The Liberal Party (Dutch: Liberale Partij, French: Parti libéral) was a Belgian political party that existed from 1846 until 1961, when it became the Party for Freedom and Progress, Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès or PVV-PLP, under the leadership of Omer Vanaudenhove.
The Liberal Party was founded in 1846 and as such was the first political party of Belgium. Walthère Frère-Orban wrote the first charter for the new party.
The Liberal Party had a clear victory in the 1848 elections, following lower tax requirements that benefited urban populations, where liberals were stronger. The Liberal Party remained in dominant position for the most part of the period from 1848 until 1884, where it lost to Catholics due to the First School War. The Liberal Party suffered even more losses in the next elections, most notable in the 1894 elections, the first ones with universal suffrage. However, they made a comeback in 1900 upon the introduction of proportional representation.
From 1887 until 1900, the Progressive Party (French: Parti Progressiste, Dutch: Progressieve Partij) existed as a separate progressive Liberal party.
1920 - 1921 : Albert Mechelynck1924 - 1926 : Edouard Pécher1927 - 1933 : Albert Devèze1933 - 1934 : Octave Dierckx1935 - 1936 : Léon Dens1936 - 1937 : Victor de Laveleye1937 - 1940 : Emile Coulonvaux1940 - 1945 : Jane Brigode and Fernand Demets (co-presidency)1945 - 1953 : Roger Motz1953 - 1954 : Henri Liebaert1954 - 1958 : Maurice Destenay1958 - 1961 : Roger Motz1961 : Omer VanaudenhoveJules BaraGustave Boël (1837-1912), industrialistCharles Buls, mayor of Brussels (1881-1899)Jacques Coghen, (1791-1858), second Minister of Finance of BelgiumEugène DefacqzFrançois-Philippe de Haussy, (1789-1869), first governor of the National Bank of BelgiumConstant de Kerchove de DenterghemLouis Franck (1868–1937), a leading Flemish liberal politician.Walthère Frère-Orban, (1812–1896), wrote the first charter of the liberal party.Charles GrauxJulius Hoste Jr. (1884–1954), businessman and leading Flemish liberal politician.Paul Hymans, first President of the League of NationsPaul JansonPaul-Émile JansonJoseph LebeauAlbert LilarAdolphe Max, mayor of Brussels (1909-1939)Eudore PirmezEugène Prévinaire, (1805-1877), second governor of the National Bank of Belgium.Jean Rey (1902-1983), President of the European CommissionCharles RogierGustave Rolin-JaequemynsErnest Solvay (1838-1922), chemist, industrialist and philanthropist.Henri Story (1897-1944)Herman Teirlinck (1879–1967), a famous Belgian writer.Pierre Van HumbeeckJan Van RijswijckPierre-Théodore Verhaegen, founder of the Université Libre de BruxellesRaoul Warocqué