Council of ministers. Archives of the Council of minister produced by the cabinet of the Prime minister in its capacity of secretariat of the Council of Ministers

Collection

Title:: Council of ministers. Archives of the Council of minister produced by the cabinet of the Prime minister in its capacity of secretariat of the Council of Ministers

Title (official language):: Conseil des ministres. Archives du Conseil des Ministres formées par le cabinet du Premier ministre en tant que secrétariat du Conseil des Ministres

Scope and content:: This fonds notably contains the decisions taken by the Conseil des ministres (by chronological order of the meetings) (1925-1938). We also find files related to issues concerning the ministry of Justice (including files on the personnel of the Sûreté de l’État), files concerning foreign affairs and colonies, concerning monetary and financial issues, related to education and culture, naturalisations etc. (This fonds is indirectly related to the Jewish population.)

Administrative/biographical history:: Like the function of Prime Minister, the Conseil des ministres / Ministerraad (Council of Ministers) was not enshrined in the Constitution. In theory, the Council of Ministers only acts in exceptional circumstances. In practice, it has played a key role since the 19th century. It was only officially introduced in 1970. Following the constitutional reform of 1993, the number of its members was reduced to 15, and senators and members of Parliament could no longer be members of the bureau of the Council of Ministers. The main policy lines of the country’s government are decided at the sessions of the Council of Ministers, where legislative proposals, decrees necessitating the intervention of different ministers, appointments of high state functions, etc. are discussed. Select ministerial commissions or committees are set up to deal with particular issues or to offer advice that is subsequently submitted to the Council. Since 1953, the head of cabinet of the Prime Minister is also the secretary of the Council of Ministers. (G. Coppieters, « De Ministerraad ", in P. van den Eeckhout & G. Vanthemsche (ed.), Bronnen voor de studie van het hedendaagse België 19e – 21e eeuw. Tweede herziene en uitgebreide uitgave, Brussel, Koninklijke Commissie voor Geschiedenis / Commission Royale d’Histoire, 2009, pp. 317-321; A.-M. Pagnoul, Chancellerie du Premier Ministre. Inventaire d’archives. 1944-1965, T 40, Bruxelles, ARA-AGR, 1989.)

Finding aids:: L. Vandeweyer, Toegang tot het archief van de ministerraad tijdens het interbellum (1918-1940), T 421, Bruxelles, ARA-AGR, 1996.