Joseph Merlot

Joseph Merlot (Seraing, September 14th 1886 - January 31st 1959) is a Belgian politician French-speaking, deputy of Liege of 1924 to 1958.

Minister for the Belgian government

And public Reduction Minister for Labor of unemployment (1936-1938), the Interior and the Public health (1938-1939), of the Budget (1946-1948), the general Administration and the Pensions (1948-1949), it is made Minister of state in 1945. He rejects the catch in consideration of the proposal for a revision of the Constitution deposited by Georges Truffaut, François Van Belle and Joseph Martel (February 2nd, 1938), as a minister of a government which, a few days later, falls on the Martens business, this Flemish doctor, condemned to died in 1920 for collaboration and pardoned following a decision of amnesty going back to 1936.

Resisting and off-set

In 1940, Joseph Merlot enters Resistance, takes part in work of the democratic and socialist Rassemblement Walloon. He east is dislocated by the Germans of his functions of burgomaster of Seraing in 1941, then taken as hostage. He however joined the maquis in Ardenne where he hides. He is denounced by Paul Collin, journalist of the collaborator press and, returned in Liege, he is stopped by Gestapo (1943), then off-set with Nordhausen.

President of the Walloon National congress

With its re-entry of the camps, it is had a presentiment of to chair the Walloon National congress. It directs a Congress surging and impassioned with much presence of mind and by the way. And it will chair the following until 1956. It becomes one of the militants for Walloon Mouvement of the post-war period. November 26th, 1947, though member of the government Spaak, it votes the catch in consideration of the private bill on the federalism deposited on the initiative of the Walloon parliamentary group.

The royal Question and General states

During the royal Question, it meets Léopold III in Prégny and discusses with him possible a Popular consultation. He claims the regional examination of the results of this popular consultation which were going to divide Flemish and Walloon. In the name of the Walloon National congress it speaks with the Room, on July 19th, 1950 and points out the Walloon federalistic claims. For him, if the immediate objective is the abdication of Léopold III, it is necessary to give body to the federalism which will guarantee the independence of Wallonia (. July 29th, 1950, he claims the meeting of the General states of Wallonia if the King does not withdraw himself. He gives also his support for the formation of a separatist Walloon Gouvernement which would have had inter alia tasks the convocation of these General states of Wallonia. He seems well that it would have been the Prime Minister if the project had been able to be concretized.

Second federalistic proposal at the Parliament

In 1952, five years after the fallen through proposal of 1947, in the name of the Walloon parliamentary Group, it redeposits a private bill instituting the federalism. May 27th, 1952, the project is taken into account without opposition. The text is simple and asserts the revision of a score of articles of the Belgian Constitution in connection with the project which preaches a fundamental reform of Belgium on the basis of two Communauté S - Walloon and Flemish - and of three territories: Wallonia, Flanders and the federal territory of Brussels. The inhabitants of Brussels can choose the quality of Walloon or Fleming. In parliamentary commission, the proposal is disallowed (1954). Joseph Merlot, patient cannot chair the Walloon National congress of 1957 nor to continue his carière parlmentaire who is completed in 1958. He dies the following year.

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