Jules Renkin

Jules Renkin (1862 to 1934) was a Belgian Catholic Party politician who served as Prime Minister of Belgium from 1931 to 1932. Born in Ixelles, he studied and practised law, helped found the journal L'Avenir Sociale and in 1896 was elected to the Chamber of Representatives for Brussels, a seat he kept until his death. He began on the Christian Democratic wing of his party, though his views grew more conservative over time. He held the ministries of Justice in 1907 and 1908, Colonies from 1908 to 1918, so overseeing the Belgian Congo after its transfer from the Congo Free State, Interior in 1918 and 1919, and Railways and Posts from 1918 to 1921, and he was named an honorary minister of State in 1920. As prime minister he also took the Interior, Finance and Health portfolios, but his government could not meet the economic crisis and fell in 1932, a term that coincided with the general strike of July to September 1932. He received many foreign and Belgian honours.