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Belgium has a multi-party political system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments. Successive Belgian kings are 1831-1865: Léopold I (34) 1865-1909: Léopold II (44) 1909-1934: Albert I (25) 1934-1951: Léopold III (16) 1944-1950: Charles, reigned as Prince Regent 1951-1993: Baudouin I (42) Since 1993: Albert II (13) None of these were King of...
Albert II, King of the Belgians (Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Chrétien Eugène Marie), (born June 6, 1934), is the current King of the Belgians and a constitutional monarch. ...
The executive branch of the Belgian federal government consists of ministers and secretaries of state (junior ministers or smaller departments) drawn from the political parties which form the government coalition. ...
This is a list of Prime Ministers of Belgium, known regionally as: Premier Ministre in French, Eerste Minister in Dutch, and Premierminister in German. ...
Guy Verhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt Pronunciation (born April 11, 1953) is the current Prime Minister of Belgium. ...
The Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament. ...
The Belgian Senate (Dutch: de Senaat, French: le Sénat) is one of the two chambers of the Belgian Federal Parliament. ...
The Belgian Chamber of Representatives (Dutch: de Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French: la Chambre des Représentants) is one of the two chambers of the Belgian Federal Parliament. ...
Elections in Belgium gives information on election and election results in Belgium. ...
The May 18, 2003 Belgian general elections were the first Belgian elections to be held under a new electoral code. ...
The next Belgian general election is scheduled to take place on Sunday June 24, 2007. ...
On June 13, 2004, regional elections were held in Belgium, to choose representatives in the regional councils of Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels, as well as in the German Community Council. ...
The Belgian municipal elections, 2006 will take place on Sunday October 8, 2006. ...
Belgium is a federal state and is composed of three communities, three regions, and four linguistic regions. ...
Belgium is a federal state and is composed of three communities, three regions, and four linguistic regions. ...
The European Union or EU is a supranational and intergovernmental union of 25 European states. ...
Image File history File links European_flag. ...
The Concert of Europe sanctioned the creation of Belgium in 1830 on the condition that the country remain strictly neutral. ...
Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ...
A multi-party system is a type of party system. ...
A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a cabinet in parliamentary government in which several parties cooperate. ...
Belgian political parties are divided into two main groups, Dutch-speaking parties (see also List of political parties in Flanders)and Francophone parties. The Flemish parties operate in Flanders and in the Brussels-Capital Region. The Francophone parties operate in Wallonia and in the Brussels-Capital Region. There are also parties operating in the comparatively small German-speaking community. Political parties are thus organised along community lines, especially for the two main communities. There are no representative parties active in both communities. Even in Brussels, all parties presenting candidates are either Flemish parties, either French-speaking. As such, the internal organisation of the political parties reflects the fundamentally dual nature of Belgian society. A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ...
Belgium has a multi-party political system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments. ...
Francophone means French-speaking. ...
Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen) has several main meanings: the social, political and cultural community of the Flemings, through its social and political organizations, its media, universities, ... ; some prefer to call this the Flemish community, other refers to this as the Flemish nation; a constituent governing institution of the federal Belgian...
The Brussels-Capital Region (French: R gion de Bruxelles-Capitale, Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, German: Region Br ssel-Hauptstadt) or Brussels Region (French: R gion Bruxelloise, Dutch: Brusselse Gewest) is one of the three regions of Belgium. ...
Wallonia (French: Wallonie, German: Wallonien, Walloon: Walonreye, Dutch: Wallonië) or the Walloon Region (French: Région Wallonne, Dutch: Waals Gewest) is the predominantly French-speaking region that constitutes one of the three federal regions of Belgium, with its capital at Namur. ...
Council of the German Speaking Community in Belgium (Eupen) Flag of the German-speaking community in Belgium The German-Speaking Community of Belgium (Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens in German, short DGB) is one of the three federal communities in Belgium. ...
Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Brussels City Hall Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, pronounced ; French: Bruxelles, pronounced in Belgian French and often by non-Belgian speakers of French; German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium, the...
From the creation of the Belgian state in 1830 and throughout most of the 19th century, two political parties dominated Belgian politics: the Catholic Party (Church-oriented and conservative) and the Liberal Party (anti-clerical and progressive). In the late 19th century the Socialist Party arose to represent the emerging industrial working class. Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...
This article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ...
Political Liberalism is an update to John Rawls 1971 Theory of Justice in which Rawls attempts to show that his theory of justice is not a comprehensive conception of the good, but is instead compatible with a liberal conception of the role of justice: namely, that government should be neutral...
Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious (generally Catholic) institutional power and influence in all aspects of public and political life, and the encroachment of religion in the everyday life of the citizen. ...
This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...
These three groups still dominate Belgian politics, but they have evolved substantially in character.
Catholics/Christian Democrats After World War II, the Catholic (now Christian Democratic) Party severed its formal ties with the Church. It became a mass party of the center, somewhat like a political party in the United States. Combatants Allies: Soviet Union United States United Kingdom France and others Axis Powers: Germany Japan Italy and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II, also known as the...
In 1968, the Christian Democratic Party, responding to linguistic tensions in the country, divided into two independent parties: the Parti Social Chrétien (PSC) in French-speaking Belgium and the Christelijke Volkspartij (CVP) in Flanders. The two parties pursue the same basic policies but maintain separate organizations. The CVP is the larger of the two, getting more than twice as many votes as the PSC. The chairman of the Flemish Catholic party is now Yves Leterme. Deputy Joëlle Milquet is president of the francophone Catholic party. Following the 1999 general elections, the CVP and PSC were ousted from office, bringing an end to a 40-year term on the government benches. In 2001, the CVP changed its name to CD&V (Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams). In 2002, the PSC also changed its name to cdH (Centre démocrate humaniste). 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...
The Humanist Democratic Centre (French: Centre démocrate humaniste or cdH) is a Belgian Francophone christian democratic political party in Wallonia. ...
Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) (Christian Democratic and Flemish) is a political party in Belgium, formerly called Christelijke Volkspartij (CVP) (Christian Peoples Party). ...
Yves Leterme (Wervik, 6 October 1960) is the current prime minister of Flanders. ...
Joëlle Milquet (born February 16, 1961 in Charleroi) is Belgian politician from the CDH (Humanist Democratic Center). ...
The May 13, 1999 Belgian general elections was a Belgian election for the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and Belgian Senate. ...
Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) (Christian Democratic and Flemish) is a political party in Belgium, formerly called Christelijke Volkspartij (CVP) (Christian Peoples Party). ...
The Humanist Democratic Centre (French: Centre Démocrate Humaniste or CDH) is a centrist, Christian Democrat, Belgian French-speaking political party. ...
Socialists/Social Democrats The modern Belgian Socialist parties have lost much of their early Marxist trappings. They are now primarily labor-based parties similar to the German Social Democratic Party and the French Socialist Party. The Socialists have been part of several postwar governments and have produced some of the country's most distinguished statesmen. The Socialists also split along linguistic lines in 1978. Johan Vande Lanotte is the current head of the Flemish Socialist Party and Elio Di Rupo is the current president of the Francophone Socialists. In general, the Walloon Socialists tend to concentrate on domestic issues. In the eighties, the Flemish Socialists focused heavily on international issues, and on security in Europe in particular, where they frequently opposed U.S. policies. However, first with Willy Claes, then Frank Vandenbroucke and with Erik Derycke as Foreign Minister, all three Flemish Socialists, the party made a significant shift to the center adopting less controversial stances on foreign policy issues. Marxism is the philosophy, social theory and political practice based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century German, Jewish, socialist philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary. ...
Elio Di Rupo (born July 18, 1951) is the leader of the French-speaking Belgian Socialist Party, i. ...
Willy Claes (born November 24, 1938) was Secretary General of NATO and a Belgian politician. ...
This article needs cleanup. ...
Erik Derycke (Waregem, October 28, 1949 - ) is a Flemish socialist politician, lawyer, former minister, judge at the Belgian Court of Arbitration and a freemason. ...
A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the governmental foreign policy of a sovereign nation. ...
The francophone Socialists are mainly based in the industrial cities of Wallonia (Liège, Charleroi, and Mons). The Flemish Socialists' support is less regionally concentrated. The Flemish Socialists changed their party's name to SP.a (Socialistische Partij anders) in 2002. Liège (Dutch: Luik, German: Lüttich; before 1946, the citys name was written Liége, with the acute accent) is a major city located in the Belgian province of Liège, of which it is the capital. ...
Charleroi (Walloon: Tchålerwè) is the first city and municipality of Wallonia in population. ...
The central square and town hall of Mons Mons (Dutch: Bergen) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. ...
Socialist Party - Different or Social Progressive Alternative (Dutch: Socialistische Partij - Anders or Sociaal Progressief Alternatief (sp. ...
For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...
Liberals The Liberal Parties chiefly appeal to businesspeople, property owners, shopkeepers, and the self-employed, in general. In American terms the Liberals' economic positions would be considered to reflect a moderate conservative ideology.
There are two Liberal parties, formed along linguistic lines: The Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD, Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten) who opened up their ranks to Volksunie defectors some years ago, are currently the largest political force in Belgium. The VLD is currently headed by Bart Somers. The Movement for Reform (MR, Mouvement Réformateur) on the francophone side is headed by Didier Reynders, currently Minister for Finances. The MR is a federation composed of the Christian-democratic split-off, MCC and the Brussels-based FDF which is particularly strong electorally in Brussels. The Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or VLD (Flemish Liberals and Democrats) is a Flemish liberal party, created in 1992 from the former PVV and a few other politicians from other parties. ...
Volksunie was a Belgian political party. ...
Bart Somers (born 12 May 1964 in Mechelen) is a Belgian, Flemish politician. ...
The Mouvement Réformateur (MR) is a Belgian French-speaking liberal party, favoring a united Belgium. ...
The Democratic Front of the Francophones (Front Démocratique des Francophones, or FDF), is a Brussels French-speaking Belgian political party. ...
Linguistic parties A specific phenomenon in Belgium was the emergence of one-issue parties whose only reason for existence was the defense of the cultural, political, and economic interests of one of the linguistic groups or regions of Belgian society. See Flemish movement. The Flemish movement (Dutch: Vlaamse Beweging) is a popular term used to describe the political movement for greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders, for protection of the Dutch language in Flanders, and for protection of the Flemish culture. ...
The most militant Flemish regional party in Parliament in the 1950s and 1960s, the Volksunie (VU), once drew nearly one-quarter of Belgium's Dutch-speaking electorate away from the traditional parties. The Volksunie was in the forefront of a successful campaign by the country's Flemish population for cultural and political parity with the nation's long dominant French-speaking population. However, in recent elections the party has suffered severe setbacks. In October 2001 the party disintegrated. The left-liberal wing founded Spirit, while the more traditional Flemish nationalist wing continued under the banner Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (NV-A). A year later, a number of prominent Spirit politicians left the party to join the VLD. Volksunie was a Belgian political party. ...
2001: A Space Odyssey. ...
The Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (New-Flemish Alliance) is a Belgian political party, founded in the autumn of 2001. ...
Another special-interest party is the Front Democratique des Bruxellois Francophones (FDF). The Democratic Front of the Francophones (Front Démocratique des Francophones, or FDF), is a Brussels French-speaking Belgian political party. ...
Greens The Flemish (Agalev) and francophone (Ecolo) ecologist parties made their parliamentary breakthrough in 1981. They focus heavily on environmental issues and are the most consistent critics of U.S. policy. Following significant gains made in the 1999 general elections, the two green parties joined a federal coalition cabinet for the first time in their history, but were ousted after the next elections. Agalev subsequently changed its name to Groen!. Green! (Groen!) is the Flemish green party in Belgium. ...
Ecolo (standing for Ecologistes Confédérés pour lorganisation de luttes originales) is a French-speaking Belgian green political party (Wallonia and Brussels). ...
1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Green! (Groen!) is the Flemish green party in Belgium. ...
Nationalist The foremost nationalist party in Belgium is the Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest), which was founded in 2004, after its predecessor Vlaams Blok (Flemish Block) was condemed by a High Court for "permanent incitation to discrimination and racism." Although other parties in Belgium are supportive of Flemish and Dutch cultural issues, the Vlaams Belang is most strident in persuing a secessionist agenda, for Flemish independence. Although the Vlaams Belang has yet to take part in any elections, it is consistently polled as the biggest party of Belgium. Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is a form of identity that holds that (ethnically or culturally defined) nations are the fundamental units for human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the...
Vlaams Belang (English: Flemish Interest) is a Belgian political party. ...
2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Note that Flemish Block turned themselves into Flemish Interest (Vlaams Belang) since their condamnation in 2004 The Flemish Block (Dutch: Vlaams Blok) was a Flemish far-right nationalist political party which rejects the state of Belgium, calling for political independence for the Flemish half of the country. ...
In Wallonia, the Front National (National Front) is the largest nationalist party, having a largely anti-immigrant agenda. Officially, it is a bilingual party, but in reality, it is a purely French-speaking group, although it does support Belgian federalism. The National Front is a small extreme right Belgian political party. ...
German community The German speaking parties do not play an important role on federal level. The main German speaking parties are the CSP (Christian-democratic), the PFF (liberal), the SP (social-democratic) and PJUPDB (regionalist).
Alliances After the installation of a 5% electoral threshold, with private funding close to forbidden and public funding only for parties with at least one representative in parliament, some of the smaller parties have made alliances with a larger, more traditional party, especially in the Flemish Region. Parties in any alliance remain independent, but they would field canditates on one combined list at elections. In general, the smaller party/parties would be assured of gaining seats, and the larger party would be assured of obtaining a larger overall share of the vote. This was especially true for the CD&V / NV-A alliance, whereby CD&V became the largest party by votes in the Flemish regional elections, so therefore it could initiate coalition talks and the party could appoint the leader of the Flemish regional government. The VLD / Vivant alliance did not perform well in the polls. The proposed SP.a / Spirit / Groen! alliance did not happen, instead the SP.a / Spirit alliance went to the polls. In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to get any seats in the parliament. ...
The parties
Flemish Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) (Christian Democratic and Flemish) is a political party in Belgium, formerly called Christelijke Volkspartij (CVP) (Christian Peoples Party). ...
Vlaams Belang (English: Flemish Interest) is a Belgian political party. ...
The Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or VLD (Flemish Liberals and Democrats) is a Flemish liberal party, created in 1992 from the former PVV and a few other politicians from other parties. ...
Groen! (English Green!) is the Flemish green party in Belgium. ...
The Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (New-Flemish Alliance) is a Belgian political party, founded in the autumn of 2001. ...
Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Liberal parties | Belgian political parties-Flanders ...
The SP.A-Spirit is a political cartel between the parties SP.A and Spirit ...
The SP.A-Spirit is a political cartel between the parties SP.A and Spirit ...
Socialist Party - Different or Social Progressive Alternative (Dutch: Socialistische Partij - Anders or Sociaal Progressief Alternatief (sp. ...
The SP.A-Spirit is a political cartel between the parties SP.A and Spirit ...
Francophone -
The Democratic Front of the Francophones (Front Démocratique des Francophones, or FDF), is a Brussels French-speaking Belgian political party. ...
Ecolo (standing for Ecologistes Confédérés pour lorganisation de luttes originales) is a French-speaking Belgian green political party (Wallonia and Brussels). ...
The Humanist Democratic Centre (French: Centre Démocrate Humaniste or CDH) is a centrist, christian-democrat, Belgian French-speaking political party. ...
The National Front is a small extreme right Belgian political party. ...
The Mouvement Réformateur (MR) is a Belgian French-speaking liberal party, favoring a united Belgium. ...
Citizens Movement for Change (French: Mouvement des Citoyens pour le Changement or MCC) is a Christian Democratic political party in the French Community of Belgium founded by Gérard Deprez. ...
The Democratic Front of the Francophones (Front Démocratique des Francophones, or FDF), is a Brussels French-speaking Belgian political party. ...
This article covers the Parti Réformateur Libéral. ...
The Parti Socialiste or PS of Belgium is a French-speaking social democratic political party. ...
German The Christian Social Party (German: Christlich Soziale Partei) is a party operating in the German_speaking community of Belgium. ...
The Party for Freedom and Progress (Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt, PFF) is a regional liberal party in Belgium, only active in the German speaking East Cantons. ...
Bilingual (or trilingual) Belgische Unie - Union Belge (BUB), translated in English as Belgian Union, is a young political party in Belgium, taking action against the separatism in the country. ...
The Workers Party of Belgium (WPB), Partij van de Arbeid van België (PVDA) (in Dutch) or Parti du Travail de Belgique (PTB) (in French) is a Belgian communist party. ...
Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. ...
See also
Marginal parties in Belgium The Left Socialist Party (Linkse Socialistische Partij/Mouvement pour une Alternative Socialiste) is a political party in Belgium without parliamentary representation. ...
The Left Socialist Party (Linkse Socialistische Partij/Mouvement pour une Alternative Socialiste) is a political party in Belgium without parliamentary representation. ...
List of political parties Welcome to the index of political parties, an alphabetical list of (mainly) present-day political parties listed in the list of political parties. ...
This is a list of political parties around the world. ...
This is a list of political parties around the world by ideology. ...
This is a list of political parties around the world by ideology. ...
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