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Political System
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Belgium is a federal parliamentary democracy with a Monarchy. Head of State King Albert II succeeded his brother Baudouin who died on 31 July 1993. Albert was crowned on 9 August 1993. As Head of State, the King exercises a legislative authority collectively with the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. The King also plays a ceremonial and symbolic role for his country. His primary political function is to designate a political leader to form a new cabinet following either an election, the resignation of a government, or a parliamentary vote of no confidence. The King also plays a symbolic unifying role, representing a common national Belgian identity. Government: A Federal State Prime Minister: Yves Leterme (since 2008) of the CD&V. Until the 2007 elections, the government was formed by the VLD, MR, PS and SP.A - SPIRIT. As a result of the 10 June 2008 elections several months of negotiations led by the winner of the elections Yves Leterme followed. A temporary government of Guy Verhofstadt formed by the CD&V-N-VA, VLD, MR, CDH and PS was acknowledged by the lower house of Parliament on 23 December 2007. A government of Yves Leterme was approved by the lower house on 22 March 2008. It is formed by the CD&V, VLD, MR, CDH and PS. From its beginnings as a liberal and constitutional state in 1831 and throughout the 19th century, political life in Belgium has been a long struggle with the alternation of power between two parties - the Catholics and the Liberals. A third major force, the Socialists, appeared near the century's end and slowly strove for universal suffrage as the best means to help the impoverished working class. At federal level, executive power is wielded by the Cabinet (or Council of Ministers). The Prime Minister is President of the Cabinet. No single party or party family across linguistic lines holds an absolute majority of seats in Parliament. Consequently, the Cabinet reflects the weight of political parties that constitute the government. The Federal Government is formed by the House of Representatives following legislative elections. The Federal Government, the communities and the regions are equal in law and exercise their competencies independently in different fields. The three regions (Flemish, Walloon and Brussels capital) have the right to define their own policies in 10 main areas (regional development, environment, agriculture, housing, water, economy, energy, employment, transport and public works, science). The three communities (Flemish, French and German-speaking) are responsible for culture, education and language. The Flemish region and the Flemish community are combined at one administrative level. Other than the respective regions and communities, Belgium is divided into 10 provinces and 589 communes. Council The Communities and the Regions each have their own Parliament (referred to as Council) and their own government. In the Flemish north, there is only one government and a single council. The Flemish Government also governs the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region, hence its Parliament exercises the competencies for both. On the French side, on the other hand, there is a government and council of the French Community, and a government and council of the Walloon Region, which also includes the German-speaking part of the country. However, due to the unique complications of the Brussels-Capital Region, there has been a redistribution of competencies. Although the Regional and Community assemblies have already existed for several years, elected members which made them up were the same as those who, belonging to the same linguistic role, sat in the National House and in the National Senate. Today's Councils reflect the evolution of a federal country. Legislature 
Legislative elections (the Chamber and the Senate) take place every 4 years. Since 1831, the Federal Parliament has consisted of two chambers, the House of Representatives (150 members) and the Senate (40 members). Members are directly elected for a maximum period of four years. Today, the House has the exclusive legislative power with the King, i.e. initiating making the final decision on laws, while the Senate remains essentially a chamber of reflection, i.e. intervening, reviewing and recommending. The House and the Senate also have equivalent competencies with regard to the approval of international treaties, the Council of State, and judicial organisation. These are different from ordinary laws in that they must be adopted by a special majority. This equally applies to the approval of co-operation agreements concluded with the various federal entities and between themselves. The Chamber is responsible for budgets, army quotas, naturalisation and laws relating to the civil and penal responsibility of federal ministers. The Chamber has the following means to control government policy: examination of budgets, interpolations, questions and committees of inquiry. The Federal Government must have the confidence of the majority of the Chamber. The Senate is an advisory chamber and has exclusive authority on conflicts of interest between the Federal Parliament and the Community and Regional Assemblies. In order to avoid conflicts of interest, the various state authorities are bound to observe federal loyalty. The last elections for the Chamber and the federal Senate were held on June 2007 and the next ones will be held in 2011. |
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