The politics of Belgium take place in the framework of a federal,representative democratic,constitutional monarchy. The King of the Belgians is the head of state,and the prime minister of Belgium is the head of government,in a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Federal legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament,the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives. The federation is made up of (language-based) communities and (territorial) regions. Philippe is the seventh and current King of the Belgians,having ascended the throne on 21 July 2013.
Christian Democratic and Flemish is a Flemish Christian-democratic political party in Belgium. The party has historical ties to both trade unionism (ACV) and trade associations (UNIZO) and the Farmer's League. Until 2001,the party was named the Christian People's Party.
Groen,founded as Agalev,is a green Flemish political party in Belgium. Its French-speaking equivalent is Ecolo;the two parties maintain close relations with each other.
Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens was a Belgian politician who served as prime minister of Belgium from 1979 to 1981 and from 1981 to 1992. A member of the Flemish Christian People's Party,during his premiership he oversaw the transformation of Belgium into a federal state. He was one of the founders of the European People's Party.
Patrick Yvonne Hugo Dewael,is a liberal Belgian politician. A member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats,he served as Minister-President of Flanders from 1999 to 2003.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender (LGBT) rights in Belgium are seen as some of the most progressive in Europe and the world. In 2021,ILGA-Europe ranked Belgium as second in the European Union for LGBT rights protection,behind Malta.
Hugo Schiltz was a Belgian lawyer and politician. He was Belgian MP from 1965 to 1988 and senator from 1992 to 1995. He was also twice minister,from 1981 to 1985 in the first Flemish Government and between 1988 and 1991 in the Belgian federal government Martens VIII. He was further president of the Flemish political party Volksunie between 1975 and 1979.
The Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) is an international parliamentary association that is strictly non-partisan,founded by European parliamentarians in 1984. In cooperation with African parliaments,AWEPA works to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Africa,keep Africa high on the political agenda in Europe,and facilitate African-European parliamentary dialogue.
The 2007–2008 Belgian government formation followed the general election of 10 June 2007,and comprised a period of negotiation in which the Flemish parties Flemish Liberal Democratic,Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V) and New Flemish Alliance (N-VA),and the French-speaking parties Reformist Movement (MR),Democratic Front of Francophones (FDF) and Humanist Democratic Centre (CdH) negotiated to form a government coalition. The negotiations were characterized by the disagreement between the Dutch- and French-speaking parties about the need for and nature of a constitutional reform. According to some,this political conflict could have led to a partition of Belgium.
Bart Albert Liliane De Wever is a Belgian politician. Since 2004,De Wever has been the leader of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA),a political party advocating for the independence of Flanders. He is also a member of the Chamber of Representatives. De Wever played a prominent role in the 2007 Belgian government formation and presided over his party's victory in the 2010 federal elections when N-VA became the largest party in both Flanders and in Belgium as a whole.
Baroness Sabine de Bethune is a Belgian politician and a member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party. Since June 2021 she has been appointed as a judge on the Constitutional Court.
Alexander De Croo is a Belgian politician and businessman who has served as the prime minister of Belgium since October 2020.
The Leterme II Government was the federal government of Belgium from 25 November 2009 to 26 April 2010,and the caretaker government until 6 December 2011. It took office when the Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme (CD&V) was sworn in as Prime Minister. It followed the Van Rompuy I Government which ended when Herman Van Rompuy became the first President of the European Council. It comprised five parties:the Dutch-speaking Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V),the Dutch-speaking Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats,the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement (MR),the French-speaking Socialist Party (PS) and the French-speaking Humanist Democratic Centre (CDH).
Henri Maria Dymphna AndréLaurent "Rik" Torfs is a Belgian canon law scholar and media personality. He is a former Senator for the Christian Democratic and Flemish party in the Belgian Federal Parliament and a former Rector of the Catholic University of Leuven.
Liesbeth Homans is a Belgian politician and is affiliated to Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie. She was elected as a member of the Flemish Parliament in 2009 and as a member of the Belgian Senate in 2010.
The Michel I Government was the Federal Government of Belgium formed following the 2014 Belgian government formation and sworn in on 11 October 2014. The administration was a centre-right coalition of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA),the Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V),the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats and the Reformist Movement (MR). The prime minister was Charles Michel. The government had an agenda of socio-economic reforms,especially through austerity measures,with its priorities being improving Belgium's economic competitiveness and reducing unemployment. It fell in December 2018 over the Global Compact for Migration.
Federal elections were held in Belgium on 26 May 2019,alongside the country's European and regional elections. All 150 members of the Chamber of Representatives were elected from eleven multi-member constituencies.
Flemish Expressionism,also referred to as Belgian Expressionism,was one of the dominant art styles in Flanders during the interbellum. Influenced by artists like James Ensor and the early works of Vincent van Gogh,it was a distinct contemporary of German Expressionism. Contrary to the more rebellious and erotic nature of many German Expressionist works,the Flemish art of the School of Latem was more oriented towards the farming life,and was expressed in earthy colours and vigorous brushwork. It was also in general more oriented towards France and Brussels than to Germany,and incorporated elements of Fauvism and Cubism,for example the interest in "primitive" art,of both the ethnic and folk traditions. Flemish Expressionists like Spilliaert were more influenced by Ensor and Symbolism,or like Wouters were closer to the vibrant colours used by the Fauvists. The main proponents were Gust De Smet,Constant Permeke and Frits Van den Berghe.
The Michel II Government was the Federal Government of Belgium,led by Prime Minister Charles Michel from 18 December 2018 until 27 October 2019 when it was succeeded by the Wilmès I Government. It was a centre minority coalition cabinet of Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V),the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats and the Reformist Movement (MR). On 26 October 2019,it was announced that Sophie Wilmès would take over the role of Prime Minister from Michel on 1 November 2019,and form a new government.
