Erasme Louis Surlet de Chokier

Erasme Louis Surlet de Chokier (* 1769 in Gingelom; † August 7, 1839 in Gingelom ) was a Belgian politician and first Regent of Belgium.

In the Liège Revolution of August 18, 1789 Surlet de Chokier belonged to the camp of the patriots who entered under the influence of the French Revolution in the Liège government buildings and the prince bishop forced to flee. When the militia was crushed in 1790 by Austrian troops in skirmishes, he fled to Breda. In 1792, he returned to his hometown Gingelom.

After the Austrian Netherlands were annexed by France in 1795, he was a staunch supporter until the French Revolution, then Napoleon. In 1800 he was 31 years old, was elected mayor of Gingelom and a member of the Department and the District Council. In 1812 he became a member of the French National Assembly.

When, after the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, the modern Belgium at the Congress of Vienna (1815 ) became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, he became a deputy of the second chamber of the States General and leader of the southern opposition. In 1816, he was raised as a Baron in the Dutch nobility. Because of its critical and sharp-tongued way, he was named in Parliament Surlet de choquant ( Surlet the Annoying ). King Willem I saw personally that he was not re-elected in 1828 in the second chamber.

1830 was proclaimed the independence during the Belgian Revolution and the provisional government wrote from elections in which Surlet elected to the arrondissements of Hasselt in the National Congress and Parliament president. Under his leadership, the Belgian constitution was drawn up.

After the rejection of the Belgian crown by the French King Louis Philippe for his son, Surlet was appointed by Congress as regent on 24 February 1831, so first head of state of Belgium. He had sworn to King Leopold I held on July 21, 1831 this office.

Belgian
Politicians (Belgium )
Born in 1769
Died in 1839
Man

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