V.

Government

Belgium is a constitutional, representative, and hereditary monarchy. Succession to the throne was previously by male descendants only; however, in 1991 a constitutional change gave women the right to accede to the throne. The present ruler is King Albert II (born 1934) and his heir is Prince Philippe (born 1960). Prince Philippe’s first-born daughter (Princess Elisabeth, born 2001) is now second in line to the throne. The Belgian constitution was promulgated in 1831 and revised in 1893, 1921, 1970, 1971, 1980, 1989, 1991, and 1993. Responding to tensions between the Dutch- and French-speaking areas of Belgium, the reforms since 1970 have gradually transformed Belgium into a federal country. The majority of essential governmental powers now belong to the three regions: Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels.

A.

Executive and Legislature

Executive power is vested in the monarch, who appoints the prime minister, Cabinet ministers, and judges. The monarch is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and, with the approval of parliament, has the power to declare war and conclude treaties. The rights of the monarch, according to the constitution, include convening and dissolving parliament, conferring titles of nobility, and granting pardons. All royal acts, however, must be countersigned by a minister, who in turn assumes responsibility for those acts before parliament. Inasmuch as the ministers are responsible to parliament, the monarch must choose a Cabinet that represents a majority in parliament. Cabinets are generally multi-party coalitions.

The bicameral parliament comprises the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. The 150 members of the Chamber of Representatives are elected for a four-year term by proportional representation; all citizens over 18 are eligible and obliged by law to vote. There are usually 71 members in the Senate, comprising 40 directly elected senators (25 from the Dutch-speaking electoral college, and 15 from the French-speaking electoral college), and 31 co-opted community senators, appointed from the regional assemblies and language groups; under the Constitution, the heir to the throne becomes a Senator by right on reaching the age of 18, and is eligible to vote in the Senate on reaching age 21.

B.

Political Parties

The three major political alliances, each consisting of Dutch- and French-speaking units, are the Christian Democrat parties (1945), the Socialist parties (1885), and the Liberal parties, including the Freedom and Progress Party (Dutch, 1961) and the Liberal Reform Party (French, 1979). In November 2004 the nationalist Vlaams Blok political party was declared racist and subsequently disbanded. In its place the Vlaams Belang party was formed. There are many minor parties including greens and communists.

C.

Judiciary

The Belgian constitution provides for an independent judiciary with powers equal to those of the executive and legislative departments. The highest tribunals are the five Courts of Appeal, which sit at Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Liège, and Mons; the five labour courts; and the Supreme Court of Justice. Cases are referred to the courts of appeal by the courts of assize, which review both civil and criminal matters. In the assize courts 12 jurors decide all cases by majority vote. A special court was established in 1989 to resolve constitutional conflicts arising from the transfer of power from the central government to regional authorities.

D.

Local Government

Each of Belgium’s three regions elects its own parliament, which is responsible for education, health care, and other areas of policy within the region. Within each region, each province has a council of 47 to 84 members chosen by direct vote every six years. The provinces are subdivided into administrative districts, often based in cities and towns, called communes. Each commune is administered by a burgomaster appointed by the monarch. The town council, directly elected to six-year terms, advises the monarch on this appointment. The council elects an executive body called the board of aldermen. Local government at all levels possesses a large degree of autonomy, a tradition that originated in feudal times.

E.

Health and Welfare

Health and hospital services are the responsibility of public assistance commissions located in each town. The commissions pay for relief patients in private hospitals, administer public hospitals, and organize nursing services and clinics.

Social security, based on a law passed in 1944, applies to all workers subject to employment contracts. The Central National Office of Social Security collects from employers and employees all contributions for family allowances, health insurance, old-age insurance, holidays, and unemployment insurance and distributes the funds to the respective administrative divisions. This comprehensive welfare system has resulted in great improvements in public health and brought economic stability to the populace, but has also exacerbated Belgium’s budget deficit. In May 2002 Belgium became the second country (after the Netherlands) to pass legislation to legalize euthanasia under certain strict conditions.

F.

Defence

Belgium is a founding member of the NATO, which has its headquarters in Brussels. Recruitment to Belgium’s armed forces is made by voluntary enlistment. Military training and equipment are coordinated with those of the Netherlands under a 1948 agreement. In 1994, in order to reduce government spending, the numbers of personnel were drastically cut from over 80,000 to around 40,000. In 2004 the armed forces totalled 36,900 personnel comprising: army, 24,800; navy, 2,450; air force, 6,350; and medical, 1,250.

G.

International Organizations

Belgium is a member of the following organizations: the United Nations (UN), the Benelux Economic Union, the Council of Europe (CE), the EU, NATO, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); and the Western European Union (WEU).