The politically complex structure of government reflects Belgium's diverse cultural, linguistic, and regional identities, which is very evident in the distribution of power. Other ways to describe the Belgian government structure are crazy, complicated, and “makes no sense, but we don’t like the alternatives.” - that said, certain groups have thought of alternatives, and the idea is still generally controversial. More on that here.
This article will discuss the national and regional structures that manage the country, specifically the Federal Government, the Communities, and the Regions.
Who’s the boss?
We mentioned earlier that Belgium is a constitutional monarchy, so let's dive deeper into those two elements of government. Since its inception as an official independent state in 1831, Latin and Germanic cultures have influenced this territory, and the Belgian constitution reflects this cultural pluralism. The Belgian constitution from back in the day already recognized Flemish, French, and German as official languages. It also established the core principle of separation of powers, which remains to this day: the executive (the monarch and his ministers), legislative (bicameral parliament), and judicial (the courts and tribunals) powers.
Long story short: the ministries DO, the parliaments MAKE and the courts CHECK.
Now, let's look at the monarchy side of that statement. Similar to many other Western European nations, the monarch, who as of today is King Philippe, serves as the head of state, but his powers are largely ceremonial and symbolic. The King plays a vital role in representing national unity but does not govern directly.
- Appointing the Prime Minister: After national elections, the King consults political leaders to identify a candidate who can form a government with parliamentary support. Once a coalition is agreed upon, the King formally appoints the Prime Minister.
- Ratifying laws: Once laws are passed by parliament, the King must sign them to become official. This is a ceremonial role, as he does not have veto power.
- Foreign diplomacy: The King represents Belgium abroad, fostering diplomatic relations and participating in state visits.
- Mediating Political Crises: In times of political deadlock, the King can act as a mediator, helping to facilitate dialogue between different political parties and communities.
“Belgium is a federal state, composed of communities and regions”
Though the King plays a symbolic role in Belgium's political system, the true power lies within the federal and regional structures. The first clause of the first article in the Belgian constitution reads, "Belgium is a federal state, composed of communities and regions." Let's look at the "federal" element of Belgium's government system.
The Federal Authorities
The Federal Government exercises the federal executive power. It's composed of up to 15 ministers, including the Prime Minister, the head of the government, and the leader of the executive branch. The council of ministers typically includes the same number of Flemish speakers and French speakers. Additional state secretaries can be included in a specific ministry/initiative. The Federal Government is responsible for:
- Foreign affairs: Managing Belgium's international relations, including its roles within the European Union and NATO.
- Defense: Overseeing the country's military forces, national defense strategy, and the federal police.
- Justice: Setting legal standards, enforcing federal laws, and maintaining the judicial system.
- Social security: Administering national welfare programs, including pensions, unemployment, child benefits, and healthcare.
- Public finance: Managing the federal budget and taxation, public debt, monetary, prices, and income policies
- National economy: Handling overall economic policy, trade, and large-scale infrastructure projects.
- Companies and institutions: management of state-owned companies, including the Belgian Railways, the Post Office, and federal scientific and cultural institutions.
- Educational standards: Education is under the jurisdiction of the Communities, but the Federal Government sets the compulsory aspect of education and the minimum requirements for specific qualifications.
- Other roles: the Federal Government is also responsible for any other power not covered by the Communities or Regions. One example of this is nuclear energy. The Federal Government also has some exemption and restriction capabilities on the powers of the Communities and Regions.
The Federal Parliament represents the legislative branch of the government, and it's a bicameral body consisting of two chambers, the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. Generally speaking, both chambers uphold the state's public interest. Both can alternately introduce candidates for the Court of Arbitration, Cassation, and the Council to State. They also act on equal footing on aspects related to revisions to the constitution and ratification of international conventions.
- The Chamber of Representatives: The main legislative body with 150 members elected by proportional representation. The Chamber of Representatives is responsible for making, debating and voting laws, collecting policy information, and monitoring overall government policy - that includes calling ministers to order and, if necessary, withdrawing confidence in the government. They're also responsible for checking state finances, including the budget and accounts.
- The Senate: Composed of 60 members appointed by the Parliaments of the Communities and Regions, they work on settling conflict that may arise between the federal parliament and the respective Parliaments within the Communities and Regions. They function mainly as an advisory body for legislation impacting federalism so they can draft and propose laws. Ultimately, it's the Chamber that has the final say.
Here's where things start getting more complex. You may have wondered about some typical things governments usually care for missing from the Federal Government and Federal Parliament responsibilities list. That's because while Belgium has a federal system of government, power is entirely decentralized. Many of these key topics fall under the jurisdiction of the following power level in the governmental hierarchy: The Communities - the Flemish, French, and German-speaking Communities - and Regions - Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels-Capital Regions.
Communities
Historically speaking, the establishment of the Communities was the first significant constitutional reform that reflected the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Belgian territory. Language, even today, is a delicate topic in Belgium. In the 19th and early 20th century, the social and economic boom was happening primarily in the geographic French-speaking areas of the country. The "elite" spoke French, even in predominantly Flemish-speaking areas. That all changed in the second half of the 20th century when Flanders economically blossomed and Wallonia stagnated.
Belgium has three communities:
- The Flemish Community exercises its powers in the Flemish provinces and in Brussels. The Flemish institutions of the Flanders Region and the Flemish Community have merged, so they have the same Parliament and Government.
- The French Community exercises its powers in the Walloon provinces (except the German-speaking municipalities) and Brussels. The French Community has its own Parliament and Government.
- The German-speaking Community exercises its powers in the municipalities of the province of Liège and the German-speaking area (comprising the Eupen and the Belgian Eifel regions). They also have their own Parliament and Government.
Because these community "borders" are linguistic rather than geographic (even though there is some overlap), you see how both the Flemish and French communities also operate in the Brussels-Capital region. That's because Brussels is officially bilingual. Someone living in Brussels with kids in Flemish-speaking and French-speaking schools could be dealing with different curriculums and even different school holidays.
The communities are responsible for cultural and personal matters, including:
- Education: Communities set educational standards, administer schools, and manage universities.
- Culture: This includes the promotion of the language, arts, media, and cultural events, e.g. theater, libraries, audiovisual media
- Health and welfare: Communities manage certain health services, including elderly care, child protection, and health promotion (both curative and preventive medicine)
Going back to the past, it was evident that these linguistic and cultural powers were not enough, and maybe some key topics and issues, like the economy, could also use a little "regional flair."
Regions
The Belgian Regions are somewhat easier to understand because they are literally delimited by geographic rather than linguistic borders. After the first "redistribution" of power along the language and culture lines, the French-speaking Walloons and French-speaking people of Brussels began pushing for more economic autonomy. Remember, this was a time of prolonged economic downturn for Wallonia and rapid industrialization and economic growth for Flanders, so more independent control over industrial and economic policy could help the former recover and catch up with the latter. Thus, the Regions were born. Belgium is divided into three regions:
- Flemish Region (Flanders): Dutch-speaking region in the north. As mentioned, the Flemish Region and Community operate with the same Parliament and Government.
- Walloon Region (Wallonia): French-speaking region in the south, with a small German-speaking community in the east. The Walloon Region has its own legislative assembly, the Walloon Parliament, and its executive branch, the Walloon Government.
- Brussels-Capital Region: Bilingual (Dutch and French) but predominantly French-speaking and geographically in Flanders. This region also has its own Parliament and Government.
The Regions operate autonomously in the following areas of jurisdiction, and their governments can levy taxes to fund regional projects.
- Economic Policy: Regions manage regional economic development, employment, and trade.
- Transportation and infrastructure: These include public transport (except the Belgian Railways), road maintenance, and urban planning.
- Environment and Energy: Regional governments are responsible for energy policy (except nuclear energy), environmental conservation, and waste management.
- Housing: Regions handle housing policy, including social housing programs.
Another layer of government has a lot more influence on our everyday lives: the provincial and municipal governments.