Walloon Region
Encyclopedia
The Walloon Region, commonly called Wallonia, is one of the three federal Regions of Belgium
, and its capital is Namur
. It comprises, as defined by Article 5 of the Constitution of Belgium
, the provinces of Walloon Brabant
, Hainaut, Liège
, Luxembourg
and Namur
. The Walloon Region has an area of 16,844 km² (55.18% of Belgium) with nearly 3.5 million inhabitants (32.4% of the Belgian population).
Created in 1970 following demands from the Walloon Movement
for political recognition of Wallonia, it acquired decretal powers and an executive government
with the special law of 8 August 1980. These powers are respectively exercised by the Walloon Parliament
and the Walloon Government, both sitting in Namur, within the limits defined by the Belgian constitution.
Its official languages are French
and German
, since the Walloon Region is formed by two language areas of Belgium : the French-speaking and the German-speaking. The region covers only partially the territory of the French Community of Belgium
and completely the territory of the German Community of Belgium.
In terms of area, the biggest province is Luxembourg
with 4440 km² (1,714.3 sq mi), that is also the least populated with inhabitants, and the smallest province is Walloon Brabant
. The most populated province is Hainaut with inhabitants.
This territory of km² (55.18% of Belgium) occupying the southern part of Belgium is also divided into 20 administrative arrondissements and 262 municipalities.
By a decree of 23 July 2008, the Walloon Region's coat of arms is a scarlet, bold (i.e. brave) cock on a gold background; these arms are also to be the Region's seal and flag. The flag had been designed by Pierre Paulus in 1913 and first adopted in July 1998. It is also the flag of the French Community of Belgium
and they share the same "national" day, the French Community Holiday
on 27 September. The Region's anthem is Le Chant des Wallons ("Song of the Walloons"), written in the Walloon language by Théophile Bovy
in 1900 and set to music composed by Louis Hillier
in 1901; a version in French was adopted on 15 July 1998. There is also a logo, consisting of the arms with the baseline "WALLONIE".
, only on the basis of agreements between the Walloon Region and this French Community). Like the other Federating units of Belgium, it is entitled to pursue its own foreign policy, including the signing of treaties. According to Philippe Suinen, it is an exception among federal States, and, as pointed out recently by Michel Quévit, a quasi-State: "From 1831, the year of Belgium's independence, until the federalization of the country in 1970, Wallonia has increasingly asserted itself as a region in its own right.". There is almost no possible veto by the Belgian State (except in very rare situations), and, in many domains, Belgium is not even able to sign an international treaty without the agreement of the Walloon Parliament. There is no legal hierarchy in the structure of the Belgian federal system, no hierarchy between federal and regional authorities. That is the reason why Belgium has many aspects of a Confederation
.
The directly-elected Walloon Parliament
was created in June 1995, replacing the "Conseil régional wallon" (Regional Council of Wallonia). The first Council sat on 15 October 1980 and was composed of members of the Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives
and the Belgian Senate
elected in Wallonia.
Since 23 April 1993, Belgium has been a federal state made up of Regions and Communities.
Wallonia has a parliament (one chamber with 75 members elected for five years by direct universal suffrage) and a government responsible in front of the parliament. Its parliament exercises two functions:
The composition of the parliament for the 2009-2014 legislature is as follows:
There are no more representatives of the Front national (nationalist and far right
party) in the Walloon Parliament.
The Walloon Government is elected by a political majority in Parliament. The government numbers nine members with the president. Each member is called a "Walloon minister".
The head of the government, called "Minister-President", is Rudy Demotte
, member of the Parti Socialiste (PS).
At 16 July 2009, the future coalition government was a centre-left coalition PS-Ecolo-CDh with the same "Minister President" but other ministers, Paul Furlan, Jean-Marc Nollet, Philippe Henry, a woman Eliane Tillieux and old ministers Jean-Claude Marcourt
, André Antoine
. The president (speaker) of the Parliament is a woman, Êmily Hoyos.
from the Kingdom of the Netherlands
in 1830. Though the new-born country had unifying elements, such as the Catholic religion, a French-speaking bourgeoisie and common economic interests opposed to the Dutch economic ones, the building of a unitary Belgian state posed some serious problems. The language question emerged in 1840. Despite the fact that the free use of languages was enshrined in the Constitution, only French was used in the administration, education and justice systems. The Flemish movement
arose to counter this situation and in 1898 succeeded in obtaining official language status for the Dutch language. In the late 19th century, Belgium was divided into two utterly opposed communities. On one hand, the very Catholic Flemish society was characterized by an economy centered on agriculture; on the other hand, Wallonia was the center of the continental European industrial revolution where liberal and socialist movements were rapidly emerging. As a result, Belgium inevitably became the theatre of tensions between these two communities.
In the face of an increasingly self-confident Flanders, the distinct regional identity of the Walloons gradually began to appear. The poet Albert Mockel
launched 1886 the review La Wallonie and popularized the name, coined in 1844 by Charles-Joseph Grandgagnage. In 1912, the Walloon movement
formed the Walloon Assembly, which was based on one representative per 40,000 inhabitants. In the period between the two world wars, many Walloon groups demanded a federalization of the country, although such proposals were rejected. The law of 28 June 1932
established monolingualism in the languages areas of Belgium (and bilingualism in Brussels
).
In the wake of the strikes of 1960, the State reform in Belgium
process of state reform in Belgium
got under way. This reform started with the linguistic laws of 1962-63
, which defined the four language areas within the Constitution
. In 1968, the conflict between the communities burst out. The Walloons were driven out of the university of Leuven
amid shouts of "Walen buiten!" ("Walloons out!"). The political divergences caused by this unrest brought about the fall of the Belgian government. The State reform
, which led to the creation of three communities and three regions, started in 1970. The goal of the Wallooon Movement was not the Communities but the three Regions. The Walloon Movement (after World War II) differs from the Flemish movement
in that it is focused not on cultural and linguistic factors but rather on economic factors.
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...
, and its capital is Namur
Namur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
. It comprises, as defined by Article 5 of the Constitution of Belgium
Constitution of Belgium
The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Trias Politica. The Constitution established Belgium as a centralised unitary state...
, the provinces of Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant is a province of Wallonia in Belgium. It borders on the province of Flemish Brabant and the provinces of Liège, Namur and Hainaut . Its capital is Wavre...
, Hainaut, Liège
Liège (province)
Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg (Belgium)
Luxembourg is the southernmost province of Wallonia and of Belgium. It borders on the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, France, and the Belgian provinces of Namur and Liège. Its capital is Arlon, in the south-east of the province.It has an area of 4,443 km², making it the largest Belgian province...
and Namur
Namur (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...
. The Walloon Region has an area of 16,844 km² (55.18% of Belgium) with nearly 3.5 million inhabitants (32.4% of the Belgian population).
Created in 1970 following demands from the Walloon Movement
Walloon Movement
The Walloon Movement is an umbrella term for all Belgian political movements that either assert the existence of a Walloon identity or defend French culture and language within Belgium. The movement began as a defence of the primacy of French but later gained political and socio-economic objectives...
for political recognition of Wallonia, it acquired decretal powers and an executive government
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
with the special law of 8 August 1980. These powers are respectively exercised by 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...
and the Walloon Government, both sitting in Namur, within the limits defined by the Belgian constitution.
Its official languages are 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...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, since the Walloon Region is formed by two language areas of Belgium : the French-speaking and the German-speaking. The region covers only partially the territory of the French Community of Belgium
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 completely the territory of the German Community of Belgium.
Geography
The territory of the Walloon Region is defined by the Belgian constitution as follows:In terms of area, the biggest province is Luxembourg
Luxembourg (Belgium)
Luxembourg is the southernmost province of Wallonia and of Belgium. It borders on the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, France, and the Belgian provinces of Namur and Liège. Its capital is Arlon, in the south-east of the province.It has an area of 4,443 km², making it the largest Belgian province...
with 4440 km² (1,714.3 sq mi), that is also the least populated with inhabitants, and the smallest province is Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant is a province of Wallonia in Belgium. It borders on the province of Flemish Brabant and the provinces of Liège, Namur and Hainaut . Its capital is Wavre...
. The most populated province is Hainaut with inhabitants.
This territory of km² (55.18% of Belgium) occupying the southern part of Belgium is also divided into 20 administrative arrondissements and 262 municipalities.
Emblems
Since 15 July 1998, the Walloon Region has had as emblems a coat of arms, a flag, an anthem and a "national" day, although it is not an independent nation.By a decree of 23 July 2008, the Walloon Region's coat of arms is a scarlet, bold (i.e. brave) cock on a gold background; these arms are also to be the Region's seal and flag. The flag had been designed by Pierre Paulus in 1913 and first adopted in July 1998. It is also the flag of the French Community of Belgium
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 they share the same "national" day, the French Community Holiday
French Community Holiday
The Belgian French Community Holiday is a holiday on September 27, held only in the French Community of Belgium. It is also variously translated as Day of the French Community, French Community Day, Feast Day of the French Community...
on 27 September. The Region's anthem is Le Chant des Wallons ("Song of the Walloons"), written in the Walloon language by Théophile Bovy
Théophile Bovy
Théophile Bovy was a Belgian journalist, poet and dramatic author in Wallonia, who wrote the words of the Le Chant des Wallons, the Walloon anthem.He was the father of actress Berthe Bovy.-Source:*...
in 1900 and set to music composed by Louis Hillier
Louis Hillier
Louis Hillier was a Belgian musician and composer of Wallonia, who in 1901 wrote the music of the Le Chant des Wallons, the Walloon anthem.-References:*...
in 1901; a version in French was adopted on 15 July 1998. There is also a logo, consisting of the arms with the baseline "WALLONIE".
Politics
Wallonia has its own powers and does not share them with the other Regions or Communities (except with the Community Wallonia-Brussels but not in the framework of the Belgian constitutionConstitution of Belgium
The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Trias Politica. The Constitution established Belgium as a centralised unitary state...
, only on the basis of agreements between the Walloon Region and this French Community). Like the other Federating units of Belgium, it is entitled to pursue its own foreign policy, including the signing of treaties. According to Philippe Suinen, it is an exception among federal States, and, as pointed out recently by Michel Quévit, a quasi-State: "From 1831, the year of Belgium's independence, until the federalization of the country in 1970, Wallonia has increasingly asserted itself as a region in its own right.". There is almost no possible veto by the Belgian State (except in very rare situations), and, in many domains, Belgium is not even able to sign an international treaty without the agreement of the Walloon Parliament. There is no legal hierarchy in the structure of the Belgian federal system, no hierarchy between federal and regional authorities. That is the reason why Belgium has many aspects of a Confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
.
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...
was created in June 1995, replacing the "Conseil régional wallon" (Regional Council of Wallonia). The first Council sat on 15 October 1980 and was composed of members of the Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives
Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives
The Belgian Chamber of Representatives is one of the two chambers in the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Senate...
and the Belgian 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:...
elected in Wallonia.
Since 23 April 1993, Belgium has been a federal state made up of Regions and Communities.
Wallonia has a parliament (one chamber with 75 members elected for five years by direct universal suffrage) and a government responsible in front of the parliament. Its parliament exercises two functions:
- It discusses and passes decrees, and can take initiatives to draw them up. Decrees are then sanctioned and promulgated by the Walloon government.
- It controls the Walloon government. Control is exercised by vote.
- It ratifies the international treaties linked to its powers.
The composition of the parliament for the 2009-2014 legislature is as follows:
- Parti Socialiste (socialist party PS): 29
- Mouvement Réformateur (liberal democrats, center right MR): 19
- EcoloEcoloEcolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
(green party): 14 - Centre Démocrate Humaniste (former Christian party: CDh): 13
There are no more representatives of the Front national (nationalist and 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...
party) in the Walloon Parliament.
The Walloon Government is elected by a political majority in Parliament. The government numbers nine members with the president. Each member is called a "Walloon minister".
The head of the government, called "Minister-President", is Rudy Demotte
Rudy Demotte
Rudy W.G. Demotte is a Belgian socialist politician and present Minister-President of Wallonia since 19 July 2007, replacing Elio Di Rupo, one month after an historical defeat of the socialists in the federal election...
, member of the Parti Socialiste (PS).
At 16 July 2009, the future coalition government was a centre-left coalition PS-Ecolo-CDh with the same "Minister President" but other ministers, Paul Furlan, Jean-Marc Nollet, Philippe Henry, a woman Eliane Tillieux and old ministers Jean-Claude Marcourt
Jean-Claude Marcourt
Jean-Claude Marcourt is since 2009 the Vice-Minister-President, minister of Economy and Foreign Affairs of the Walloon government and Vice-Minister-President and Minister of Higher Education of the Government of the French Community. He is member of the Belgian Francophone Socialist Party...
, André Antoine
André Antoine
André Antoine was a French actor, theatre manager, film director, author, and critic who is considered the father of modern mise en scène in France.-Biography:...
. The president (speaker) of the Parliament is a woman, Êmily Hoyos.
Jurisdiction
The constitutional system of Belgium grants the Walloon Region its own legislative and executive powers in the fields for which it is competent:- agriculture and rural renewal
- development of the territory and town planning
- economy and foreign trade
- employment and vocational training
- the environment, water and nature conservation
- housing
- local authorities, subsidized works and sports infrastructures
- scientific research, new technologies and energy
- international relations
- health and social affairs
- tourism and heritage
- regional transport, mobility and public works.
History
Belgium gained its independenceBelgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and established an independent Kingdom of Belgium....
from the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
in 1830. Though the new-born country had unifying elements, such as the Catholic religion, a French-speaking bourgeoisie and common economic interests opposed to the Dutch economic ones, the building of a unitary Belgian state posed some serious problems. The language question emerged in 1840. Despite the fact that the free use of languages was enshrined in the Constitution, only French was used in the administration, education and justice systems. The Flemish movement
Flemish movement
The Flemish Movement is a popular term used to describe the political movement for emancipation and greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders, for protection of the Dutch language, and for the over-all protection of Flemish culture and history....
arose to counter this situation and in 1898 succeeded in obtaining official language status for the Dutch language. In the late 19th century, Belgium was divided into two utterly opposed communities. On one hand, the very Catholic Flemish society was characterized by an economy centered on agriculture; on the other hand, Wallonia was the center of the continental European industrial revolution where liberal and socialist movements were rapidly emerging. As a result, Belgium inevitably became the theatre of tensions between these two communities.
In the face of an increasingly self-confident Flanders, the distinct regional identity of the Walloons gradually began to appear. The poet Albert Mockel
Albert Mockel
Albert Mockel was a Belgian Symbolist poet. Born in Ougrée, he was the editor of La Wallonie, an influential journal of Belgian Symbolism...
launched 1886 the review La Wallonie and popularized the name, coined in 1844 by Charles-Joseph Grandgagnage. In 1912, the Walloon movement
Walloon Movement
The Walloon Movement is an umbrella term for all Belgian political movements that either assert the existence of a Walloon identity or defend French culture and language within Belgium. The movement began as a defence of the primacy of French but later gained political and socio-economic objectives...
formed the Walloon Assembly, which was based on one representative per 40,000 inhabitants. In the period between the two world wars, many Walloon groups demanded a federalization of the country, although such proposals were rejected. The law of 28 June 1932
Language legislation in Belgium
-1830: freedom of languages and linguistic coercion:One of the causes of the Belgian Revolution of the 1830s was the growing ascendancy of the Dutch language in the administration of the Southern provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
established monolingualism in the languages areas of Belgium (and bilingualism in Brussels
Frenchification of Brussels
The Frenchification of Brussels is the transformation of Brussels, Belgium, from a Dutch-speaking city to one that is bilingual or even multilingual, with French as both the majority language and lingua franca...
).
In the wake of the strikes of 1960, the State reform in Belgium
State reform in Belgium
The term State reform in the Belgian context indicates a process towards finding constitutional and legal solutions for the problems and tensions between the different segments of the Belgian population, mostly Dutch-speakers of Flanders and French-speakers of Wallonia...
process of state reform in Belgium
State reform in Belgium
The term State reform in the Belgian context indicates a process towards finding constitutional and legal solutions for the problems and tensions between the different segments of the Belgian population, mostly Dutch-speakers of Flanders and French-speakers of Wallonia...
got under way. This reform started with the linguistic laws of 1962-63
Language legislation in Belgium
-1830: freedom of languages and linguistic coercion:One of the causes of the Belgian Revolution of the 1830s was the growing ascendancy of the Dutch language in the administration of the Southern provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, which defined the four language areas within the Constitution
Constitution of Belgium
The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the Trias Politica. The Constitution established Belgium as a centralised unitary state...
. In 1968, the conflict between the communities burst out. The Walloons were driven out of the university of Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
amid shouts of "Walen buiten!" ("Walloons out!"). The political divergences caused by this unrest brought about the fall of the Belgian government. The State reform
State reform in Belgium
The term State reform in the Belgian context indicates a process towards finding constitutional and legal solutions for the problems and tensions between the different segments of the Belgian population, mostly Dutch-speakers of Flanders and French-speakers of Wallonia...
, which led to the creation of three communities and three regions, started in 1970. The goal of the Wallooon Movement was not the Communities but the three Regions. The Walloon Movement (after World War II) differs from the Flemish movement
Flemish movement
The Flemish Movement is a popular term used to describe the political movement for emancipation and greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders, for protection of the Dutch language, and for the over-all protection of Flemish culture and history....
in that it is focused not on cultural and linguistic factors but rather on economic factors.
Cities
The largest cities in the region include, as of 2007's population figures: http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&des=gamelan&dat=200&srt=pnan&col=aohdqcfbeimg&geo=-30- CharleroiCharleroiCharleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
(199,612) - LiègeLiègeLiège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
(180,831) - NamurNamur (city)Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
(106,770) - MonsMonsMons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
(91,367) - La LouvièreLa LouvièreLa Louvière is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. La Louvière's municipality includes the old communes of Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pierre, Saint-Vaast, Trivières, Boussoit, Houdeng-Aimeries, Houdeng-Gœgnies, Maurage, and Strépy-Bracquegnies...
(76,657) - TournaiTournaiTournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
(67,944) - SeraingSeraingSeraing is a Walloon municipality of Belgium in Province of Liege. The municipality of Seraing includes the old communes of Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, and Ougrée. With Liège, Herstal, Saint-Nicolas, Ans, and Flémalle it forms the greater Liège agglomeration...
(60,878) - VerviersVerviersVerviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy...
(52,646) - MouscronMouscronMouscron is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. The Mouscron municipality includes the old communes of Dottignies , Luingne, and Herseaux .-Middle Ages:...
(51,866)
See also
- List of Ministers-President of the Walloon Region
- TECTEC (transport)Société Régionale Wallonne du Transport , is responsible for the supervision, strategic planning and marketing of a group of five regional public transport companies branded as TEC or "Transport En Commun" in Wallonia, Belgium. It is primarily a bus operator, but also operates the Charleroi tram...
, Walloon public transport company. - 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...
- Walloon Export and Foreign Investment AgencyWalloon Export and Foreign Investment AgencyThe Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency is a public interest organisation in in charge of the promotion of foreign trade and the attraction of foreign investments for Wallonia in Belgium...
(AWEX) - Regional Investment Company of WalloniaRegional Investment Company of WalloniaThe Regional Investment Company of Wallonia was founded by the Walloon Region in 1979 to provide capital to the Walloon industry. The purpose of the SRIW is to invest in the equity of unlisted companies...
- SOWALFIN