Charter of Quaregnon
Encyclopedia
The Charter of Quaregnon was the doctrinary basis for the Belgian
socialists
from 1894 until 1979.
In 1894, Belgian elections were for the first time held according to the scheme of the plural right to vote
under the pressure of the violent Belgian general strike of 1893
. This meant for the Belgian Labour Party
, that for the first time workers could vote and that representatives from the party, ten years after its foundation, could enter the Belgian parliament
. With a doctrinarian charter the program of the socialist party was presented to the electorate. Out of several ideas Emile Vandervelde
chose this proposition, which was adopted on the Easter
congress of the socialist party, at Quaregnon
on 25-26 March 1894, and which became known as the Charter of Quaregnon. This charter was strongly influenced by ideas of the French
socialist
Jules Guesde
.
As a doctrinarian source of inspiration for the Belgian Socialists, the Charter of Quaregnon survived time and two World War
s. Only after 1979, when the Belgian Socialist Party
(BSP) fell apart in a Flemish
SP and a Walloon PS
, newer Charters were created.
7. Socialism must observe therefore at the same time the material, moral and political liberation of the workers. Nevertheless the material liberation must be the main goal, because the concentration of capital in the hands of some classes already determines the basis of the other forms of the predominance.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
socialists
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
from 1894 until 1979.
In 1894, Belgian elections were for the first time held according to the scheme of the plural right to vote
Plural voting
Plural voting is the practice whereby one person might be able to vote multiple times in an election. It is not to be confused with a plurality voting system which does not necessarily involve plural voting...
under the pressure of the violent Belgian general strike of 1893
Belgian general strike of 1893
The Belgian general strike of 1893 was ordered by the General Board of the Belgian Labour Party after the Belgian Parliament rejected the Law Proposal on universal suffrage....
. This meant for the Belgian Labour Party
Belgian Labour Party
The Belgian Labour Party, called Belgische Werkliedenpartij in Dutch and Parti Ouvrier Belge in French, was the first socialist party in Belgium, founded in 1885.-History:...
, that for the first time workers could vote and that representatives from the party, ten years after its foundation, could enter the Belgian parliament
Belgian Federal Parliament
The Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament. It consists of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate . It sits in the Palace of the Nation .- Chamber of Representatives :...
. With a doctrinarian charter the program of the socialist party was presented to the electorate. Out of several ideas Emile Vandervelde
Emile Vandervelde
thumb|upright|Emile VanderveldeEmile Vandervelde was a Belgian statesman, born at Ixelles. He studied law at the Free University of Brussels and became doctor of laws in 1885 and doctor of social science in 1888.-Activities:Vandervelde became a member of the Parti Ouvrier...
chose this proposition, which was adopted on the Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
congress of the socialist party, at Quaregnon
Quaregnon
Quaregnon is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Quaregnon had a total population of 18,744. The total area is 11.08 km² which gives a population density of 1,692 inhabitants per km²....
on 25-26 March 1894, and which became known as the Charter of Quaregnon. This charter was strongly influenced by ideas of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
Jules Guesde
Jules Guesde
Jules Basile Guesde was a French socialist journalist and politician.Guesde was the inspiration for a famous quotation by Karl Marx. Shortly before Marx died in 1883, he wrote a letter to Guesde and Paul Lafargue, both of whom already claimed to represent "Marxist" principles...
.
As a doctrinarian source of inspiration for the Belgian Socialists, the Charter of Quaregnon survived time and two World War
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
s. Only after 1979, when the Belgian Socialist Party
Belgian Socialist Party
The Belgian Socialist Party was a democratic socialist party which existed in Belgium from 1945 to 1978.The BSP was founded by activists from the Belgian Labour Party , which was the first Belgian socialist party. It ceased to function during the Second World War, while Belgium was under Nazi...
(BSP) fell apart in a Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
SP and a Walloon PS
Socialist Party (francophone Belgium)
The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
, newer Charters were created.
The Charter of Quaregnon
- 1. Wealth in general, and the means of production in particular, are natural resourcesNatural ResourcesNatural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
, or the result of manual- or intellectual labor of former generations, as well as of the present generation; consequently they must be considered as the common heritage of all humanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
ity. - 2. Only for reasons of social benefit and with the goal to provide as much freedom and well-being to every human being, it is allowed to provide people or groups with separate rights to that common heritage.
- 3. The realization of this ideal brings with it of course the disappearance of the capitalist scheme, which divides the society in two hostile classesSocial classSocial classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
: one that without working can enjoy property; the other which is obliged to cede part of its produce to the ruling class. - 4. Workers can only expect their liberation from the abolishment of classes and a thorough reorganization of society. This reform will not be exclusively for the benefit of the proletariat, but for the whole of humanity; however because she is opposed to the immediate interests of the ruling classes, the liberation of the workers must be mainly the work of the workers themselves.
- 5. On a material level the goal must be to gain the free usage of all results of production. This goal is only possible in a society where collective work replaces more and more individual work, which means the collective use of natural resources and means of production.
- 6.De conversion of the capitalist scheme in a collectivistic scheme of course must be accompanied by herewith coherent reforms:
- 1. On a moral level, by developing charity and observing solidarity.
- 2. On a political level, by transforming the StateSovereign stateA sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
towards a management of resources.
7. Socialism must observe therefore at the same time the material, moral and political liberation of the workers. Nevertheless the material liberation must be the main goal, because the concentration of capital in the hands of some classes already determines the basis of the other forms of the predominance.
See also
- Plan De ManHenri de ManHenri De Man was one of the leading Belgian socialist theoreticians of his period, who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II...
(1933) - The Communist ManifestoThe Communist ManifestoThe Communist Manifesto, originally titled Manifesto of the Communist Party is a short 1848 publication written by the German Marxist political theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It has since been recognized as one of the world's most influential political manuscripts. Commissioned by the...
- Oxford ManifestoOxford ManifestoThe Oxford Manifesto, drawn up in April 1947 by representatives from nineteen Liberal political parties at Wadham College in Oxford, led by Salvador de Madariaga, is a document which describes the basic political principles of the Liberal International...