André Renard

André Renard (25 May 191120 July 1962) was a Belgian trade union leader who, in the aftermath of World War II, became an influential figure within the Walloon Movement.

Born into a working-class family, Renard was as a metalworker in the Liège region in Wallonia in the era of the Great Depression before becoming involved in the Federation of Metalworkers of Liège (''Fédération des métallurgistes de Liège'') in 1937. He established an underground trade union in German-occupied Belgium during the Second World War which sought to unite socialist and communist unions within a united trade union (''syndicat unique''). He emerged as a powerful figure within trade unionism in the aftermath of the Liberation of Belgium.

Renard entered the newly established General Labour Federation of Belgium (''Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique'', FGTB) in 1945 and emerged as a political figure with a national reputation in following years. He became increasingly interested in federalism at the time of the Royal Question in 1950 in which he was a vocal critic of the return of King Leopold III. He was prevented from becoming secretary-general of the FGTB in 1952 but was able to take the deputy secretary-general role with responsibility for Wallonia. The acrimonious failed general strike of 1960–1961 revealed the split between Walloon and Flemish aspirations and led to Renard's resignation in 1961.

Renard's political thinking, which became termed "Renardism" after his death, reflected the belief that left-wing political groups in Belgium should embrace federalism as a means to achieve radical social reform in a way not possible in a unitary state. After his resignation, Renard founded the (''Mouvement Populaire Wallon'', MPW) but died prematurely in July 1962. His ideals remained influential within the Walloon Movement after his death. Provided by Wikipedia