Flemish Parliament
Encyclopedia
The Flemish Parliament (Dutch
: , and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) 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
(unlike the French-speaking community
and Wallonia, which each have separate legislatures - the PCF
and the Walloon Parliament
).
The Flemish Parliament approves decrees, which are Flemish law
s, applicable to all persons in the Flemish Region, and to Flemish institutions in Brussels, it appoints and supervises the Flemish Government
, and approves the Flemish budget. The Flemish Parliament meets in the Flemish Parliament building in central Brussels
, its members and staff are housed in the House of the Flemish Representatives.
approved five successive constitutional reforms. Slowly they changed Belgium from a unitary into a federal state. Part of this was to give the communities and later the regions their own parliamentary assemblee.
On December 7, 1971, the Cultural Council for the Dutch-speaking Cultural Community held its first meeting, later followed a parliament for the Flemish Region. Flanders decided as early as 1980 to merge the Flemish Community with the Flemish Region. As a result, Flanders now has a single parliament and a single government with competence over community as well as over regional matters. This Parliament was called the Vlaamse Raad until it was officially renamed Vlaams Parlement (Flemish Parliament) on June 13, 1995. Over the last thirty years, Flanders has thus developed into a separate state within the federalised Belgium.
Members are called "Vlaams Volksvertegenwoordiger". In English, they will be referred to as "Members of the Flemish Parliament" (MFP's), like the MSP
's in Scotland
and the MEP
's in the European Union
. The title "Flemish Representative" is also used in English. Since 1995 members of the Flemish Parliament are directly elected.
Currently, many voices in the Flemish Movement would like the Flemish Parliament to acquire certain sovereign powers in addition to those concerning language, culture and education. Furthermore, among the broader Flemish population a consensus has emerged that the Flemish Parliament should also acquire much larger financial and fiscal autonomy.
states or member states of a federation. This competence includes development cooperation and foreign trade.
6 members are directly elected in the Brussels-Capital Region by those voters who voted for a Dutch-speaking party in the Brussels regional elections. They have no voting rights for the regional competencies.
This table shows the distribution of seats following the 2009 regional election
:
. The Speaker chairs the plenary sessions of the Flemish Parliament and acts as its official representative. He or she determines whether a certain initiative is admissible and thus can be put to parliament at all. The Flemish Ministers take the oath before the Speaker of the Flemish Parliament. Only the head of the Flemish government, the Flemish Minister-President, takes the oath before the King.
The current Speaker of the Flemish Parliament is Jan Peumans
of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA).
The Speaker of the Flemish Parliament is assisted by the Bureau, which consists of the Speaker, four Deputy Speakers and three Secretaries. The Bureau is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Flemish Parliament and meets at least once every two weeks. The Extended Bureau, which consists of the Bureau and the floor leaders of the recognised political fractions
in the Flemish Parliament coordinates the political activities of the Flemish Parliament and sets the agenda for the plenary session. It usually meets every week on Monday.
committees: the Digital Flanders Committee and the Flemish Constitution Committee.
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 formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the legislative power
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
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...
, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural community of 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...
(unlike the French-speaking community
French Community of Belgium
The French Community of Belgium is one of the three official communities in Belgium along with the Flemish Community and the German speaking Community. Although its name could suggest that it is a community of French citizens in Belgium, it is not...
and Wallonia, which each have separate legislatures - the PCF
Parliament of the French Community
The Parliament of the French Community is the legislative assembly of the French Community of Belgium based in the Quartier Royal....
and 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 Flemish Parliament approves decrees, which are Flemish law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
s, applicable to all persons in the Flemish Region, and to Flemish institutions in Brussels, it appoints and supervises the Flemish Government
Flemish government
The Flemish Government is the executive branch of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region. It consists of up to a maximum of eleven ministers, chosen by the Flemish Parliament...
, and approves the Flemish budget. The Flemish Parliament meets in the Flemish Parliament building in central Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, its members and staff are housed in the House of the Flemish Representatives.
History
From 1830 until 1970 Belgium was a unitary state with a single two chamber parliament and a single government. The laws issued by Parliament applied to all Belgians, and government ministers exercised their authority across the length and breadth of the country. Between 1970 and 2001 the Belgian ParliamentBelgian 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 :...
approved five successive constitutional reforms. Slowly they changed Belgium from a unitary into a federal state. Part of this was to give the communities and later the regions their own parliamentary assemblee.
On December 7, 1971, the Cultural Council for the Dutch-speaking Cultural Community held its first meeting, later followed a parliament for the Flemish Region. Flanders decided as early as 1980 to merge the Flemish Community with the Flemish Region. As a result, Flanders now has a single parliament and a single government with competence over community as well as over regional matters. This Parliament was called the Vlaamse Raad until it was officially renamed Vlaams Parlement (Flemish Parliament) on June 13, 1995. Over the last thirty years, Flanders has thus developed into a separate state within the federalised Belgium.
Members are called "Vlaams Volksvertegenwoordiger". In English, they will be referred to as "Members of the Flemish Parliament" (MFP's), like the MSP
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
's in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
's in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. The title "Flemish Representative" is also used in English. Since 1995 members of the Flemish Parliament are directly elected.
Currently, many voices in the Flemish Movement would like the Flemish Parliament to acquire certain sovereign powers in addition to those concerning language, culture and education. Furthermore, among the broader Flemish population a consensus has emerged that the Flemish Parliament should also acquire much larger financial and fiscal autonomy.
Competencies for the entire Flemish Community
- Culture: The Flemish parliament is competent for all cultural matters. This includes protection of the cultural heritage (e.g. literature, fine arts), tourism and the media. A current debate is about the status of the official Flemish Radio & television, the VRTVlaamse Radio- en TelevisieomroepThe Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie , or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders ....
. - Language use: including language use in schools and universities, in the Flemish and local administrations, and in relations between employers and employees in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, with exception of the 'language facilities' enjoyed in some municipalities.
- All ‘matters relating to the person’: youth protection, family policy and childcare, together with policy regarding the handicapped, old age pensioners, equal opportunities and the integration of migrants.
- Education: from kindergarten to university incl. scholarships, though the establishment of the period of compulsory education, requirements for awarding degrees, and pension schemes for teachers remain at the federal level.
- Health care: including preventive health care, home care, institutions for mental health care, but excluding health insurance, financing of hospitals and most other competencies that remained federal.
Competencies for the Flemish Region only
- Economy, employment and energy policy: includes government support for business, employment policy, agriculture and fisheries, the distribution of electricity and natural gas, the exploitation of new energy sources and the promotion of responsible use of energy
- Town and country planning, housing, land development & nature conservation: including regional planning, building permits, housing policy, social housing, urban renewal, preservation of monuments and natural sites, land consolidation and nature conservation
- Environment and water policy: including the reduction of air, land and water pollution, noise control, the purification of waste water, the production and distribution of drinking water and waste disposal policy
- Scientific research: this field is the full responsibility of the regional authorities, except for aerospace and military research (that remained federal).
- Public works and transport: includes roads, the Port of AntwerpPort of AntwerpThe port of Antwerp, in Belgium, is a port in the heart of Europe accessible to capesize ships. Antwerp stands at the upper end of the tidal estuary of the Scheldt. The estuary is navigable by ships of more than 100,000 Gross Tons as far as 80 km inland. The inland location means that the port...
, the Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge, the Port of GhentPort of GhentThe port of Ghent is the third biggest port in Belgium. The first port of Ghent was situated at the Scheldt river and later on at the Lys river. Since the Middle Ages Ghent has sought for a connection to the sea. In the 13th century via the Lieve canal to the Zwin near Damme, in the 16th century...
and the Port of OstendPort of OstendThe port of Ostend is situated in Ostend, West Flanders . The port is mainly known as a ferry port. Freight, and recently also passenger transport between Ostend and Ramsgate is provided by Transeuropa Ferries...
, the regional airports of Deurne and Ostend (Antwerp International AirportAntwerp International AirportAntwerpen International Airport is located 2 km from the city of Antwerp, Belgium. It is home to a maintenance hangar for CityJet. In 2005 it served about 105,937 passengers . In 2010, the airport served 162,840 passengers...
and Ostend-Bruges International AirportOstend-Bruges International AirportOstend-Bruges International Airport is located in Ostend, Belgium, near the coast and about 25 km from the city centre of Bruges. Although an important proportion of the activities focuses on freight transport, it is increasingly used for passenger flights, mainly charter and holiday flights...
, and urban and regional transport. - Agriculture: includes the Agricultural Investment Fund, the agricultural education, the development of rural regions, the sale of agricultural and horticultural products and the fisheries policy. By the stipulations of the Lambermont Agreement (2001), the regions are competent for almost the complete agricultural policy but a few security aspects like food security and animal welfare which remained under the competence of the federal government.
- Municipalities, provinces and interurban organisations: includes the allocating of financial resources to the 308 Flemish municipalities and to the Flemish provinces, and administrative supervision of these communes and provinces and their laws.
International affairs
For all areas within its sphere of competence (both vis-à-vis community or regional competences), the Flemish state can conclude international treaties with other states, whether they are nationalstates or member states of a federation. This competence includes development cooperation and foreign trade.
Members of the Flemish Parliament
118 members are directly elected in the Flemish Region. They have voting rights for both regional and community competencies.6 members are directly elected in the Brussels-Capital Region by those voters who voted for a Dutch-speaking party in the Brussels regional elections. They have no voting rights for the regional competencies.
This table shows the distribution of seats following the 2009 regional election
Belgian regional elections, 2009
Regional elections were held in Belgium on 7 June 2009 to choose representatives in the regional councils of Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
:
| Affiliation | Constituency | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ant. Antwerp (province) Antwerp is the northernmost province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Limburg, Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. Its capital is Antwerp which comprises the Port of Antwerp... |
E-Fl. East Flanders East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders... |
Fl-Br. Flemish Brabant Flemish 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... |
Lim. Limburg (Belgium) Limburg is the easternmost province of modern Flanders, which is one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern Belgium. It is located west of the river Meuse . It borders on the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Belgian provinces of Liège, Flemish Brabant... |
W-Fl. | Bru. Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... |
|||
| Christian Democratic and Flemish Christian Democratic and Flemish The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party... |
8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 31 | |
| Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats Flemish Liberals and Democrats ' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999... |
4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 21 | |
| Flemish Interest 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... |
7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 21* | |
| Socialist Party Different | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 19 | |
| New Flemish Alliance | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16* | |
| List Dedecker | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | |
| Green! Green! Groen! is a Belgian green political party. Green! is the smallest Flemish party with a representation in the federal, regional or European parliament.-Before 1979:... |
2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |
| Union of Francophones 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... |
— | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | |
| Total | 33 | 27 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 6 | 124 | |
- On 31 Augustus 2011, Karim Van OvermeireKarim Van OvermeireKarim Van Overmeire is a member of the Belgian Senate for the New Flemish Alliance. In the past, he was a member of the Vlaams Belang party. He lives in Aalst.-Notes:...
left the Flemish Interest and joined the N-VA, decreasing the number of seats held by the former party to 20 and increasing the seats of the latter to 17.
Seat division
| 2009-2014 | |
| 2004-2009 | |
| 1999-2004 | |
| 1995-1999 |
Officers
At the beginning of each parliamentary year, on the fourth Monday in September, the Flemish Parliament elects its SpeakerSpeaker of the Flemish Parliament
The Speaker of the Flemish Parliament is the speaker of the Flemish Parliament. The Speaker is elected at the beginning of each parliamentary year, on the fourth Monday in September. The Speaker chairs the plenary sessions of the Flemish Parliament and acts as its official representative...
. The Speaker chairs the plenary sessions of the Flemish Parliament and acts as its official representative. He or she determines whether a certain initiative is admissible and thus can be put to parliament at all. The Flemish Ministers take the oath before the Speaker of the Flemish Parliament. Only the head of the Flemish government, the Flemish Minister-President, takes the oath before the King.
The current Speaker of the Flemish Parliament is Jan Peumans
Jan Peumans
Jan Peter Peumans is a Flemish politician from the province of Limburg in Belgium. Being part of the Flemish Movement, he was at a young age already member of the Volksunie. He seated for that party in the Limburgish provincial council and is since 2004 a Flemish Parliament member for the New...
of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA).
The Speaker of the Flemish Parliament is assisted by the Bureau, which consists of the Speaker, four Deputy Speakers and three Secretaries. The Bureau is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Flemish Parliament and meets at least once every two weeks. The Extended Bureau, which consists of the Bureau and the floor leaders of the recognised political fractions
Fraction (politics)
A parliamentary group, parliamentary party, or parliamentary caucus is a group consisting of members of the same political party or electoral fusion of parties in a legislative assembly such as a parliament or a city council. Parliamentary groups correspond to party caucuses and conferences in the...
in the Flemish Parliament coordinates the political activities of the Flemish Parliament and sets the agenda for the plenary session. It usually meets every week on Monday.
Committees
Much of the work of the Flemish Parliament is done in committee. The Flemish Parliament currently has eleven standing committees. Each committee is specialised in a particular subject area and consists of 15 Members of the Flemish Parliament. The primary task of the committees is to examine the texts of decree proposals and organise hearings and discussions on decree proposals. There are also two ad hocAd hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
committees: the Digital Flanders Committee and the Flemish Constitution Committee.
List of standing committees
- Committee for General Affairs and Financial and Budgetary Matters
- Subcommittee on Finance and Budget
- Committee for Brussels and its Flemish Suburbs
- Committee for Administrative Affairs, Institutional and Administrative Reform and Decree Evaluation
- Committee for Housing, Urban Policy, Integration and EqualOpportunities
- Committee for Foreign Policy, European Affairs, International Co-operation and Tourism
- Committee for Education, Training, Science and Innovation
- Committee for Culture, Youth, Sports and Media
- Committee for Public Well-Being, Public Health and Family Affairs
- Committee for Economic Affairs, Employment and Social Economics
- Subcommittee on Arms Trade
- Committee for Environmental and Nature Conservation Issues, Agriculture, Fishery and Rural Development Policy and Town and CountryPlanning and Real Estate
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Fishery and Rural Policy
- Committee for Public Works, Mobility and Energy
See also
- Flemish Community CommissionFlemish Community CommissionThe Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie is the local representative of the Flemish authorities in the Brussels-Capital Region, one of the three regions of Belgium...
- Belgian regional elections, 2004Belgian regional elections, 2004On June 13, 2004, regional elections 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...
- Brussels ParliamentBrussels ParliamentThe Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region , is the governing body of the Brussels-Capital Region, one of the three regions of Belgium...
- Walloon ParliamentWalloon ParliamentThe 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...
- Politics of FlandersPolitics of FlandersFlanders is both a cultural community and an economic region within the Belgian state, and has significant autonomy.Historically, the contemporary Flemish community grew out of the Catholic southern part of the medieval XVII provinces of the Low Countries. The contemporary Belgian Flanders area...
- Flemish Council for Science Policy (VRWB)
- Flemish Institute for Scientific and Technological Aspect researchViWTAThe Flemish Institute for Scientific and Technological Aspect research or Vlaams Instituut voor Wetenschappelijk en Technologisch Aspectenonderzoek is a Flemish institute...
(viWTA)