Rexist Party
렉스당
The party of Rexism, the Belgian far-right nationalist movement of the interwar period and the Second World War. Founded by the Catholic activist and journalist Léon Degrelle out of the Christus Rex publishing house, it collaborated openly with Nazi Germany during the occupation.
In depth
Growing out of Catholic student journalism at Leuven, Rexism became a Belgian form of fascism combining authoritarian nationalism, corporatism, monarchism and anti-establishment populism. It peaked in the 1936 election with 21 of the 202 seats in the Chamber, but declined after Degrelle lost heavily in a by-election the next year. After the occupation of 1940 it turned to open collaboration, and Degrelle led Walloon volunteers of the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front. The party was banned after liberation and Degrelle fled to Spain.