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Complete SUMMARY of 'Belgian Politics & Society' (1Ba Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Sinardet)

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Course
Belgian Society & Politics

Institution
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

This file is a complete and organized (in the 12 parts of the course) summary of the "Belgian Society & Politics taught by Prof. Dr. Sinardet. I got a 19/20 making and using these summaries. They were primarily made out of the Dr. Sinardet's book/syllabus itself, but also of a comparative work of m...

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Uploaded on December 18, 2022
Number of pages 89
Written in 2020/2021
Type Summary

belgian
society
politics
sinardet
social science
summaries
resume
grade
good
easy
simplified
organized
chapter
first grade
belgian society and politic
vub
notes
belgian politics and society

Institution
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Education
Bachelor Of Social Sciences, Political Science
Course
Belgian Society & Politics

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INTRODUCTION TO BELGIAN SOCIETY AND POLITICS

Notes for the exam (about previous chapters as well):
- Professor will not ask in the exam:
- Name of different parties
- Names of the presidents/leaders of the political parties
- However, need to know:
- About this parties (history and what is discussed in class about them)
- Name of the leaders of the different governments (6 of them)
- Composition of those governments, as in, the different parties

Class 1 : Introduction

1.1 Federal systems

- Centrifugal federalism =
- It is a federalism that was created from a unitary state which then decentralized
- The direction is away from the center (taking away power from the general, big body)
(US, Switzerland, Canada = centripetal federalism).
- Centripetal federalism =
- Strong federal government and weaker provincial governments
- SO, Classic federations = existing independent entities and work together as a unit
- → Centripetal
- Eg: US, Canada ( <<>> Belgium = Centrifugal)

Belgium gradually developed into federalism → 1 gov + parliament on every level instead of one central
body.

1.2 Belgian federal peculiarities

- BE started out as unitary - decentralization took place (constitutional changes)
- 1993 - Becomes an official federal state with different regions and communities +
bringing more features back to the federal level.
- Federal entities that exist are not historically bound, they don’t have a history in line with
Belgium
- Catalonia: It’s own history existed not in line with Spain
- Consequently, some countries are considered artificial because they have created
their history to seem cohesive
- Example: Belgium

, - Multilingual federation (multi-national?) → increasing complexity
- Eg: multiple media sources and not the same history, perspectives, point of view is being
watched/read by everyone in the same way.
- BE as a nation isn contested - different national projects
- Some feel as if they are part of a more flemish nation project → divided country

1.3 Two types of federated entities

- Belgium has its regions and its communities which overlap
- Even more so in Brussels [independent region].
- → Most peculiar thing about Belgian federalism (also explains why Belgium is such a complex
system) → they have created two types of federated entities.

3 communities

- Flemish community
- French community
- German-speaking community

3 Regions

- Flanders region
- Brussels-Capital region
- Walloon region

Federal Authorities

- King;
- Federal government (Prime Minister, Ministers, Secretaries of State);
- Federal Parliament (Senate and Chamber of Representatives).

Belgium’s governments and parliaments + Distribution of Competences

Governments and Parliaments Distribution of
competences
Name Legislative power Executive power

,Federal Federal Lower house + King + Federal Social security
authorities Parliament senate Government (interpersonal
solidarity), main
Competence: - Text = “ Act” (Prime fiscal policies,
Federal matters minister, justice,
150 seats (89 ministers) police, railway,
Dutch and 61 foreign affairs,
French) defense,
development
cooperation, …

The Flemish Flemish Text= “Decrees” Flemish Competences
community parliament government related to
118 + 6 seats persons:
Competence: education, culture,
Community + Media, tourism,
Regional matters health policy, aid to
persons, child
The French Parliament of the Government of benefits,
Community French speaking Text= “ Decrees” the French international
Community / speaking cooperation
Federation 75+ 19 seats Community / (within the
Wallonia-Brussels Federation borders of the
Wallonia competences),
Brussels

The German Parliament of the Government of
speaking German speaking Text= “Decrees” the German
community community speaking
25 seats community

Flanders Region / / / Competences
related to territory:
Brussels-capital Parliament of Government of Housing policy,
region the Text= ”Decrees” the brussels environment,
Brussels Capital capital region agriculture,
Region 72+17 seats employment,
economy, part of
Walloon region Walloon Government fiscal policy, energy,
parliament Text= “decrees” of the Walloon public works,
region public
75 seats transport, lower
administration,
international
cooperation
(within the
borders of the
competences), ...

- → The Flemish parliament exists out of the Flemish region and the Dutch speaking community -

, they have merged together.

- → When the entities were created there was an unclarity:
- Most Flemish people saw the communities as central
- The French people considered the regions as central.
- Power of Brussels?

Belgium has 4 official language areas and 27 municipalities with language facilities!

- Linguistic territoriality (Dutch, French, German, Bilingual).
- Fixation of language border = 1963
- Exceptions as a source of new conflicts.

Belgium’s 5 elections (though there are 6 governments)

- Federal parliament (Chamber) = 150 seats (89 [Dutch speakers]/61 [French speakers])

→ Division of seats changed: because some people on the Brussels list identified themselves as bilingual.

SO, if you are elected in one of the Flemish provinces you are automatically a part of the Dutch language
group. If you are elected in the Brussels capital, you can choose which language groups you participate in.

- Flemish parliament = 118 + 6 seats → 6 Brussels representatives
- Brussels parliament = 72 [French] + 17 [Dutch] seats
- Walloon parliament = 75 seats
- German-speaking parliament = 25 seats

→ French language community doesn’t have direct election → based on the election of the Walloon
parliament and brussels parliament

SO, [Parliament of the French-speaking community aka Federation Wallonie-Bxl] = 75 (of the Walloon
parliament) + 19 (of the 72 in Brussels parliament)

→ seats = indirect composed/elected.

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Complete SUMMARY of 'Belgian Politics & Society' (1Ba Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Sinardet)

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