Belgium
Belgium performs in the high-range across all categories and factors of the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) framework, except for Free Political Parties and Civic Engagement, in which it shows mid-range performance. It scores in the top 25 per cent of countries in all factors, except for Freedom of Religion. Compared to 2018, there have been no notable shifts in performance. The country boasts an open and competitive export-driven economy, with trade, transport, accommodation and food services as its main sectors.
From the 12th to the 17th centuries, Belgium was occupied by Spain, Austria, France and the Netherlands. Following a revolution against Dutch rule in 1830, Belgium declared independence. In the years after independence, Flanders became notably economically worse-off compared to rapidly industrialising Wallonia. This regional disparity has contributed to ongoing debates about confederalism. Indeed, Belgium has been characterized by its complex federal and linguistic environment, including three distinct cultural and linguistic communities (French, Flemish and German) and three distinct political communities in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. Belgium is also home to small migratory groups of Italians and Moroccans (boosted in the years after WWII when many came as transient workers in the coal mining industry) and other smaller communities, including the Roma.
At the national level, the country’s distinct political composition has frequently rendered coalition negotiations difficult. This has led to asymmetry in the party system, as different party families show varying strength within Belgium's federated entities. One of the main issues shaping the political debate is the introduction of confederalism, particularly among political parties in Flanders, which have long sought greater political influence and economic opportunity for the Flemish community. Public participation is also an important issue. In 2019, Belgium became the first country to institutionalize citizen assemblies (in Ostbelgien) and has continuously promoted citizen participation in political decisions, including during its 2024 presidency of the Council of the EU.
Church-state, socio-economic and identity fault lines continue to divide political debates. From a socio-economic perspective, concerns are evident in relation to the tensions in the labour market, inflation, and a budget deficit exceeding limits set by the EU. Additionally, Belgium’s crisis with regard to reception of asylum seekers, coupled with divergent party approaches to immigration, have exacerbated divisions.
Despite recent measures that have strengthened the anti-discrimination legal framework and public demands for action, racial discrimination and the legacy of colonialism remain prominent issues. Recently, though, efforts to confront this past have resulted in a sizable return of Congolese artefacts and the formation of a parliamentary commission tasked with issuing concrete recommendations on how to best address the country’s colonial legacy.
Belgium is a global leader in Gender Equality. To address the persistent issue of gender-based violence, the country has adopted a femicide law, the National Action Plan Against Gender Violence, and penal code amendments to centralize ‘consent’ in the definition of sex crimes, impose stricter penalties for rape, and decriminalize sex work. Belgium was the second country in the world to recognize same-sex marriages in 2003 and banned conversion therapies in 2022.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch Basic Welfare and Economic Equality, especially considering the government deficit and proposed reforms that could shape the country in the coming years. The potential change from federalism to confederalism could also affect Effective Parliament. The future of immigration policies should be monitored for the potential impacts on Social Group Equality. Finally, the effect of citizen assemblies on Participation warrants close observation.
Last updated: August 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
December 2024
Court orders reparations for colonial-era child kidnappings in Congo
On 2 December, the Brussels Court of Appeal ordered the Belgian government to pay reparations to five mixed-race women born to Congolese mothers and Belgian fathers, who were forcibly taken from their families during colonial rule in then-Belgian Congo. The Court ruled that the government had a deliberate policy to "systematically search for and remove" such children, declaring the actions a crime against humanity and "an inhumane act of persecution. Now in their 70s, the women were forcibly separated from their mothers as children and placed in orphanages under a state policy. They claimed the abductions were racially motivated. This landmark case, the first in Europe, was brought before a Brussels civil court in 2021 but was dismissed, prompting the five women to file an appeal. In 2019, the Belgian government had formally apologized to approximately 20,000 victims of forced family separations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda.
Sources: Brussels Time, British Broadcasting Corporation, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International
Law ensures equal labour rights for sex workers
On 1 December, a law came into effect that grants sex workers official employment contracts and labour rights. Belgium is the first country in the world to extend these rights to sex workers. The Federal Parliament passed the law in May with the aim of combatting the abuse and exploitation of sex workers. The law extends the labour rights that apply to all official employment to the sex work industry as well, ensuring sex workers the right to maternity leave, pensions, health insurance and unemployment benefits. Employers will also have to meet certain requirements to operate their business, such as instituting strict safety protocols, background checks and providing contraceptives. The extension of labour rights to the sex-industry aims to ensure that this work is not exploitative.
Sources: Brussels Times, Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie, British Broadcasting Corporation, Euronews, Chamber of Representatives
June 2024
Belgium holds regional, federal and European Parliament elections
On 9 June, voters elected regional and federal parliaments, and Belgium’s members of the European Parliament. Right-leaning, reformist parties gained more support over the far right and far left. The right-wing New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) remained the largest group in the Federal Parliament with 24 seats, followed by the Francophone liberal Reformist Movement (MR) and the far-right Vlaams Belang, both holding 20 seats. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD) party dropped from twelve to seven seats. De Croo resigned but will remain as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition is formed. Voter turnout for the federal elections was 87.4 per cent, down from 88.3 per cent in 2019, with a record 12.5 per cent abstaining.
Sources: Brussels Times (1), Brussels Times (2), Euronews, Federal Public Services Home Affairs, Politico, International IDEA
September 2023
Arsonists target eight schools following sex education curriculum approval
More than a thousand people gathered in Brussels to protest a new decree, known as Evras (education for relational, emotional and sexual life), approved this month in French-speaking parts of Belgium. In parallel, there have been eight separate cases of vandalization or arson in Liège and Charleroi, which appear to be linked to the approval of the Evras programme. The decree mandates minimal two-hour sex education sessions and is estimated to impact 85,000 students in Wallonia and 25,000 students in Brussels. The decree, together with the publication of a detailed manual for instructors delivering Evras material, have been met with firm opposition by religious associations as well as civil society organisations. Members of the Coordination Council of Islamic Institutions of Belgium (CIB) have filed an appeal to annul the decree with the Constitutional Court. Education Minister Caroline Désir pointed to widespread dis- and misinformation around the programme, accusing Evras of promoting hypersexualisation of children, or encouraging young people to identify with a particular sexual orientation or gender.
Sources: Le Monde (1), Le Monde (2), RTBF (1), RTBF (2), RTBF (3), Le Point, BFM TV, Evras, The Brussels Times
August 2023
Government suspends places for single male asylum-seekers in reception facilities
The government imposed a temporary ban on the provision of shelter to single male asylum-seekers, arguing that women, children and families should be prioritised for access to shelter in overstretched reception facilities. Despite efforts to boost capacity, including the opening of new reception centres, shelters for asylum-seekers have been overwhelmed for the past two years, with arrivals of asylum-seekers expected to increase over the winter, according to the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor. The decision has been criticised by the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner and human rights NGOs, as well as by Belgian public officials. In June, a Brussels court ruled that Belgium has violated commitments binding EU member states to guarantee asylum-seekers’ rights to an adequate standard of living and protect the applicants’ physical and mental health.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Fedasil, VRT, European Council on Refugees and Exiles, DW, EUR-Lex, Tribunal de première instance francophone de Bruxelles
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