Van Acker was born in Bruges on 8 April 1898 in a family with 12 children. Van Acker only went to school until his 10th year. Van Acker became a member of the city council of Bruges in 1926. The following year the 29-year-old Van Acker was elected to the Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives. During the Second World War, Van Acker organised the Vlaamse Centrale der Illegale Partij. In December 1944, while serving as a government minister, Van Acker implemented Belgium's social security system.[1]
After the Second World War, Van Acker became Prime Minister of Belgium in four different cabinets (the first of which saw the passage of Belgium’s first compulsory health insurance law)[2]and served as Minister of Labour and Social Services, Minister of Public Health, Minister of Mobility and Minister of Mining (which led to his nickname). From 1961 until 1974 he served as President of the Chamber of Representatives. He was named Minister of State in 1958.
The first three cabinets led by Van Acker were short-lived because of the crisis pertaining to Leopold III which held Belgium in its grip from 1944–1951.
Initiatives were taken by Van Acker's fourth cabinet to expand social spending on pensions, housing, employment, and education. Steps were also taken to reduce the workweek and to reduce the term of compulsory military service from 21 to 18 months.[3] Earnings-related pension schemes were introduced for manual workers (1955), seamen (1956), and white-collar workers (1957).[4] Allowances were introduced in 1955[5] to cover demolition and rehousing while pension contributions were made obligatory in 1956.[6]
Altogether, the various social reforms realised under Van Acker's fourth cabinet led him to be known as the father of Belgian social security.
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