Elections in Belgium
Encyclopedia
Elections in Belgium gives information on election
and election results in Belgium
.
Belgium elects its bicameral
federal legislature, the Federal Parliament
(Federale Parlement/Parlement Fédérale/Föderales Parlament. The Chamber of People's Representatives
(Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers/Chambre des Représentants/Abgeordnetenkammer) has 150 members, each elected for a four year term by proportional representation
. The Senate
(Senaat/Sénat/Senat) has 71 members, of which 40 are directly elected for a four year term by proportional representation
, 21 are appointed by the Community parliaments, and 10 are co-opted (i.e., appointed by the other senators). In addition, the children of the King
are senators by right.
Belgium has a multi-party system, with numerous parties
in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties
must work with each other to form coalition government
s.
Several months before an election, each party forms a list of candidates for each district. Parties are allowed to place as many candidates on their "ticket" as there are seats available. The formation of the list is an internal process that varies with each party. The place on the list influences the election of a candidate, but its influence has diminished since the last electoral reform.
Political campaigns in Belgium are relatively short, lasting only about one month, and there are restrictions on the use of billboard
s. For all of their activities, campaigns included, the political parties have to rely on government subsidies and dues paid by their members. An electoral expenditures law restricts expenditures of political parties during an electoral campaign. Because of the huge public bureaucracy, the high politisation of nominations, and the widely accepted practice that political nominees spend many man-months paid for by all tax-payers for partisan electioneering, this arrangement massively favors the ruling political parties.
Since no single party holds an absolute majority, after the election the strongest party or party family will usually create a coalition with some of the other parties to form the government.
Voting is compulsory in Belgium; more than 90% of the population participates. Belgian voters are given five options when voting. They may—
Elections for the Federal Parliament are normally held every four years, although early elections are possible. The regional parliaments are elected for fixed terms
of five years, and their elections coincide with those for the European Parliament
. Elections for the members of Belgium's municipal and provincial councils are held every six years, also for fixed terms.
Voting in Belgium is done almost entirely by electronic voting
on a computer. A few weeks before the actual election, every Belgian older than 18 receives a voting card with the details of where to vote. Voting bureaus are usually in schools. On polling day, a volunteer at the voting bureau checks the voter in. After taking the voter's electronic identity card
and voting card, the volunteer issues a magnetic card to operate the voting machine. After the voter has finished, the volunteer verifies that the magnetic card was used to cast a valid vote, then returns the voter's ID and voting card, now stamped as proof of having voted.
The most recent general election was held on 13 June 2010
. The voter turnout was 89,22% for both parliamentary and senate elections and detailed scores are displayed in the tables below. The next elections are the communal and provincial elections in October 2012
.
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...
and election results in Belgium
Politics of Belgium
Politics of Belgium takes place in a framework of a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic, constitutional monarchy, whereby the King of the Belgians is the Head of State and the Prime Minister of Belgium is the head of government in a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by...
.
Belgium elects its bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
federal legislature, the Federal Parliament
Belgian Federal Parliament
The Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament. It consists of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate . It sits in the Palace of the Nation .- Chamber of Representatives :...
(Federale Parlement/Parlement Fédérale/Föderales Parlament. The Chamber of People's Representatives
Belgian Federal Parliament
The Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament. It consists of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate . It sits in the Palace of the Nation .- Chamber of Representatives :...
(Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers/Chambre des Représentants/Abgeordnetenkammer) has 150 members, each elected for a four year term by proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
. The Senate
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
(Senaat/Sénat/Senat) has 71 members, of which 40 are directly elected for a four year term by proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, 21 are appointed by the Community parliaments, and 10 are co-opted (i.e., appointed by the other senators). In addition, the children of the 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:...
are senators by right.
Belgium has a multi-party system, with numerous parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
must work with each other to form coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
s.
Several months before an election, each party forms a list of candidates for each district. Parties are allowed to place as many candidates on their "ticket" as there are seats available. The formation of the list is an internal process that varies with each party. The place on the list influences the election of a candidate, but its influence has diminished since the last electoral reform.
Political campaigns in Belgium are relatively short, lasting only about one month, and there are restrictions on the use of billboard
Billboard (advertising)
A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure , typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers...
s. For all of their activities, campaigns included, the political parties have to rely on government subsidies and dues paid by their members. An electoral expenditures law restricts expenditures of political parties during an electoral campaign. Because of the huge public bureaucracy, the high politisation of nominations, and the widely accepted practice that political nominees spend many man-months paid for by all tax-payers for partisan electioneering, this arrangement massively favors the ruling political parties.
Since no single party holds an absolute majority, after the election the strongest party or party family will usually create a coalition with some of the other parties to form the government.
Voting is compulsory in Belgium; more than 90% of the population participates. Belgian voters are given five options when voting. They may—
- Vote for a list as a whole, thereby showing approval of the order established by the party they vote for
- Vote for one or more individual candidates belonging to one party, regardless of his or her ranking on the list. This is a "preference vote"
- Vote for one or more of the "alternates (substitutes)"
- Vote for one or more candidates, and one or more alternates, all of the same party
- Vote invalid or blank so no one receives the vote
Elections for the Federal Parliament are normally held every four years, although early elections are possible. The regional parliaments are elected for fixed terms
Fixed-term election
A Fixed-term election is an election that occurs on a set date, and cannot be changed by the incumbent politician.Fixed-term elections are common for most mayors and for directly elected governors and presidents, but less common for prime ministers and parliaments in a parliamentary system of...
of five years, and their elections coincide with those for the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. Elections for the members of Belgium's municipal and provincial councils are held every six years, also for fixed terms.
Voting in Belgium is done almost entirely by electronic voting
Electronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
on a computer. A few weeks before the actual election, every Belgian older than 18 receives a voting card with the details of where to vote. Voting bureaus are usually in schools. On polling day, a volunteer at the voting bureau checks the voter in. After taking the voter's electronic identity card
Electronic identity card
The electronic identity card or EIC is a government-issued document for online and offline identification. Belgium, Italy as well as other countries are currently issuing EICs which will replace conventional identity cards in most European countries in the future...
and voting card, the volunteer issues a magnetic card to operate the voting machine. After the voter has finished, the volunteer verifies that the magnetic card was used to cast a valid vote, then returns the voter's ID and voting card, now stamped as proof of having voted.
The most recent general election was held on 13 June 2010
Belgian general election, 2010
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 from the government the King dissolved the legislature and called new elections...
. The voter turnout was 89,22% for both parliamentary and senate elections and detailed scores are displayed in the tables below. The next elections are the communal and provincial elections in October 2012
Belgian provincial and municipal elections, 2012
The Belgian provincial and municipal elections of 2012 will take place on 14 October. Since the previous 2006 elections, these are no longer organised by the Belgian federal state but instead by the respective regions:...
.
Results in Flanders
| Party | 2007 | 2003 | Change | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | |
| CD&V/N-VA | 29.6 | 30 | 25.3 | 22 | +4.3 | +8 |
| Open VLD | 18.8 | 18 | 25.9 | 25 | -7.1 | -7 |
| 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... |
19 | 17 | 18.2 | 18 | +0.8 | -1 |
| 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... |
16.3 | 14 | 24.9 | 23 | -8.6 | -9 |
| Lijst Dedecker | 6.5 | 5 | - | - | +6.5 | +5 |
| Groen! | 6.3 | 4 | 3.9 | 0 | +2.4 | +4 |
| Others | 3.5 | 0 | 1.8 | 0 | - | = |
| Total | 100.0 | 88 | 100.0 | 88 | 0.0 | 0 |
Past elections
External links
- Adam Carr's Election Archive
- Belgian Election Database (Dutch)
- NSD: European Election Database - Belgium publishes regional level election data; allows for comparisons of election results, 1991-2010