretext intended to mask the will stopped well making obstacle with the federalism.

The partisans of the meeting in France of 1945 judged that the unanimous vote in favor of the federalism to which they had joined did not engage them any more. Others thought that it was necessary to go beyond the federalism. Finally the permanent Congress of the Walloon National congress chose the continuation of the federalistic objective and the maintenance of the choice of the legal channels to reach that point. The Committee decided whereas a Fourth national congress Walloon was to be held. It fixed the date for a relatively close expiry of it is February 1948 and the place fixed some at Brussels.

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