Why did Belgium become a federal state?

Article 1 of the Belgian constitution: “Belgium is a federal state, composed of communities and regions.”

Following its founding in 1830, Belgium was a decentralized, unique nation-state based on the French model. French was its national language.

However, the majority of the population were in fact Flemish. And almost from the moment the state was founded, a movement developed around the struggle to attain equality for the Flemish culture and language.

In economic terms, francophone Wallonia, with its industrial basin formed by the cities of Liege, Charleroi and Mons, was able to perform significantly better in the 19th century than the more rural Flanders. But the 20th century saw a marked decline in the fortunes of Wallonia’s heavy industry and the resultant rise of a movement to ensure Wallonia’s maintenance of its regional and economic independence and the right to forge its own economic policy.

The 1960s saw Belgium, on the one hand, caught up in the currents of conflicting political, economic and intellectual interests that were causing the country to drift apart, while, on the other, that same period saw the foundations laid for a peaceful settlement.

Between 1962 and 1963, Belgium was divided into four language areas. Later, beginning in the 70s, a gradual process of federalization was set in motion.

Two levels within a federated state: Communities and Regions

Federalisation in Belgium took place on two distinct levels: the Communities and the Regions. As political entities, these are responsible for different areas.

A particular complexity of the Belgian federal model is that the territorial areas of the Communities and Regions are not identical. This asymmetrical arrangement has its roots in the peculiarities of Belgium’s political history, thanks to which the transformation of the nation into a federal state effectively had to:

• Provide a solution to Flemish demands for equality of language and culture
• Find an answer to Walloon demands for autonomy in economic policy
• Present a suitably well-fashioned compromise for the capital Brussels, one which would satisfy equally both Flemish and Francophones.

The division of responsibilities between the Belgian federal state, the Communities and the Regions is, however, significantly better regulated than in other European federal entities; there are hardly any competing portfolios in the various areas of competence.

In principle, the federal state itself and its federated members all exercise their authority through their own parliaments, governments and administrative offices.

The federalisation process in Belgium began with the 1st sequence of State reforms from 1968 - 1971 and cannot even today be considered as entirely completed.