Abstract
Once a unitary State, Belgium is now a federal one based on a complex pattern of Communities and Regions having the same legal powers as the Federal State. The sixth State reform, being implemented, is a new step to more powers to federated entities. Besides, the local government rests mainly on municipalities, while other structures are either new supra-municipal ones (police, fire departments) or older, disputed ones (provinces and Public Centres for Social Welfare). Political and financial arrangements are quite complex and are increasingly different between Regions and Communities. The main challenges ahead are the maintenance of some social and fiscal cohesion with the Belgian State framework and the adequacy of local government incomes with its financial needs, due to competences and/or expenditures transferred to it.
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Notes
- 1.
This number was later reduced, some municipalities being lost to the Netherlands or the Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg in 1839, some being gained from Germany after WWI and some others being merged.
- 2.
After additional mergers in Antwerp.
- 3.
With 19 municipalities which later became the Brussels-Capital Region (Région de Bruxelles-Capitale). This Agglomeration still exists.
- 4.
Municipal law had previously been kept at the federal level as French-speaking parties were reluctant to transfer this matter to the Flemish Region, regarding tensions between French-speaking population and Flemish regional authorities in a few municipalities in the Flemish Region.
- 5.
Most notably, this administrative boundary allows French-speaking inhabitants from Flemish municipalities around Brussels to vote for French-speaking parties at federal and European elections.
- 6.
The 29 Dutch-speaker senators are designated by the Flemish Parliament and the Parliament of Brussels; the 20 French-speaker senators are designated as follows: 10 by the French Community Parliament, 8 by the Parliament of Wallonia and 2 by the Parliament of Brussels. The German-speaker senator is designated by the Parliament of the German-speaking Community.
- 7.
In the above-mentioned discussion about the scission of the administrative area of Brussels-Hal-Vilvoorde, the voting of a common resolution of the Flemish majority against the French-speaking minority in Home Affairs parliamentary Commission had been considered as a severe breach in the Belgian social contract and led to an important governmental crisis.
- 8.
In fact three, taking into consideration the German speaking community.
- 9.
Except for the Greens as they have a common parliamentary group in the federal parliament.
- 10.
For instance, both Christian Democratic parties have changed their names, the Flemish one keeping a reference to its roots (“Christian Democratic and Flemish”) while the French-speaking one has become more neutral (“Humanist Democratic Center”).
- 11.
Now using “Wallonie” even if Région wallonne is still the constitutional wording.
- 12.
The official term Communauté française has been supplanted by the politically designed term “Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles”, stressing on the regional territories covered by this institution.
- 13.
Members of the Flemish Parliament elected in Brussels cannot vote on regional competences.
- 14.
Members of the Walloon Parliament elected in the German-speaking area cannot vote on these matters.
- 15.
Local investments tend to be boosted before election years.
- 16.
Brussels-Capital Region remains outside of any province: competences usually exerted by the provinces are attributed to the regional authorities.
- 17.
The system used for local elections in the Imperiali one while the one for elections at upper levels is the D’Hondt one.
- 18.
This number may reduce gradually as they now have the opportunity to merge.
- 19.
Some public corporations (for example transport, radio and television) are excluded in order to keep comparable data. See the study for the complete methodology. No such comprehensive study has been carried out since.
- 20.
Examples of statutes proposed to Walloon municipalities can be found on the website of their association: http://www.uvcw.be/no_index/modeles/statut_personnel.pdf.
- 21.
European system of national and regional accounts (ESA 2010). As other data may come from other sources, methodology differences may lead to some discrepancies in numbers.
- 22.
- 23.
The three Community commissions (a French-speaking, a Dutch-speaking and a common one) will not be presented here.
- 24.
As the various Communities’ and Regions’ budgets have quite different structures, a comparison based solely on such official documents is difficult and may be misleading. The General Documentation Center Report has then been used, with the latest implementation data.
- 25.
See Husson (2011) for further explanations.
- 26.
As an example, Flanders has merged the schemes for general running grants and investment grants, a path that the other Regions have not followed (even if Brussels-Capital Region share investment grants on the same base as general operating grants).
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Appendix 1. Brief Summary of Who Is (Mostly) Competent for What and Where?
Appendix 1. Brief Summary of Who Is (Mostly) Competent for What and Where?
Wallonia | Brussels-Cap. Region | Flanders | |
|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture | Walloon Region | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Animal welfare | Walloon Region | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Children’s allowances | French Community/German-sp. Community | COCOM | Flemish Community |
Civil records | Federal State | Federal State | Federal State |
Communications: post, telephone regulation, etc. | Federal State | Federal State | Federal State |
Culture | French Community/German-sp. Community | French Community/Flemish Community | Flemish Community |
Defence | Federal State | Federal State | Federal State |
Development Aid | Federal State | Federal State | Federal State |
Economy | Federal State/Walloon Region | Federal State/Brussels Region | Federal State/Flemish Region |
Employment | Walloon Region | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Education | French Community/German-sp. Community | French Community/Flemish Community | Flemish Community |
Energy | Federal State/Walloon Region | Federal State/Brussels Region | Federal State/Flemish Region |
Environment | Walloon Region | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Food safety | Federal State | Federal State | Federal State |
Foreign affairs | Federal State | Federal State | Federal State |
Foreign trade | Walloon Region | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Housing policy | Walloon Region | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Immigration | Federal State | Federal State | Federal State |
Justice | Federal State | Federal State | Federal State |
Land planning | Walloon Region | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Local authorities | Walloon Region/German-sp. Community | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Media | French Community/German-sp. Community | French Community/Flemish Community | Flemish Community |
Public health | French Community/German-sp. Community/Walloon Region | French Community/Flemish Community/COCOF | Flemish Community |
Religious organisations | Federal State/Walloon Region/German-sp. Community | Federal State/Brussels Region | Federal State/Flemish Region |
Scientific research | Federal State/Wallon Region/French Community/German-sp. Community | Federal State/Brussels Region/French Community/Flemish Community | Federal State/Flemish Region/Flemish Community |
Senior citizens | Walloon Region/German-sp. Community | French Community/Flemish Community/COCOF, COCOM | Flemish Community |
Social help | Walloon Region/German-sp. Community | French Community/Flemish Community/COCOF, VGC, COCOM | Flemish Community |
Social security (excl. children allowance) | Federal State | Federal State | Federal State |
Sport | French Community/Walloon Region/ German-sp. Community | French Community/Flemish Community/COCOF/Brussels Region | Flemish Community |
Tax and finances | Federal State/Walloon Region | Federal State/Brussels Region | Federal State/Flemish Region |
Tourism | Walloon Region/German-sp. Community | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Transportation (excl. Railways) | Walloon Region | Brussels Region | Flemish Region |
Vocational training | Walloon Region/German-sp. Community | Brussels Region/COCOF/Flemish Community | Flemish Community |
Youth policy | French Community/German-sp. Community | French Community/Flemish Community/COCOM | Flemish Community |
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Husson, JF., Mahieu, C., Sägesser, C. (2017). Federalism and Decentralisation in Belgium. In: Ruano, J., Profiroiu, M. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Decentralisation in Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32437-1_3
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