Political Crisis in Belgium

Belgium is run by a Coalition Government to ensure that no one party gains dominance. To enter the coalition, a party only needs 5% of the vote, resulting in a wide array of parties operating together. Additionally, Belgian parties do not operate uniformly throughout the country; each party is established separately in each region, meaning there are two organizations of each party – one that is Dutch and one that is French – leading to limited inter-party communication and coordination. Politicians run for election using regional rhetoric, promising to follow through with region-specific goals once they’re in office. This, however, directly clashes with the goals of the larger coalition, making it increasingly difficult for parties to find compromise. This fragmented and disorganized political system reached a breaking point in 2007 that was followed by government instability until 2011 [Hooghe, 2012].  

From 1946 until 1999, the Christian Democrats were the dominant political party in Belgium, helping to develop a sense of stability throughout the country. During this period, tension between Wallonia and Flanders continued to grow as Flanders’ economy continued to improve while that of Wallonia deteriorated. In 1999 this era of relative stability was disrupted and the Liberal Party of Guy Verhofstadt won the seat of Prime Minister. Following this defeat, the Christian Democrats turned their focus to creating an alliance with the Flemish Nationalist Party, the N-VA, in hopes of reaching new Flemish voters. This proved successful, and in 2007, the N-VA leader Yves Leterme became Prime Minister [Hooghe, 2012].  

In 2008, however, Leterme resigned due to connections with a financial scandal, and the government was left to his successor, Herman Van Rompuy. Stability remained until 2009, when border disputes in the Brussel-Halle-Vilvoorde (BHV) district broke out, leading to the collapse of the government. As Brussels is the only area in Belgium that holds elections for both Flemish and Wallon candidates, each region hoped to have more control over the voting in the Halle-Vilvoorde district. In the 2010 elections, the French language region elected the Socialist Party, while the Flemish language region elected the N-VA. The two parties initially had positive outlooks on cooperation and started negotiations on a new tax distribution system. Unable to reach a decision, however, the N-VA left the coalition, leaving the Socialists, Liberals, and Christian Democrats to finish the plan. After being given an ultimatum from the EU for Belgium to comprise a new budget by the end of 2011, the King instated a new government in December of 2011. This new coalition acted fast and successfully created a budget, reached a deal on how to split up the BHV electoral district, and created a tax system that would limit transfers to the poorer southern regions. Finally, after 541 days, Belgium once again stabilized. [Hooghe, 2012].