Belgian Union
Encyclopedia
Belgische Unie – Union Belge (Dutch
and French
for Belgian Union), known by the acronym BUB, is a small political party
in Belgium. As one of the only political parties organised across the entire country, it wishes to abolish the federal
system in Belgium and re-establish a unitary state
based on the original nine provinces. The party is explicitly opposed to separatism
and to calls for the partition of Belgium
.
-speaking Belgians or Flemings (about 59% of the population who live in the north of the country), French-speaking
Belgians or Walloons (about 40% of the population who live in the south), and German speaking Belgians (about 1% of the population who live in the east). At present, Belgium is a federation with two different divisions of authority: there is a Belgian Federal Government
, the territory is divided into three Communities on a linguistic basis (Flemish, Walloon and German-speaking), and concurrent with this division also exists another one, the Regions (Flanders
, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region). So one is part of Belgium, one Community, and one Region. The Communities have the power over cultural facilities: education, culture, sport etc., while the Regions have power over environmental facilities: environment and city planning, tourism etc. The federal government has been reduced to mainly the departments of Justice, Finances, Foreign Affairs (though Foreign Trade is regional), and Internal Affairs (though regions also have ministers for this).
, and one government and one parliament for all Belgians without the division by language (which they consider as discriminatory
as a division by skin colour). They mainly want to get rid of the Regions and transfer their powers back to the federal state of Belgium and the provinces
. They are the only party with this outlook, as all other Belgian parties except for the communists and the Vivant-party have, together with the creation of the federal states, been split on a language basis.
The party also advocates a better knowledge of the other national language(s) among the citizens of Belgium. They call it "individual multilingualism".
. Though the party did not gain any seats in the 2006 communal elections, BUB did far better at the ballots, gaining up to 2 per cent of the vote in some cities. In the federal elections of 10 June 2007, the pro-Belgian party also progressed everywhere it participated, but again obtained no seats. At the 2010 federal elections, the party formed a pro-Belgian cartel with CDF under the name BELG-UNIE and obtained a record result of 20.000 votes in 5 constituencies. (http://www.dhnet.be/infos/elections-2010/article/310227/cdf-et-bub-se-presentent-sous-le-cartel-belgunie.html - http://www.elections2010.belgium.be/fr/cha/results/results_tab_CKR00000.html). Since 22 June 2011, the cartel consists of a third pro-Belgian party, BAB. (http://www.belg-unie.be/)
The party is headed by a national president (Hans Van de Cauter) and is divided into 9 provincial sections, corresponding with the 9 provinces that existed before the split of the central province of Brabant
in 1995.
The party is member of International Monarchist Conference.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for Belgian Union), known by the acronym BUB, is a small political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Belgium. As one of the only political parties organised across the entire country, it wishes to abolish the federal
Federal government
The federal government is the common government of a federation. The structure of federal governments varies from institution to institution. Based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and...
system in Belgium and re-establish a unitary state
Unitary state
A unitary state is a state governed as one single unit in which the central government is supreme and any administrative divisions exercise only powers that their central government chooses to delegate...
based on the original nine provinces. The party is explicitly opposed to separatism
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
and to calls for the partition of Belgium
Partition of Belgium
The partition of Belgium, or the dissolution of the Belgian state through the separation of the Dutch-speaking people of the Flanders region and Brussels from the French-speaking people of the Walloon region and Brussels, granting them either independence or respective accession to the Netherlands...
.
Background of separatism in Belgium
Belgium is a federal country with an unusual structure. It consists of 3 groups differentiated by language: DutchDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
-speaking Belgians or Flemings (about 59% of the population who live in the north of the country), French-speaking
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Belgians or Walloons (about 40% of the population who live in the south), and German speaking Belgians (about 1% of the population who live in the east). At present, Belgium is a federation with two different divisions of authority: there is a Belgian Federal Government
Belgian federal government
The Cabinet of Belgium is the executive branch of the Belgian federal government, consisting of ministers and secretaries of state drawn from the political parties which form the governing coalition. Formally, the ministers are appointed by the King...
, the territory is divided into three Communities on a linguistic basis (Flemish, Walloon and German-speaking), and concurrent with this division also exists another one, the Regions (Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region). So one is part of Belgium, one Community, and one Region. The Communities have the power over cultural facilities: education, culture, sport etc., while the Regions have power over environmental facilities: environment and city planning, tourism etc. The federal government has been reduced to mainly the departments of Justice, Finances, Foreign Affairs (though Foreign Trade is regional), and Internal Affairs (though regions also have ministers for this).
Party ideals and agenda
The BUB promotes reconciliation between the language groups, promoting multilingualismMultilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
, and one government and one parliament for all Belgians without the division by language (which they consider as discriminatory
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
as a division by skin colour). They mainly want to get rid of the Regions and transfer their powers back to the federal state of Belgium and the provinces
Provinces of Belgium
Belgium is divided into three regions, two of them are subdivided into five provinces each.The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Belgian Constitution...
. They are the only party with this outlook, as all other Belgian parties except for the communists and the Vivant-party have, together with the creation of the federal states, been split on a language basis.
The party also advocates a better knowledge of the other national language(s) among the citizens of Belgium. They call it "individual multilingualism".
Representation
The BUB has no elected seats at any level and operates only on the margins of Belgian politics. The party got 10,000 votes in the 2003 federal elections and 13,000 votes in the 2004 regional elections. The votes were concentrated in the northern provinces, in the central constituencies of Brabant and Brussels and in 2003 also in the southern province of NamurNamur (province)
Namur is a province of Wallonia, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Walloon provinces of Hainaut, Walloon Brabant, Liège and Luxembourg in Belgium, and on France. Its capital is the city of Namur...
. Though the party did not gain any seats in the 2006 communal elections, BUB did far better at the ballots, gaining up to 2 per cent of the vote in some cities. In the federal elections of 10 June 2007, the pro-Belgian party also progressed everywhere it participated, but again obtained no seats. At the 2010 federal elections, the party formed a pro-Belgian cartel with CDF under the name BELG-UNIE and obtained a record result of 20.000 votes in 5 constituencies. (http://www.dhnet.be/infos/elections-2010/article/310227/cdf-et-bub-se-presentent-sous-le-cartel-belgunie.html - http://www.elections2010.belgium.be/fr/cha/results/results_tab_CKR00000.html). Since 22 June 2011, the cartel consists of a third pro-Belgian party, BAB. (http://www.belg-unie.be/)
The party is headed by a national president (Hans Van de Cauter) and is divided into 9 provincial sections, corresponding with the 9 provinces that existed before the split of the central province of Brabant
Province of Brabant
Brabant was a province of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1815 until 1830 and a province of Belgium from 1830 until 1995, when it was split into the Dutch-speaking Flemish Brabant, the French-speaking Walloon Brabant and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region.-United Kingdom of the...
in 1995.
The party is member of International Monarchist Conference.