Pacifying National Majorities in the Brussels Capital Region: What About the Immigrant Minority Groups?
The process of state reform and devolution has put recognition of cultural-linguistic diversity on the foreground as the guiding principle for (representation in) Belgian political life. The (new) constitution, indeed, clearly departs from the postulate of a ‘multination state’1 and recognises the rights of (partial) self-determination of those groups which are seen to be the constitutive elements for the Belgian nation2. The constitution states that the Flemish, Francophone and Germanophone groups are the fundamental cultural communities of Belgium. This postulate then serves as the basis for organisation of the entire Belgian political field. The Flemish-Francophone divide, however, clearly constitutes the central political axis. Belgium is, however, not only officially built out of three Communities (a Dutch speaking (=Flemish), French speaking and German speaking community), it is also officially the sum of three territorial entities, the so-called Regions (Flanders, Wallonia and the Region of Brussels-Capital). The Regions and Communities have specific political competencies. The Regions have jurisdiction over so-called 'space-bounded' matters
Models of federal power sharing
Concurrent contemporary pressures for both larger and smaller political units have contributed to the appeal of federal political systems as a way of reconciling both these pressures and of accommodating social diversity within a polity. Among the major federal institutional models that have resulted have been unions, constitutionally decentralised unions, federations, confederations, federacies, associated states, condominiums, leagues, joint functional authorities, and hybrids. Furthermore, within each of these forms there has been considerable variation. Among federations, the issues in their design that have affected their operation have been: the number and character of the constituent units, the distribution of legislative and executive authority and financial resources, the degree of symmetry or asymmetry in the powers allocated to constituent units, the form and structure of the common federative institutions, the role of courts as adjudicative bodies, the constitutional recognition of individual and collective minority rights, and the processes for intergovernmental consultation, cooperation, and coordination. The successes and failures of federations during the past half-century point to four major lessons, which have a bearing on the ability of federations and more broadly federal systems to reconcile and manage social diversity.
The Politics of Belgium: A Unique Federalism
A short history of Belgium the economy and society central government the reform of the state federal government - communities, regions, provinces and communes the political parties and the party system other political actors foreign and security policy Belgium in the 1990s.