Page 2 [2]
NAL Ot SL
a page two ¬
the forth-coming municipal elections the socialist and literal
propaganda will not be able to harm the PSC with this “affair" as
they have hoped to. As to Mr.Pholien himself, these circles feel
that he is still the coming man for great events: he will be in the
party leadership, if circumstandes warrant it,
All those on the contrary, who are more intim&tely conneeted with the
Army, the resistance grpups and the Wallon provinces of the country
declare that the Pholien case has been most harmful to the PSC and
that, in their eyes, MrsPholien has lost any consideration,
All observers, however, agree that the PSC is going through
a crisés and losing the confidence of many of its previous supporters
One reason for it is of course that the party, being alone in power
is criticised for every error committed by the administration, for 7
the high taxes needed for the re-armament program etc,
The main cause of ill-feeling is hewever is that the Party is increas
singly splitting into two wings, There is theide of tie Poo thas
1. Right wings based mostly on the Flemish population. Having absorbe:
the moderate Flemish masses as wéll as their nationalistic leaders,
the Party, for propaganda, has often overstressed the "national *
aspirations" of the Flemish population, It has thus imposed a total
kinguistie separation, as far especially as schooling and administra¬
tions’ This linguistic division of the country dissatisfies many
patriotic elements, It also presents a hardship for middle-chass
kikixx elements, Army officers ete., woo, being changed from one
city of the country to another, have to place their children in
schools of different languages. Such discontent is expwessed in a
common criticism. The PSC is accused as being the "“arti des
Inciviques", the Party of the Collaborators.
2. Left wing: based Zon the Christian Workers' Unions, it is trying
to conquer the labor masses. In order to achieve this aim, it is
ready to cooperate with the socialists in more than one issue. At
certain critical moments, it has even threatened to split away from
the Party, in order to form a cond gg grreege with the more
moderate marxists, At present, t y of the PSC seems once
agains establishedg but the attitude of its left-wing has aroused
suspicion of many conservative elements. mer
The practical consequence of this ‘splitting of the PSC in
two wings is that it creates opposition among its previous middle¬
class voters. Seeing no advantage in either an extreme nationalistic
Flemish attitude, nor in an exc=usively labor policy?°fe@l their
interests nega#écted . Gonsequently they increasingly turn towards
the liberals, although they do not agree with the latters' program
and attitude.
Leading Christian personalities, therefore, tell confidentially, that
they hope the conservative Christian elements will learn the lesson
which the forth-coming municipal elections will certainly teach them,
It is hppdd that between now and the next general elections a new
party might arises Christian and conservative in its program,
middle-class in its support. It might gain back to the Christians
the votes they will necessattly lose now and eventually form with the
PSe a new and broader governmental coalition. |
The liberals are the representatives of the great capital
and of certain anti-clerical mkwkexteex elements. Being a center
party, without great appeal to the masses, they have been the great
losers of the last general elections. With the above-mentioned
a