Paul Guillaume van Zeeland was a Belgian lawyer, economist, Catholic politician and statesman. He was born in Soignies. Van Zeeland was a professor of law and later director of the Institute of Economic Science at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, and vice-governor of the National Bank of Belgium. In March 1935 he became Prime Minister of a government of national unity. Given decree powers, he was able to abate the economic crisis the country was going through, by devaluing the currency and resorting to expansive bugdetary policies. Van Zeeland's government resigned in the spring of 1936 due to the agitation of REX, but was able to start a new...more »