Belgium

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Belgium

Constitution Monarchy King Albert II Prince Philippe Federal Parliament Senate Chamber of Representatives Federal Government Prime Minister Yves Leterme Federal Judiciary Constitutional Court Court of Cassation Council of State Elections 2007 federal 2006 municipal 2004 regional 2003 federal 2000 municipal Subdivisions Communities and regions Provinces Related subjects Politics of the European Union Foreign relations Political parties

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The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: Vlaams Parlement, 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 and linguistic community of Belgium. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Politics of Belgium takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic Constitutional monarchy, whereby the The Constitution of Belgium dates back to 1831 Since then Belgium has been a Parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of Ministerial Monarchy in Belgium is Constitutional and popular in nature The hereditary Monarch Life Prince Albert was sent to the Swiss private school Institut Le Rosey for his pre-university education Biography Prince Philippe was educated at the Belgian Royal Military School The Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament It consists of the Chamber of Representatives (Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers la Chambre des Représentants The Belgian Senate (de Senaat le Sénat der Senat is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the The Belgian Chamber of Representatives ( Dutch: de Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French: la Chambre des Représentants, German The executive branch of the Belgian federal government consists of ministers and secretaries of state ("junior" ministers or smaller departments This is a list of Prime Ministers of Belgium, known regionally as Premier Ministre in French, Eerste Minister in Dutch, Yves Camille Désiré Leterme (born 6 October 1960 is a Belgian politician a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party ( CD&V) The Constitutional Court of Belgium (Grondwettelijk Hof Cour constitutionelle Verfassungsgerichtshof plays a central role within the federal Belgian state The Court of Cassation (Hof van Cassatie Cour de cassation Kassationshof is the main court of last resort in Belgium. Council of State (Raad van State Conseil d'État Staatsrat in Belgium, is an organ of the Belgian government it is the Supreme Administrative Court of Belgium Elections in Belgium gives information on Election and election results in Belgium. The 2007 Belgian general election took place on Sunday June 10, 2007. The Belgian municipal elections 2006 took place on Sunday October 8, 2006. On June 13, 2004, regional Elections were held in Belgium, to choose representatives in the regional councils of Flanders The May 18 2003 Belgian general elections were the first Belgian elections to be held under a new electoral code The Belgian municipal elections 2000 took place on Sunday October 8, 2000. Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. Belgium is divided into three regions two of them are subdivided into five Provinces each The European Union is a unique entity possessing elements of Intergovernmentalism, Supranationalism and a Multi-party Parliamentary democracy Initial neutrality Because of its location at the crossroads of Western Europe, Belgium has historically been the route of invading armies from its larger neighbours Belgium is a federation with a Multi-party political system with numerous parties who factually have no chance of gaining power alone and therefore must work with each other to form Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those

The Flemish Parliament approves decrees, which are Flemish laws applicable exclusively to the Flemish population, it appoints and supervises the Flemish Government, and approves the Flemish budget. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society The Flemish Government (Dutch Vlaamse Regering) is the executive branch of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region. 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. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is

History

From 1830 until 1970 Belgium was a unitary state with a single two chamber parliament and a single government. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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 Parliament approved five successive constitutional reforms. The Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament It consists of the Chamber of Representatives (Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers la Chambre des Représentants 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. Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 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. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Member of the Scottish Parliament ( MSP) ( Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ( BPA) in Gaelic) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. A Member of the European Parliament ( English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union 's legislative body the European Parliament. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in 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 as those over language, culture and education. In addition, a consensus is emerging that the Flemish Parliament should also acquire much larger financial and fiscal autonomy.

Competencies

Debating chamber

Competencies for the entire Flemish Community

1. 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 VRT.
2. 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. The municipalities with language facilities, occasionally called municipalities with linguistic facilities or shortly municipalities with facilities ( Dutch
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. Scientific research: this field is the full responsibility of the regional authorities, except for aerospace and military research (that remained federal).
5. Public works and transport: includes roads, the Port of Antwerp, the Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge, the Port of Ghent and the Port of Ostend, the regional airports of Deurne and Ostend (Antwerp International Airport and Ostend-Bruges International Airport, and urban and regional transport. ||-||-||-||-||}The Port of Antwerp is a Port accessible to Capesize ships in the heart of Europe ||-||}The port of Bruges - Zeebrugge (in short port of Zeebrugge is a large container, Bulk cargo, new Vehicles and passenger The 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 The port of Ostend (Dutch Oostende) is situated in Ostend West Flanders ( Belgium) Antwerpen International Airport (Deurne is located 2 km from the City of Antwerp, Belgium. Ostend-Bruges International Airport (commonly Ostend Airport is located in Ostend, Belgium, near the coast and about 30 km from the city centre of Bruges
6. 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.
7. 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 national states or member states of a federation. This competence includes development cooperation and foreign trade.

Members of the Flemish Parliament

See also: List of Members of the Flemish Parliament

118 members are directly elected in the Flemish Region. This is a list of current Members of the Flemish Parliament, arranged alphabetically 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.

The division of seats after the 2004 election. In 2007 a new fraction, Dedecker List, has been formed. List Dedecker (Lijst Dedecker is a Belgian Political party founded in January 2007 by Senator Jean-Marie Dedecker.

CD&V and N-VA form separate political groups in the Flemish Parliament. Antwerp ( Antwerpen) is the northernmost province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders and of Belgium. East Flanders ( Oost-Vlaanderen in Dutch, Flandre orientale in French) is a province of Flanders, one of the three } Flemish Brabant ( Dutch: Vlaams-Brabant, French: Brabant flamand) is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region also named Flanders, in Belgium. Vlaams Belang ( English: Flemish Interest) is an anti-immigration right-wing Political party in the Flemish Community of Belgium Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V (Christian Democratic and Flemish is a Flemish Community of Belgium Political party, formerly called Christian Socialist Party – Different (Socialistische Partij – Anders ( SP The FlemishProgressives (VlaamsProgressieven or VlPro ProgressistesFlamands are a Belgian Flemish political party formed after the falling apart of the old Open VLD is the name under which a united front of the Belgian political parties Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD Vivant and Liberal Appeal Green! (in Dutch Groen!; founded as Agalev (see name-section below is a Belgian green Political party. The Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie ("New-Flemish Alliance" is a Flemish nationalist and Center-right political party founded in the autumn of 2001 List Dedecker (Lijst Dedecker is a Belgian Political party founded in January 2007 by Senator Jean-Marie Dedecker. The Union of Francophones (Union des Francophones or UF is a Belgian electoral list which participates in regional, provincial and From the 35 seats that went to CD&V/N-VA in the last elections, six are taken by the N-VA and 29 by the CD&V. From the 25 from the SP. A-Spirit list, five went to Spirit and 20 to the socialists.

Jean-Marie Dedecker became the only independent member after he was expelled from the VLD in October 2006. Jean-Marie Louis Dedecker (born Nieuwpoort, 13 June 1952) is a Belgian Flemish Politician. After having founded its own political party List Dedecker, he formed a parliamentary group together with Vlaams Belang defector Jurgen Verstrepen in April 2007. List Dedecker (Lijst Dedecker is a Belgian Political party founded in January 2007 by Senator Jean-Marie Dedecker. Jurgen Pierre Katharina Verstrepen is a member of the Flemish Parliament. On April 26, 2007 it was announced that Monique Moens also joined the List Dedecker, thus becoming the third member of the List Dedecker in the Flemish Parliament. Jean-Marie Dedecker ceased to sit in the Flemish Parliament after taking the oath of office as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives following the 2007 federal election, as a result his seat was given to Open VLD. The Belgian Chamber of Representatives ( Dutch: de Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French: la Chambre des Représentants, German The 2007 Belgian general election took place on Sunday June 10, 2007. Open VLD is the name under which a united front of the Belgian political parties Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD Vivant and Liberal Appeal

Officers

At the beginning of each parliamentary year, on the fourth Monday in September, the Flemish Parliament elects its Speaker. The Speaker of the Flemish Parliament (Voorzitter van het Vlaams Parlement is the speaker of the Flemish Parliament. 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 Marleen Vanderpoorten of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD). Marleen Caroline Valère Vanderpoorten (born July 21, 1954 in Lier) is a Flemish politician and member of the VLD. The Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or OpenVLD ( Flemish Liberals and Democrats) is a Flemish liberal party, created in 1992

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. Parliamentary group and parliamentary party are terms used to refer to the representation of a Political party or Electoral fusion of parties in a 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 hoc committees: the Digital Flanders Committee and the Flemish Constitution Committee. Ad hoc is a Latin phrase which means "for this [ Purpose ]"

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 Commission
• Belgian regional elections, 2004
• Brussels Parliament
• Walloon Parliament
• Politics of Flanders
• Flemish Council for Science Policy (VRWB)
• Flemish Institute for Scientific and Technological Aspect research (viWTA)

External links

• Official webpage
• Milestones in the history of the Flemish Parliament (in Dutch)