Belgian regional elections, 2004
Encyclopedia
On June 13, 2004, regional election
s were held in Belgium
, to choose representatives in the regional councils of the Flemish Parliament
, the Walloon Parliament
, the Brussels Parliament
and the German-speaking Community of Belgium
. The elections were held on the same day as the European elections.
In the Flemish Parliament election, the liberal-socialist government was put to the test. The far right
Vlaams Blok
became the second largest party in Flanders
just after the alliance of conservatives Christian Democratic and Flemish-New Flemish Alliance (CD&V - N-VA). The green party Groen! managed to be elected and keeps half of their seats in the parliament. In contrast with the previous election, the People's Union
(VU-ID) has split and the new parties, N-VA and Spirit, allied with CD&V and Different Socialist Party (SP.A) respectively.
Because of the cordon sanitaire of all the other parties against Vlaams Blok, a coalition of at least three parties needed to be formed in order to have a majority in the Flemish Parliament. Groen! confirmed that it did not want to take part in the new coalition, so the only coalition left was a conservative-socialist-liberal tripartite.
In the aftermath of the elections, Yves Leterme
(CD&V) was selected to form a Flemish regional government.
In the aftermath of the elections, Elio di Rupo
(PS) was selected to form a Walloon regional government.
(PS) was selected to form a Brussels regional government.
Parliament of the German-speaking Community
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s were held in Belgium
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...
, to choose representatives in the regional councils of the Flemish Parliament
Flemish Parliament
The Flemish Parliament constitutes the legislative power in Flanders, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural community of Belgium The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the...
, the Walloon Parliament
Walloon Parliament
The Walloon Parliament , formerly the Walloon Regional Council , is the Parliament of the Walloon Region, commonly called Wallonia, one of the self-governing Regions of Belgium with Flanders and the Brussels-Capital Region...
, the Brussels Parliament
Brussels Parliament
The Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region , is the governing body of the Brussels-Capital Region, one of the three regions of Belgium...
and the German-speaking Community of Belgium
German-speaking Community of Belgium
The German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three federal communities of Belgium. Covering an area of 854 km² within the province of Liège in Wallonia, it includes nine of the eleven municipalities of the so-called East Cantons...
. The elections were held on the same day as the European elections.
Flemish Parliament
| Party/Alliance | Votes | % | +/− | Seats | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD&V/N-VA | 1,060,580 | 26.1% | +4.0% | 35 | +5 | |
| Vlaams Blok Vlaams Blok The Vlaams Blok was a Belgian far-right and secessionist political party with an anti-immigration platform. Its ideologies embraced Flemish nationalism, calling for the independence of Flanders. From its creation in 1978, it was the most notable militant right wing of the Flemish movement. Vlaams... |
981,587 | 24.2% | +8.4% | 32 | +10 | |
| VLD-Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
804,578 | 19.8% | −3.9% | 25 | −2 | |
| SP.A-Spirit Spirit (Belgium) ' was a Belgian Flemish political party formed after dissolution of the moderate nationalist People's Union party. Prior to 19 April 2008 it was known as Spirit, and intermediately as Flemish Progressives... |
799,325 | 19.7% | +4.9% | 25 | +6 | |
| Groen! | 308,898 | 7.6% | −3.9% | 6 | −6 | |
| UF Union des Francophones The Union of Francophones is a Belgian electoral list which participates in regional, provincial and municipal elections in the Flemish Province of Flemish Brabant... |
43,391 | 1.1% | +0.1% | 1 | 0 | |
| VU-ID People's Union (Belgium) People's Union was a Belgian political party, formed in 1954 as a successor to the "Christian Flemish People's Union", an electoral alliance of Flemish nationalists.... * |
0 | 0.0% | −9.1% | 0 | −11 | |
| All Others | 66,387 | 1.6% | -- | 0 | 0 | |
- The VU-IDPeople's Union (Belgium)People's Union was a Belgian political party, formed in 1954 as a successor to the "Christian Flemish People's Union", an electoral alliance of Flemish nationalists....
ceased to exist in 2001 following the implosion of the VolksuniePeople's Union (Belgium)People's Union was a Belgian political party, formed in 1954 as a successor to the "Christian Flemish People's Union", an electoral alliance of Flemish nationalists....
.
In the Flemish Parliament election, the liberal-socialist government was put to the test. The far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
Vlaams Blok
Vlaams Blok
The Vlaams Blok was a Belgian far-right and secessionist political party with an anti-immigration platform. Its ideologies embraced Flemish nationalism, calling for the independence of Flanders. From its creation in 1978, it was the most notable militant right wing of the Flemish movement. Vlaams...
became the second largest party in 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...
just after the alliance of conservatives Christian Democratic and Flemish-New Flemish Alliance (CD&V - N-VA). The green party Groen! managed to be elected and keeps half of their seats in the parliament. In contrast with the previous election, the People's Union
People's Union
People's Union may refer to one of the following political parties:*People's Union *People's Union of Estonia*People's Union *People's Union *People's Union *People's Union "Our Ukraine"...
(VU-ID) has split and the new parties, N-VA and Spirit, allied with CD&V and Different Socialist Party (SP.A) respectively.
Because of the cordon sanitaire of all the other parties against Vlaams Blok, a coalition of at least three parties needed to be formed in order to have a majority in the Flemish Parliament. Groen! confirmed that it did not want to take part in the new coalition, so the only coalition left was a conservative-socialist-liberal tripartite.
In the aftermath of the elections, 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...
(CD&V) was selected to form a Flemish regional government.
Walloon Regional Parliament
| Party/Alliance | Votes | % | +/− | Seats | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
727,781 | 36.9% | +7.5% | 34 | +9 | |
| MR Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... |
478,999 | 24.3% | −0.4% | 20 | −1 | |
| CDH Humanist Democratic Centre The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :... |
347,348 | 17.6% | +0.6% | 14 | 0 | |
| Ecolo Ecolo Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium... |
167,916 | 8.5% | −9.7% | 3 | −11 | |
| 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.... |
160,130 | 8.1% | +4.2% | 4 | +3 | |
| All Others | 89,531 | 4.5% | -- | 0 | 0 | |
In the aftermath of the elections, Elio di Rupo
Elio Di Rupo
Elio Di Rupo is a Belgian social-democratic politician and the Party Leader of the Socialist Party .-Biography:...
(PS) was selected to form a Walloon regional government.
Brussels Regional Parliament
In the aftermath of the elections, Charles PicquéCharles Picqué
Charles Picqué is a Belgian, French-speaking politician. He is currently serving his second term as Minister-President of the Brussels Capital-Region....
(PS) was selected to form a Brussels regional government.
French language group
| Party/Alliance | Votes | % | +/− | Seats | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
130,462 | 33.4% | +14.7% | 26 | +13 | |
| MR Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... |
127,122 | 32.5% | −7.6% | 25 | −2 | |
| CDH Humanist Democratic Centre The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :... |
55,078 | 14.1% | +4.9% | 10 | +4 | |
| Ecolo Ecolo Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium... |
37,908 | 9.7% | −11.6% | 7 | −7 | |
| 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.... |
21,195 | 5.4% | +2.4% | 4 | +2 | |
| FNB New Belgian Front New Belgian Front is a Belgian nationalist political party.The FNB was founded in 1996 by Marguerite Bastien, a former member of the Liberal Reformist Party and a candidate for the National Front in the 1995 elections, but she was expelled from that party somewhat later.In 1999 Bastien was... |
2,656 | 1.5% | −0.8% | 0 | −1 | |
| All Others | 16,795 | 4.3% | -- | 0 | 0 | |
Dutch language group
| Party/Alliance | Votes | % | +/− | Seats | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vlaams Blok Vlaams Blok The Vlaams Blok was a Belgian far-right and secessionist political party with an anti-immigration platform. Its ideologies embraced Flemish nationalism, calling for the independence of Flanders. From its creation in 1978, it was the most notable militant right wing of the Flemish movement. Vlaams... |
21,297 | 34.1% | +2.2% | 6 | +2 | |
| VLD-Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
12,433 | 19.9% | -- | 4 | 0 | |
| SP.A-Spirit Spirit (Belgium) ' was a Belgian Flemish political party formed after dissolution of the moderate nationalist People's Union party. Prior to 19 April 2008 it was known as Spirit, and intermediately as Flemish Progressives... |
11,052 | 17.7% | -- | 3 | 0 | |
| CD&V/N-VA | 10,482 | 16.8% | -- | 3 | 0 | |
| Groen! | 6,132 | 9.8% | -- | 1 | 0 | |
| All Others | 1,110 | 1.8% | -- | 0 | 0 | |
Parliament of the German-speaking CommunityParliament of the German-speaking CommunityThe Parliament of the German-speaking Community is the legislative assembly of the German-speaking Community of Belgium based in Eupen.The most important tasks of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community include the election and the supervision of the Government of the German-speaking...
| Party/Alliance | Votes | % | +/− | Seats | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSP Christian Social Party (Belgium) The Christian Social Party is a party operating in the German-speaking community of Belgium. Its President is Mathieu Grosch.In the 2004 European Parliament election, standing as Christlich-Soziale Partei - Europäische Volkspartei, the party gained the single seat allocated by Belgian law to the... |
11,905 | 32.8% | −2.0% | 8 | −1 | |
| PFF Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt The Party for Freedom and Progress is a regional liberal party in Belgium, only active in the tiny German-speaking Community of Belgium.... -MR Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections... |
7,615 | 21.0% | −0.3% | 5 | −1 | |
| SP 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... |
6,903 | 19.0% | +4.0% | 5 | +1 | |
| PJU-PDB Party of German-speaking Belgians ProDG , is a political party active in the German-speaking community of Belgium. The party groups politicians from the previous PDB and PJU parties. The party was formed in 2008 and figured on the voting bulletins at first in 2009... |
4,243 | 11.7% | −1.2% | 3 | ±0 | |
| Ecolo Ecolo Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium... |
2,972 | 8.2% | −4.5% | 2 | −1 | |
| Vivant Vivant Vivant is a small Belgian social liberal party founded by millionaire Roland Duchâtelet. In the regional elections in June 2004, the party formed a strategic alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats . Both parties are founded on the principle of individualism and can be called liberal... |
2,665 | 7.3% | +4.0% | 2 | +2 | |