Ext 6116/46(S) 'Secret Weekly Political Intelligence Summaries, nos 356-416, August 1946-November 1947' [‎428v] (874/978)

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accompaniment of demands for further wage increases to keep pace with the
rising prices. How long M. Huysmans and his colleagues can hold out against
these demands remains to be seen. Lastly, overshadowing the whole field of
political activity, is the question royale.
It is the Socialists who hold the key to this very unsatisfactory situation;
but there are' said still to be great difficulties in the wav of forming a coalition
which should include the Christian Social Party—the only coalition which would
secure for Belgium a stable Government. A compromise was reached on the
question royale between M. van Acker and the Christian Social Party, and the
party sees no reason why a similar compromise could not be reached with his
successor. But in any case the Christian Social Party would object to joining a
Government which included the Communists—whom they believe to be subservient
to the dictates of Moscow in the matter of foreign policy. While the Socialists
seem willing enough to let in the Christian Social Party, they are not prepared
to turn out the Communists.
1 he Belgian Government have addressed a strongly-worded Note to the
United Nations on the affaire Degrelle, in wffiich the Spanish Government is
again accused of complicity (17th October). “ In spite of all representations
made to it," says the Note, “ the Spanish Government refuses to give the slightest
details of Degrelle’s disappearance and refuses to state by which frontier and
by what means Degrelle left Spain, thus justifying the assumption that Degrelle
has not left that country and is hiding there with the consent of the Spanish
authorities. The Belgian Government considers that the Spanish Government’s
complicity with a traitor like Degrelle, who during the war was an agent of the
Axis Powers, is likely to create a genuine disturbance in Europe and to threaten
the security of the victorious nations.’’
FRANCE
Although French opinion is relieved to think that the country has been
given a constitutional framework on which it may be possible to erect a firm
system of government, it is already evident that the passing of the Constitution
has left many important problems unsolved. Some of these problems follow
from the actual referendum results. Those who voted for the constitution on
the 13th October were fewer by 200,000 than those who voted for the first consti
tutional draft, on the 5th May, on account of the large number of abstentions
(see last week’s Summary). This fact has provided an excellent excuse to the
opponents of the constitution and to the Mouvement Hepublicain Populaire to
demand that it be revised as soon as possible in the direction desired by General
de Gaulle. On the other hand the left-wing, and certain right-wing critics,
realise the dangers of an immediate revisionist campaign, and plead that the
constitution in its present form deserves a fair trial.
For the M.R.P. the question of constitutional revision seems the only possible
means of an apparent reconciliation with General de Gaulle. Such a reconcilia
tion would be of doubtful reality owing to the hostility which now exists between
M. Bidault and General de Caulle and his entourage and to the General’s
profound disapproval of the party with which he was formerly identified.
Nevertheless, the M.R.P. cannot afford to fight an electoral campaign in open
disagreement with de Gaulle. Consequently its executive committee has decided
to press for the immediate revision of the powers of the President, of the method
of election of the Council of the Republic, of the machinery of dissolution, and
the powers of Parliament in proposing expenditure. While it is anxious to avoid
a renewal of the three-party coalition in the next Government, it has pointed
out that the abolition of le tripartisme depends upon the electors themselves
and the votes that they give to the different parties. M. Maurice Schumann
at a mass meeting on the 19th October, appealed for the election of a Parliament
that would allow France to have “ a Bidault government without the presence
of M. Thorez,” while a manifesto of the 15th invited the Socialist Party and
“all true democrats” to join with the M.R.P. M. Thorez, for his part has
called for a new Popular Front coalition of Communists, Socialists and Radicals
to the exclusion of the M.R.P. The Socialists have, understandably, refused to
commit themselves so far to one side or the other, but they oppose constitutional
revision in the immediate future.
Proposals for electoral alliances are being broached, similarly on the rioffit
Each of the right-wing parties, including the Union Gaulliste, is trying to gather
all the others under its wing, but the chances of success seem to°be slight
General de Gaulle himself is expected to make a statement before the elections
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