Léon Pétillon

Léon Antoine Marie Pétillon (* 1903, † 1996), sometimes Leo Pétillon, was a Belgian colonial civil servant and colonial politicians.

Originally a lawyer, was Pétillon 1929-1938 Attaché and Head of Cabinet in the Ministry of Colonies, at the same time he was a professor at the Ecole Coloniale. In 1939, he was Administrator of the National Committee of Kivu in the colony of Belgian Congo, from 1941 he was Chief of Cabinet in the Office of the Governor General in Leopoldville, from 1942 to 1945 in the Colonial Office and from 1946 to 1949 again at the Governor-General. From August 1949 to January 1952 he was governor of the Belgian Mandate of Ruanda- Urundi, then from January 1952 to July 1958 the Governor-General of the colony of Belgian Congo. After that he was from July to December 1958 briefly Colonial Minister in the Belgian Government.

During his tenure as Governor General of the Congo visit of King Baudouin (1955) and some desperate attempts at reform fell to the extension of the Belgian colonial rule (1957). Pétillon coined it the demagogic concept of (pseudo) Fraternalismus, which should replace the current colonial principle of paternalism.

In addition to numerous Belgian Order, he also received Italian and Portuguese Awards.