| Election Name: | 1978 Belgian general election |
| Country: | Belgium |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1977 Belgian general election |
| Previous Year: | 1977 |
| Next Election: | 1981 Belgian general election |
| Next Year: | 1981 |
| Seats For Election: | 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives |
| Election Date: | 17 December 1978 |
| Leader1: | Paul Vanden Boeynants |
| Leader Since1: | Candidate for PM |
| Party1: | Christian People's Party (Belgium) |
| Last Election1: | 56 seats, 26.20% |
| Seats1: | 57 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,447,112 |
| Percentage1: | 26.14% |
| Swing1: | 0.06% |
| Leader2: | André Cools |
| Leader Since2: | 1978 |
| Party2: | Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) |
| Last Election2: | New |
| Seats2: | 31 |
| Seat Change2: | New |
| Popular Vote2: | 689,876 |
| Percentage2: | 12.46% |
| Swing2: | New |
| Leader3: | Karel Van Miert |
| Leader Since3: | 1978 |
| Party3: | Socialist Party (Flanders) |
| Last Election3: | New |
| Seats3: | 26 |
| Seat Change3: | New |
| Popular Vote3: | 684,976 |
| Percentage3: | 12.37% |
| Swing3: | New |
| Leader4: | Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb |
| Leader Since4: | 1977 |
| Party4: | Christian Social Party (Wallonia) |
| Last Election4: | 24 seats, 7.29% |
| Seats4: | 25 |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| Popular Vote4: | 560,440 |
| Percentage4: | 10.12% |
| Swing4: | 2.83% |
| Leader5: | Willy De Clercq |
| Leader Since5: | 1977 |
| Party5: | Party for Freedom and Progress (Flanders) |
| Last Election5: | 17 seats, 8.54% |
| Seats5: | 22 |
| Seat Change5: | 5 |
| Popular Vote5: | 573,387 |
| Percentage5: | 10.36% |
| Swing5: | 1.82% |
| Image6: | PRLW |
| Leader6: | André Damseaux |
| Leader Since6: | 1973 |
| Party6: | Party of Reforms and Freedom of Wallonia |
| Last Election6: | 16 seats, 3.34% |
| Seats6: | 15 |
| Seat Change6: | 1 |
| Popular Vote6: | 256,685 |
| Percentage6: | 4.64% |
| Swing6: | 1.30% |
| Government | |
| Posttitle: | Government after election |
| Before Election: | Tindemans II |
| Before Party: | CVP-PSC-BSP/PSB-VU-FDF |
| After Election: | Vanden Boeynants II |
| After Party: | CVP-PSC-PS-BSP-VU-FDF |
General elections were held in Belgium on 17 December 1978.[1] The Christian People's Party emerged as the largest party, with 57 of the 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 29 of the 106 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 94.8%.[2] Elections were also held for the nine provincial councils and for the Council of the German Cultural Community.
The snap elections were called after Prime Minister Leo Tindemans resigned over the Egmont pact, which would have transformed Belgium into a federal state. Vlaams Blok participated for the first time, which was formed out of disagreement within the People's Union over concessions in the Egmont pact.