BELGIUM: Going Places?

King Leopold III of the Belgians and his beautiful wife were happily packing their bags last week in their lakeside villa at Pregny, Switzerland, where they have been whiling away their long exile. They were in hopeful spirits. General Emile Bethouart, French High Commissioner in Austria, had invited them for a week of hunting in the Tyrol. After that, there was a chance that they might go on to Brussels. A decision on the King’s future was finally at hand.

Leopold had just received a visit from Belgian Premier Gaston Eyskens. Together they had worked out an important political agreement. Eyskens would ask Parliament this week to hold a “popular consultation” on whether or not the King should return. If Leopold received less than 55% of the referendum votes, he would abdicate. He did not say what he would do if he got more than 55%. But it was plain that he would need a majority well over 55% before Parliament would actually agree to his return.

Premier Eyskens’ announcement of a plan obviously approved by his Christian Socialist party instantly renewed Belgium’s dormant political battle over the King’s comeback. Leopold’s supporters had gathered a 25-million franc ($71,429) war chest for the impending political campaign. His chief antagonists, the Socialists, were reviving their “action committees” which are supposed to organize strikes if the King should return. Cried one of the Liberal leaders, Gaston Vandewiele: “Leopold is obstinate and a blockhead.”

Ex-Premier Paul-Henri Spaak, now president of the Council of Europe’s Assembly, who had hitherto been mild on the subject of Leopold, called the Leopold-Eyskens agreement “sheer political folly.” If the King got less than 55% of the votes, said Spaak, the institution of the monarchy itself could be endangered. “The King would render the country an immense service,” added Spaak, “if he agreed to abdicate. If this sacrifice is above his strength, the King could say he would return only with wide popular support . . . at least two-thirds of the whole country . . .”

Belgium’s sharpened political temper interfered with Leopold’s vacation plans. When Premier Eyskens got word of the proposed Tyrol trip, he snapped to the King’s secretary in Brussels: “Tell His Majesty that he must forget the invitation. Belgian public opinion has a disagreeable remembrance of Leopold’s visits to Austria during the German occupation.”

When he reigned, Leopold had a reputation for disregarding his ministers’ counsel. But at week’s end he canceled his hunting junket, instead took his princess to Paris for an “incognito” holiday.