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The democracy in Belgium

The Athenian democracy is rather limited in the 5 th & 4th century. Women, Metics, Children and
Slaves were not allowed to vote. Belgium calls itself a democratic federal state that exists out of
communities and regions. Foreigners sometimes think that Belgium is a complicated country with
many governments. For example we have a Belgian, Flemish, Walloon, a French government etc.
As an extra fact our country is part of the so called European Union. In this book you will discover
how our Belgian political society works.

Research questions

What do we understand with a modern day democracy?

Has Belgian always been a democracy?

Which differences does our democracy have in comparison to the Athenian democracy?

What’s a federal state with communities and regions?

What’s the part of Belgium in the European Union?

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Vocabulary
Exercise 1: Connect the following words with their translation.

Right to vote The people are represented by for

example minsters.
Parliament The people have to personally vote
on laws.
Legislature Wet die de rechterlijke straffen
uitgeeft
Elected representative grondwet

Direct democracy Macht die de wetten maakt

Executive power Volksvertegenwoordiger

Judiciary stemrecht

Constitution Room where ministers try to govern

our country/society.
Indirect democracy Macht die controleert of de wetten
worden nageleefd
Compulsory voting stemplicht

❶ The path to becoming a parliamentary society

After a long revolution, Belgium declares themselves as an independent country and separates themselves from the
Kingdom of the Netherlands. This happens in the year 1830. A year later the National congress that was assembled
in order to maintain a government approved the constitution. In this constitution Belgium is described as a
democratic, constitutional monarchy with a parliament, a government and courtrooms. This means that Belgium has
a king but that the ruling power is a responsibility for the parliament and the elected politicians. Only our democracy
was rather limited at that time. Many improvements will follow the coming years.

Exercise 2: Use the internet to link the different political improvements to their right dates.
Choose from: Women can vote, 1 man has 1 vote, Voting right from the age of 18,

……………………………… ……………………………… ………………………………

……………………………… ……………………………… ………………………………

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Belgium is also a country that has divided it’s different ‘powers’. This is to prevent that politicians who
have a certain power would influence one another for their own benefits. Imagine that for example a
parliamentary politician could use his power to influence a judge if there was no dividing of these
powers.

- Legislature: The Political installation that ‘designs’, make & vote for the laws. This authority is
being handles by our Federal parliament and our King.

File: This room is called ‘the Chamber’ or ‘De kamer’. In this room Federal parliament members
design and vote for federal laws.

File: the Belgian Senate is where the balance between the different parliaments is protected.

- Executive power: The political installation that makes sure that the laws are being respected &
executed by the citizens of Belgium.

File: The Flemish parliament is an example of an installation where they make sure that the
citizens live by the different laws.
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File: The hall where the meetings of the city council of Bruges takes place.

- Judiciary: The political installation that makes sure that people who breaking the law get a
punishment according to the crime. People who committed a crime have the right to call upon
a lawyer to defend themselves.

File: Group of Judges that determine the accused’s punishment according to the crime he
commited

File: A lawyer that either defend the victim of the crime or the accused who committed the
crime.
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So to this current today we’re a democracy in Belgium. The basic idea is a bit the same as in Athens
that the people had a political right to help govern the city or in the case of Belgium the country.
The difference is that we don’t directly participate in governing our country. We chose people to
represent our interests and opinions in a parliament. We’re what we call an indirect democracy. This is
a difference with Athens, where the civilians directly tried to govern the city state. That’s called a
direct democracy. The basic concept of our democracy is represented in this figure.
*monarchy:
monarchie of
koninkrijk

*courtroom: rechtzaal

*election: verkiezing

→ Elected: verkozen

Governments *improvement:
verbetering

*punishment: straf

*accused: beklaagde
Parliaments of verdachte

Voters

Exercise 3: Work in pairs and try to fill in these questions

1. How does it get decided who can have a seat in parliament?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. How do we form governments in Belgium?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. We also have a king. What role does our king have in our political system?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Our current day political system: how can we vote and

❷ who gets our vote?
Our current Belgian political system is a bit complex to say the least. First of all, Belgians don’t have the right to vote.
Belgian people are obligated to go voting. This is what we call compulsory voting. Since 2021 it’s no longer obligated
to vote for local councils. We vote for representatives. Which means that politicians will represent our defend our
vision in the parliament. Our voting system has some general conditions.

1. Voting is possible from the age of 18. *obligated: verplicht

2. Each voter needs to have the Belgian nationality
3. Every voter only has one vote per voting. *voting cabin:
4. A voting is in secret and is obligated to be taken in a voting cabin. stemhokje

*citizen: burger

File: Letter that calls upon the citizens to go vote.

File: An example of a voting bill. Some communities File: A modern voting computer. You can access it by
don’t use a computer yet, so they count all the physical linking your ID-card into the keyhole
voting bills
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Exercise 4: Read the text and try to find which characteristic is typical for Athens & which
one of Belgium.

File: Storia 2 HD

1. All citizens have the right to vote.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. This a direct democracy: the citizens have a direct influence on laws and governance.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Some citizens are getting assigned by chance and obligated to participate in the government.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. All voters are obligated to vote.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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❸ The different governments of Belgium

Belgium is divided in many different governments. We have governments divided according to our local,
regional & federal territories. Every government has their own parliament and their own politicians

*External affairs:
Federal government buitenlandse zaken

(Finances, Justice system, external affairs) *Wallonia: Wallonië

Regions Communities

(economics) (education, language)

Walloon region Brussels- Flemish region & Flemish Walloon German

Capital community community community
region

Each region is situatable on a map of Belgium.

Communities of Belgium

Regions of Belgium
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Role of the European union in our political society

Belgium is part of a continental collaboration called the European Union. This collaboration is situated on the
European continent with the capital city Brussels to have their official buildings and structures. The Union has many
responsibilities such as ecology, economy, energy, transportation,…

Exercise 5: Use the words to complete the schematic

Words: mayorship, province, federal parliament, European commission, federal government,
provincial council, municipal council, European Union, Flanders, provincial governance

Governance level Name Executive power Legislature

European level European council &

………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………… European parliament
Federal level
Belgium ………………………………………………………… …………………………………………..
Regional level
……………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………… Flemish parliament
Local level 1
………………………………………………… Provincial governance ……………………………………………
Local level 2
………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………… City council

Flag of the European Union

Flag of Belgium

Flag of Flanders
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Exercise 6: Use the internet to link the different governance level to their right leader.

European commission

Alexander De Croo
European council

Dirk De Fauw
Federal Government

Carl Decaluwé
Flemish Government

Ursula Von der Leyen

Provincial government (West
Flanders)

Charles Michel
City Council (Bruges)

Jan Jambon
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What do I have to remember?

12 Belgian politics
1 The path to becoming a parliamentary society.
• Constitution = People have all the power
➔ Content of the constitution: governance & all the rights/duties.
• Indirect democracy: representatives participate in the politics
➔ Wetgevende macht (wetten maken): In het parlement
➔ Executive power (wetten uitvoeren): regering
➔ Judiciary (Overtreders vervolgen): rechtbanken
➔ Role of the king (ceremonial function/not a lot of power: head of the state
• Improvements
➔ Every man has only one vote: 1919
➔ Women’s right to vote: 1948
➔ Age of vote from 18: 1981

2 Our current day political system: How do we vote and who gets our vote?
• Compulsary vote: everyone is obligated to go vote (except for city council elections since
2021)

Athene België
Only male adult citizens have a vote. Only adults have a vote.
The democracy is direct The democracy is indirect
Some citizens are being obligated to participate Each politician has the choice to execute a
by drawing names certain function.
All male adults have a seat in meetings where All adults are obligated to go to a voting station
they vote.

3 The different governments of Belgium.

Federal state

Regions/states: governance for parts of the Federal Government: government for the entire
country country
Drie gemeenschappen: Vlaams, Franstalig, Bevoegdheden: army, unemployements,
Duitstalig retirements, health insurances,…
responsibilaties: education, culture, well-
being,…

Drie gewesten: Flemish, Wallonian & Brussels

Capital region.
Bevoegdheden: material affaires like
infrastructure, economy & ecology
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4 Role of the European Union in our political society.

Belgium → part of the European Union

EU decides on energy, economy, ecology, transportation,…

EU: legislature = European Commision

Executive power = European Council & European Parliament

5 governance levels in Belgium: township, province, community, country (federal) & European Union.
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Wat moet ik onthouden?

12 Belgian politics
1 De weg naar een Parlementaire samenleving
• Grondwet = De macht ligt in de handen van de bevolking
➔ Inhoud van de grondwet: manier van besturen & alle rechten/plichten van de bevolking.
• Indirecte democratie: volksvertegenwoordigers nemen deel aan de politiek
➔ Wetgevende macht (wetten maken): In het parlement
➔ Uitvoerende macht (wetten uitvoeren): regering
➔ Rechterlijke macht (Overtreders vervolgen): rechtbanken
➔ Rol van de koning (ceremoniële functie/weinig macht: staatshoofd
• Verbeteringen van de democratie
➔ Elke man heft 1 stem: 1919
➔ Vrouwen krijgen het recht om te stemmen: 1948
➔ De leeftijd om te stemmen wordt 18: 1981

2 Ons hedendaags politiek systeem: Hoe kunnen wij stemmen & voor wie
kunnen wij stemmen?
• Stemplicht: iedereen is verplicht te gaan stemmen (uitgezonderd voor
gemeenteraadverkiezingen sinds 2021)

Athene
Alleen mannelijke volwassenen hebben een
stem
De democratie is direct
Sommige burgers worden verplicht deel te
nemen door loting
Alle mannelijke volwassenen zetelen in
vergaderingen waar gestemd wordt.
België
Alle volwassenen hebben een stem
De democratie is indirect
Elke politieker heeft in principe de keuze om
een bepaalde functie al dan niet te doen.
Alle volwassenen moeten verplicht naar het
stemlokaal

3 De verschillende regeringen in België.

Federale staat

Regio’s/deelstaten: overheden voor delen van
het land
Drie gemeenschappen: Vlaams, Franstalig,
Duitstalig
Bevoegdheden: onderwijs, cultuur, welzijn,…
Federale overheid: overheid voor het hele land
Bevoegdheden: leger, werklozensteun,
pensioenen, ziekteverzekering,…

Drie gewesten: Vlaams, Waals & Brussels

Hoofdstedelijk gewest.
Bevoegdheden: Beslissen over materiële zaken
zoals het wegennetwerk, economie & ecologie
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4 De rol van de Europese Unie in onze samenleving.

België → onderdeel van de Europese Unie.

EU beslist over energie, economie, ecology, transport,…

EU: wetgevende macht = Europese Commissie

uitvoerende macht = Europese Raad & Europees Parlement

5 bestuursniveau’s in België: gemeente, provincie, gemeenschap, land (federaal) & Europese Unie
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KNOWLEDGE
 Explain the terms: (in)direct democracy, representative, legislature, executive power,
judiciary and constitution.
 Give a contemporary explanation of the term ‘democracy’.
 Demonstrate the limits of the Belgian democracy with 3 examples.
 Summing up four differences between the Belgian and Athenian democracy.
 Explain the terms: local, regional, European Parliament, federal state, region, community,
province, township.
 Sum up the 3 communities and the 3 regions.
 Sum up the names of the 5 governance levels.

De begrippen ‘(in)directe democratie’, ‘volksvertegenwoordiger’, ‘wetgevende macht’, ‘uitvoerende

macht’, ‘rechterlijke macht’ en ‘grondwet’ uitleggen.
Geef een hedendaagse uitleg voor de term ‘democratie’.
De beperkingen van de Belgische democratie voor 1981 aantonen met 3 voorbeelden.
De verschillen tussen de Belgische en Atheense democratie opsommen.
De begrippen ‘lokaal’, ‘regionaal’, ‘Europese Unie’, ‘federale staat’, ‘gewest’, ‘gemeenschap’,
‘provincie’ en ‘gemeente’ uitleggen.
De 3 gemeenschappen en de 3 gewesten opsommen.
De naam van de verschillende bestuursniveaus weergeven.

SKILLS
 Situating the 3 communities and the 3 regions on a map.
 Recognizing the flag of the European Union, Belgium and Flanders
 Giving the differences between the regions with the help of a column.

Op een kaart de 3 gemeenschappen en de 3 gewesten situeren.

De vlag van de Europese Unie, België en Vlaanderen herkennen.
Met behulp van een tabel een verschil tussen de regio’s geven.