Belgian general election, 2010
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in Belgium
on 13 June 2010. After the fall of the previous government over the withdrawal of Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD) from the government the King dissolved the legislature and called new elections. The New Flemish Alliance, led by Bart De Wever
, emerged as the plurality party with 27 seats, just one more than the francophone Socialist Party
, led by Elio Di Rupo
, which was the largest party in the Wallonia region and Brussels.
, the liberal Open VLD left the government
on 22 April 2010, continuing the 2007–2011 Belgian political crisis. Prime Minister Yves Leterme
(Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams, CD&V) immediately offered his resignation to King
Albert II
, who accepted it on 26 April 2010. Following the elections held on 13 June, there were fears that coalition-building may take so long that Belgium's presidency of the Council of the European Union
, which starts on 1 July 2010, might have to start under a caretaker government.
, the elections might be ruled unconstitutional unless the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde arrondissement is split up beforehand. On 4 May, all but one Flemish judge-president of the 13 Flemish Courts of First Instance wrote a collective letter, saying that the elections cannot be held with the current electoral districts and that a return to the previous electoral arrondissements is necessary. In contrast, Ghislain Londers, the president of the Court of Cassation
declared that all judges are obliged to cooperate with the electoral process. Before the judges' letters, former president of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives Herman De Croo
stated that no court could prevent the elections from taking place.
, even though it was admitted that devolution
would not happen immediately.
and the partially bilingual electoral district Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
.
parties fielded candidates in the region of Wallonia and in the electoral district Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
.
.
Notable newcomers in politics:
, it supports eventual independence for Flanders, and an immediate switch from a federal
Belgium to a confederal Belgium. The N-VA replaces the CD&V of outgoing PM Yves Leterme as the most popular party in Flanders. This development opens the question of how the francophone parties might react to forming a government with an openly sovereignist
, but politically centrist party if they do win a plurality of votes in Flanders. It appeared that the N-VA had attracted some popularity from the ethnic nationalist party, Vlaams Belang
.
Legend:N-VACD&Vsp.aOpen VLDMR
Legend:PSMRCDH
Philip Blenkinsop of Reuters stated that the win of the New Flemish Alliance could have negative effects because "Belgium can ill afford drawn-out coalition talks because it has a large debt and any policy paralysis could make the country vulnerable on financial markets that are closely watching a sovereign debt crisis
."
Coalition formation talks are still under way. The Belgian king gave Bart De Wever the task of informateur (informer) to smoothen the path for a future government. One of the tipped "optimal" coalitions is what is called the "mirror government," a government using the same coalitions that exist in the Flemish (CD&V, N-VA and sp.a) and Walloon (PS, cdH and Ecolo) regions respectively, though in the federal government.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on 13 June 2010. After the fall of the previous government over the withdrawal of Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD) from the government the King dissolved the legislature and called new elections. The New Flemish Alliance, led by Bart De Wever
Bart De Wever
Bart Albert Liliane De Wever is a Belgian politician and since 2004 has been the president of the New Flemish Alliance , a Flemish party that strives for an independent Flanders in a united Europe. He has also been a member of the Flemish parliament since 2004...
, emerged as the plurality party with 27 seats, just one more than the francophone Socialist Party
Socialist Party (francophone Belgium)
The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
, led by Elio Di Rupo
Elio Di Rupo
Elio Di Rupo is a Belgian social-democratic politician and the Party Leader of the Socialist Party .-Biography:...
, which was the largest party in the Wallonia region and Brussels.
Fall of the government
Following a continued lack of agreement over how to resolve the conflict over the electoral arrondissement of Brussels-Halle-VilvoordeBrussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde is a Belgian electoral and judicial arrondissement in the center of the country, encompassing:* the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region, which coincides...
, the liberal Open VLD left the government
Leterme II Government
The Leterme II Government was the federal government of Belgium from 24 November 2009 to 26 April 2010. it is still the caretaker government. It took office when the Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme was sworn in as Prime Minister. It followed the Van Rompuy I Government which ended...
on 22 April 2010, continuing the 2007–2011 Belgian political crisis. Prime Minister Yves Leterme
Yves Leterme
Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
(Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams, CD&V) immediately offered his resignation to King
Monarchy of Belgium
Monarchy in Belgium is constitutional and popular in nature. The hereditary monarch, at present Albert II, is the head of state and is officially called King of the Belgians .-Origins:...
Albert II
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
, who accepted it on 26 April 2010. Following the elections held on 13 June, there were fears that coalition-building may take so long that Belgium's presidency of the Council of the European Union
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union that rotates between the member states of the European Union every six months. The presidency is not a single president but rather the task is undertaken by a national...
, which starts on 1 July 2010, might have to start under a caretaker government.
Constitutionality of elections
According to a statement by the Flemish President of the Constitutional Court, Marc BossuytMarc Bossuyt
Baron Marc Bossuyt obtained a Ph.D in Law at the University of Ghent in 1968 and a Certificate of international relations at Johns Hopkins University in Bologna in 1969...
, the elections might be ruled unconstitutional unless the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde arrondissement is split up beforehand. On 4 May, all but one Flemish judge-president of the 13 Flemish Courts of First Instance wrote a collective letter, saying that the elections cannot be held with the current electoral districts and that a return to the previous electoral arrondissements is necessary. In contrast, Ghislain Londers, the president of the Court of Cassation
Court of Cassation (Belgium)
The Court of Cassation is the main court of last resort in Belgium.It was originally modelled after the French Cour de cassation. Its jurisdiction and powers are similar to those of its French counterpart....
declared that all judges are obliged to cooperate with the electoral process. Before the judges' letters, former president of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives Herman De Croo
Herman De Croo
Herman Francies Joseph De Croo is a Belgian liberal politician. He is a member of the Open VLD. He is the father of current Open VLD chairman Alexander De Croo....
stated that no court could prevent the elections from taking place.
Importance of elections
The international media saw the election as crucial to determine the future of the countryPartition 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...
, even though it was admitted that devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
would not happen immediately.
Parties
Flemish parties (Dutch speaking)
These Flemish parties field candidates in the regions of FlandersFlanders
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...
and the partially bilingual electoral district Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde is a Belgian electoral and judicial arrondissement in the center of the country, encompassing:* the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region, which coincides...
.
- New Flemish Alliance (Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA) – centre-rightCentre-rightThe centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
political party, seeking secession of Flanders. - Christian Democratic and Flemish (Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams, CD&V) – Christian democraticChristian DemocracyChristian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
party with historic ties to both trade unionTrade unionA trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ism and corporative organizations. - Socialist Party – Differently (Socialistische Partij – Anders, sp.a) – social-democraticSocial democracySocial democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
party. - Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, open-VLD) – liberalLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
party. - Flemish InterestVlaams BelangVlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
(Vlaams Belang) – seeking the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration. - Green! (Groen!) – greenGreen politicsGreen politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
political party. - List Dedecker (Lijst Dedecker) – conservative-liberalConservative liberalismConservative liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or, more simply, representing the right-wing of the liberal movement....
party.
Walloon parties (French speaking)
These FrancophoneFrancophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
parties fielded candidates in the region of Wallonia and in the electoral district Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde is a Belgian electoral and judicial arrondissement in the center of the country, encompassing:* the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region, which coincides...
.
- Socialist PartySocialist Party (francophone Belgium)The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
(Parti Socialiste, PS) – social-democraticSocial democracySocial democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
party. - Reformist Movement (Mouvement Réformateur , MR) – liberalLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
party. - Humanist Democratic Centre (Centre Démocrate Humaniste, CDH) – christian democraticChristian DemocracyChristian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
party. - EcoloEcoloEcolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
– greenGreen politicsGreen politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
political party. - Popular Party (Parti Populaire) – conservative-liberalConservative liberalismConservative liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or, more simply, representing the right-wing of the liberal movement....
party.
Candidates
Leterme stepped aside on 28 April 2010 and was replaced as leader of CD&V by Marianne ThyssenMarianne Thyssen
Marianne Leonie Petrus Thyssen is a Belgian politician and Member of the European Parliament for Flanders with the CD&V/N-VA, a Vice-Chairwoman of the European People's Party and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.On 15 May 2008 she was...
.
Notable newcomers in politics:
- Rik TorfsRik TorfsHenri Maria Dymphna André Laurent "Rik" Torfs is a Belgian academic, media personality, and Christian Democratic and Flemish party politician.- Life and career :...
, former canon lawCanon lawCanon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
professor at the Catholic University of LeuvenKatholieke Universiteit LeuvenThe Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is a Dutch-speaking university in Flanders, Belgium.It is located at the centre of the historic town of Leuven, and is a prominent part of the city, home to the university since 1425...
, was on the Senate list for CD&V. - Siegfried BrackeSiegfried BrackeSiegfried Bracke is a Belgian politician and is affiliated to the N-VA. He was elected as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 2010. Before his political career he had a long career as a journalist, working for the Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep.-Notes:...
, former political analyst at the Flemish public broadcaster VRTVlaamse Radio- en TelevisieomroepThe Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie , or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders ....
was first on the Chamber list in East-Flanders for N-VA. - Eva BremsEva BremsEva Brems is a Belgian university professor, human rights defender and politician. She is a senior lecturer in human rights and non-Western law at Ghent University. Besides her academic engagements, Brems has also been politically active. From 2006 until 2010, she was the president of the Flemish...
, human rights professor at Ghent UniversityGhent UniversityGhent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...
and former president of the Flemish division of Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
. She was head of the Chamber list in Flemish BrabantFlemish BrabantFlemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also completely surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven...
for Groen!.
Polls
As of May 26, it appeared that the major development in the election was the surge in popularity of the N-VA in Flanders. Led by Bart De WeverBart De Wever
Bart Albert Liliane De Wever is a Belgian politician and since 2004 has been the president of the New Flemish Alliance , a Flemish party that strives for an independent Flanders in a united Europe. He has also been a member of the Flemish parliament since 2004...
, it supports eventual independence for Flanders, and an immediate switch from a federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
Belgium to a confederal Belgium. The N-VA replaces the CD&V of outgoing PM Yves Leterme as the most popular party in Flanders. This development opens the question of how the francophone parties might react to forming a government with an openly sovereignist
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...
, but politically centrist party if they do win a plurality of votes in Flanders. It appeared that the N-VA had attracted some popularity from the ethnic nationalist party, Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
.
| Flemish constituency | Francophone constituency | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Source | CD&V | N-VA | Open VLD | SP–A | VB Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language... |
Groen | LDD | PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... |
MR–FDF | CDH | Ecolo Ecolo Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium... |
FN National Front (Belgium) The National Front is a francophone Belgian far-right political party. The party's ideology advocates a strong unitary Belgian nationalism and is strongly against immigration.The party's acting leader is Patrick Cocriamont.... |
PP | RWF |
| 10 June 2007 | 2007 election Belgian general election, 2007 The 2007 Belgian general election took place on Sunday 10 June 2007. Voters went to the polls in order to elect new members for the Chamber of Representatives and Senate.Eligible voters were Belgian citizens 18 years and older... |
29.6% | 18.8% | 16.3% | 19.0% | 6.3% | 6.5% | 29.5% | 31.2% | 15.8% | 12.8% | 5.6% | / | / | |
| 29 March 2010 | La Libre Belgique La Libre Belgique La Libre Belgique is a Belgian newspaper in French. In Belgium, it can be roughly seen as an equivalent of Flemish De Standaard. The paper is widely perceived as pro-catholic... |
20.0% | 17.8% | 13.8% | 15.5% | 17.3% | 8.1% | 5.5% | 31.7% | 20.5% | 15.5% | 20.2% | / | 4.3% | / |
| 4 May 2010 | L'Avenir L'Avenir L'Avenir is a daily newspaper published in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The company is part of the Groupe L'Avenir, a media group of the DRC. The content of the paper is primarily French, and includes content written in Lingala and Swahili... |
18.9% | 22.9% | 14.8% | 14.2% | 12.5% | 7.9% | 3.9% | 32.5% | 21.1% | 18.2% | 17.6% | 2.9% | <1% | 2.0% |
| 26 May 2010 | Dimarso | 19.5% | 26.0% | 12.4% | 16.0% | 10.3% | 7.8% | 5.4% | |||||||
| 28 May 2010 | Vers l'Avenir | 33.0% | 20.4% | 17.0% | 17.6% | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1.9% | |||||||
| 4 June 2010 | Standaard De Standaard De Standaard is a Flemish daily newspaper published in Belgium by Corelio . Circulation was about 102.280 in 2007. It was traditionally a Christian-Democratic paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and Flemish Party, and in opposition to the Socialist Flemish daily De Morgen... /VRT Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep The Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie , or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders .... |
19.0% | 25.2% | 13.9% | 13.8% | 11.5% | 8.2% | 6.2% | |||||||
| June 2010 | La Libre Belgique La Libre Belgique La Libre Belgique is a Belgian newspaper in French. In Belgium, it can be roughly seen as an equivalent of Flemish De Standaard. The paper is widely perceived as pro-catholic... |
16.2% | 26% | 13.6% | 16.3% | 15% | 6.8% | 4.3% | 30% | 20.2% | 16.1% | 18.9% | 4.1% | 4.1% | / |
Results
After polls showed the N-VA receiving 29% of votes in their region, media interpreted the election as a "victory for Flemish independence." The following tables contain percentages on the national level (i.e. the result of N-VA is 17.4% on the national level, while it is 27.8% on the regional level).Chamber of Representatives
Chamber of Representatives (geographically)
These maps depict the largest party in each constituency.Dutch-speaking constituencies
Legend:N-VACD&Vsp.aOpen VLDMR
Brussels, French- & German-speaking constituencies
Legend:PSMRCDH
Government formation
On possible coalitions, election winner Bart De Wever announced he would seek negotiations with the Francophone Socialist Party. The Socialist Party leader Elio di Rupo was tapped to become the next Prime Minister, because the socialist parties emerged as the largest "party family" in the elections, and because the New Flemish Alliance lacks a Francophone counterpart.Philip Blenkinsop of Reuters stated that the win of the New Flemish Alliance could have negative effects because "Belgium can ill afford drawn-out coalition talks because it has a large debt and any policy paralysis could make the country vulnerable on financial markets that are closely watching a sovereign debt crisis
2010 European sovereign debt crisis
From late 2009, fears of a sovereign debt crisis developed among investors concerning some European states, intensifying in early 2010 and thereafter.....
."
Coalition formation talks are still under way. The Belgian king gave Bart De Wever the task of informateur (informer) to smoothen the path for a future government. One of the tipped "optimal" coalitions is what is called the "mirror government," a government using the same coalitions that exist in the Flemish (CD&V, N-VA and sp.a) and Walloon (PS, cdH and Ecolo) regions respectively, though in the federal government.
External links
- Tractothèque - Electoral posters and leaflets
- NSD: European Election Database - Belgium publishes regional level election data; allows for comparisons of election results, 1991-2010