State structure and political system of Belgium. State structure
The Kingdom of Belgium is a federal state, a constitutional parliamentary monarchy. The Belgian constitution of February 7, 1831 is in force with latest changes dated July 14, 1993, when the Belgian Parliament approved the constitutional reform of the state structure of the country, which completed the process of its federalization, which began in the 70s. The current version of the constitution was published on February 3, 1994. The federal state consists of three regions with broad autonomy - Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussel) and three linguistic communities: Flemish, French and German (Flemish, French, German) . The competence of communities and regions is delimited.
The head of state is the king. His power is limited by the constitution. Article 106 of the constitution states: "No act of the King is valid unless it is signed by the minister, who thereby alone assumes responsibility." Article 102 notes that "in no case shall the King's oral or written command relieve the minister of responsibility". This ensures the principle formulated in the 88th article: “The person of the King is inviolable; its ministers are responsible."
Legislative power is exercised jointly by the king and a bicameral parliament, consisting of the House of Representatives (150 deputies) and the Senate (71 senators and crown prince Philip, Duke of Brabant, who is a "senator by right"). Members of the House of Representatives are elected by the people by direct and secret ballot under the system of proportional representation. The Senate is formed from: 40 senators elected by the population by direct vote (25 from Flanders and from the Flemish population of the Brussels region and 15 from Wallonia and from the French-speaking population of the Brussels region); 21 senators appointed by the regional parliaments from among their deputies (10 each from Flanders and Wallonia and 1 from the German-speaking community); 10 co-opted senators (6 from Flanders and 4 from Wallonia). Adult children of the king can be senators by right. In October 1996, Princess Astrid announced her desire to take a seat in the Senate. The term of office of both chambers is 4 years. The federal parliament approves the federal government. Almost all the prerogatives of the national parliament - expressing no confidence in the government, approving the budget, approving laws - remain with the House of Representatives, while the role of the Senate is reduced to settling disputes between regional authorities, amending the constitution and approving international treaties.
Regional parliaments:
Brussels Regional Council BRC. Parliament of the bilingual region. Consists of 75 deputies elected by the people of Brussels and the surrounding communities by direct vote for a term of five years. Forms the government of the capital region. The authorities of the Brussels-Capital Region, within the framework of their powers, manage the territory inhabited by the population of the French-speaking and Flemish communities.
Walloon Regional Council. Consists of 75 deputies elected by direct vote for a term of five years in the southern French-speaking part of Belgium. Forms the government of Wallonia, which is located in Namur.
Flemish Regional Council. It is both the parliament of the Flanders region and the Flemish language community. Consists of 124 deputies, of which 118 are elected for a period of five years by direct vote in Flanders, and 6 deputies are appointed by the Brussels Regional Council from among the Flemish deputies of the Parliament of Brussels, since the Flemish language community also includes Brussels speaking Dutch. The council forms the government of Flanders, which operates in Brussels.
Council of the Francophone Community. The only indirectly elected parliament: it automatically included 75 deputies from the Walloon Regional Council and 16 Francophone deputies from the Brussels Regional Council. He forms the government of the French language community, which meets in Brussels. The government and parliament of the French-speaking community are in charge of issues within their competence in the territory of Wallonia, except for the eastern cantons, and also, together with the Flemish community, in the bilingual Brussels region.
Council of the German-speaking community. Consists of 25 deputies elected by direct vote for a term of 5 years. German-speaking Belgians live in the eastern cantons, which are territorially part of Wallonia. Forms a government with seat in Eupen.
Previously, deputies of the national parliament, elected from a particular region, automatically became members of regional parliaments. Now it is forbidden to combine two deputy mandates and only direct election of deputies of regional parliaments is allowed.
Executive power is exercised by the king and the federal government, which is appointed by the king and is responsible to the House of Representatives of the federal parliament. The number of members of the federal government (Council of Ministers) must not exceed 15 ministers. With the exception of the Prime Minister, Flemings and Francophones must be equally represented. The competence of the federal government extends only to the federal level and includes a limited range of issues. This is - national defense, foreign policy, maintenance internal order, national finance, main directions economic development, the federal system of social protection, justice, health care, the largest institutions of science and culture of national importance.
The powers of local authorities have been expanded. To the areas already assigned to the scope of their activities are added Agriculture, conclusion international agreements, Scientific research and foreign trade.
Belgium- a federal state, with a form of government - a constitutional parliamentary monarchy. The country has a constitution of 1831, which has been repeatedly amended. Latest amendments were introduced in 1993. The head of state is the monarch. He is officially called "King of the Belgians". A constitutional amendment in 1991 gave women the right to sit on the throne. Monarch possesses limited powers, but serves as an important symbol of political unity.
Executive power is exercised by the king and the government, which is responsible to the House of Representatives. The King appoints the Prime Minister as head of government, seven French-speaking and seven Dutch-speaking ministers, and a number of state secretaries representing political parties in the ruling coalition. Ministers are assigned specific functions or leadership of departments and departments of the government. Members of parliament who become members of the government lose their deputy status until the next election.
Legislative power is exercised by the king and parliament. Belgian parliament bicameral, he is elected for a term of 4 years. There are 71 senators in the Senate. 40 are elected by direct universal suffrage - 25 from the Flemish population and 15 from the Walloons. 21 senators (10 from the Flemish population, 10 from the Walloon and 1 from the German-speaking population) are delegated by the councils of the communities. These two groups co-opt another 10 members of the Senate (6 Dutch-speaking, 4 French-speaking). In addition to the above persons, children of the king who have reached the age of majority have the right to become members of the Senate, according to the Constitution. The House of Representatives consists of 150 deputies elected by direct, universal and secret ballot on the basis of proportional representation. One deputy is elected by about every 68,000 people. Each party receives a number of seats proportional to the number of votes cast for it: its representatives are selected in the order fixed in the party lists. Participation in voting is obligatory, those who evade it face a fine.
Government ministers manage their departments and recruit personal assistants. In addition, each ministry has a permanent staff of civil servants. Although their appointment and promotion are regulated by law, this also takes into account their political affiliation, proficiency in both French and Dutch, and, of course, qualifications.
Regional Office
In response to the demands of the Flemings, after 1960, four waves of revision of the constitution took place, which made it possible to gradually decentralize the state, turning it into a federal one (formally from January 1, 1989). Features of the federal structure of Belgium lie in the parallel functioning of two types of subjects of the federation - regions and communities. Belgium is divided into three regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) and three cultural communities (French, Flemish and Germanic). The representative system includes the Council of the Flemish Community (124 members), the Council of the Walloon Community (75 members), the Brussels Regional Council (75 members), the Council of the Francophone Community (75 members from Wallonia, 19 from Brussels), the Council of the Flemish Community (which merged with the Flemish Regional Council), the Council of the German-speaking Community (25 members) and the commissions of the Flemish Community, the French Community and the Joint Commission of the Brussels Region. All councils and commissions are elected by popular vote for a five-year term.
Councils and commissions have broad financial and legislative powers. The regional councils exercise control over economic policy, including over foreign trade. Community councils and commissions oversee health care, security environment, local welfare authorities, education and culture, including the international cooperation in the field of culture.
local government
The 596 local government communes (subdivided into 10 provinces) are almost autonomous and have great powers, although their activities are subject to the veto of provincial governors; they can appeal the latter's decisions to the Council of State. Communal councils are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation and consist of 50-90 members. This is the legislature. Communal councils appoint the head of the board of the council, working alongside the burgomaster, who manages city affairs. The burgomaster, usually a member of the council, is nominated by the commune and appointed by the central government; he may also be a Member of Parliament and is often a major political figure.
The executive bodies of the communes consist of six councilors and a governor appointed, often for life, by the central government. The creation of regional and communal assemblies has greatly reduced the power of the provinces, and they can duplicate them.
judiciary
The judiciary is independent in decision-making and is separate from other branches of government. It consists of courts and tribunals and five courts of appeal (in Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Liège, Mons) and the Belgian Court of Cassation.
Justices of the peace and judges of the tribunals are personally appointed by the king. The members of the courts of appeal, the presidents of the tribunals and their deputies are appointed by the king on the proposals of the respective courts, the provincial councils and the council of the region of Brussels. The members of the Court of Cassation are appointed by the King on the proposals of that court and, in turn, the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Judges are appointed for life and retire only when they reach the legal age. The country is divided into 27 judicial districts (each with a trial court) and 222 judicial cantons (each with a justice of the peace). Defendants may have recourse to jury trials, which deal with civil and criminal cases, and judgments are made on the basis of a majority opinion of the 12 members of the court.
There are also special courts: for the settlement of labor disputes, commercial, military tribunals, etc.
The highest instance of administrative justice is the State Council.
Foreign policy
As a small country highly dependent on foreign trade, Belgium has always sought to conclude economic agreements with other countries and has strongly supported European integration. Already in 1921 between Belgium and Luxembourg was concluded economic union(BLES). After World War II, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg formed a customs union known as the Benelux, which was later (in 1960) transformed into a comprehensive economic union. The headquarters of the Benelux is located in Brussels.
Belgium was a founding member of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the European Economic Community (EEC), which became European Union(EU). Belgium is a member of the Council of Europe, the Western European Union (WEU) and NATO. All these organizations, as well as the EU, are headquartered in Brussels. Belgium is a member of the Organization economic cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations.
Military establishment
According to the latest data, there were more than 75 thousand people in the armed forces of the country. Defense spending is approx. 1.3% of GDP Internal troops provide order in the country. The ground forces, consisting of offensive troops, combat and logistics support services, number 63,000 personnel. The Navy has 4.4 thousand people. The Belgian Navy carries out minesweeping for NATO. The air force has 20,500 men in tactical air force, training and logistics units.
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generally accepted short form: Belgium; local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Ko-ninkrijk Belgie; local short form: Belgique/Belgie.
State structure: federal parliamentary democracy headed by a constitutional monarch.
Capital: Brussels.
Administrative division: 10 provinces: Antwerp, Walloon Brabant, East Flanders, West Flanders, Limburg, Liege, Luxembourg, Namur, Flemish Brabant, Hainaut; note: provinces do not include the Brussels-Capital Region.
Dependent Territories:
Independence: from October 4, 1830 (until 1830 - as part of the Netherlands).
National holiday: Independence Day, 21 July (accession to the throne of King LEOPOLD I in 1831).
Constitution: adopted February 7, 1831, last time revised July 14, 1993; Parliament adopted a package of amendments to the constitution, creating a federal state.
Legal system: the civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; revision of legislative acts in judicial order; subject to the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.
Suffrage: from 18 pet; universal and mandatory.
head of state: King ALBERT II (from August 9, 1993); heir to the throne Prince PHILIPPE, son of the king;
head of the government: Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July 1999);
government: a council of ministers appointed by the monarch and approved by parliament; elections: not held; hereditary monarchy; the prime minister is appointed by the monarch and approved by parliament; note: ruling coalition: VLD, PRL, PS, SP, AGALEV and ECOLO.
Legislature: bicameral parliament, consisting of the Senate (71 seats; 40 members are elected by direct universal suffrage, 31 - indirect; members of the Senate are elected for a four-year term) and the House of Representatives (Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, Chambre des Representants) (150 seats; deputies are elected by direct suffrage on the basis of proportional representation for a period of four years); elections: Senate and House of Representatives - last held 13 June 1999 (next to be held in 2003); election results: Senate - distribution of votes between parties - VLD 15.4%, CVP 14.7%, PRL 10.6%, PS 9.7%, VB 9.4%, SP 8.9%, ECOL0 7.4 %, AGALEV 7.1%, PSC 6.0%, VU 5.1%; number of seats - VLD 11, CVP 10, PS 10, PRL 9, VB 6, SP 6, ECOLO 6, AGALEV 5, PSC 5, VU 3; House of Representatives - distribution of votes between parties - VLD 14.3%, CVP 14.1%, PS 10.2%, PRL 10.1%, VB 9.9%, SP 9.5%, ECOLO 7.4%, AGALEV 7.0%, PSC 5.9%, VU 5.6%; number of seats - VLD 23, CVP 22, PS 19, PRL 18, VB 15, SP 14, ECOLO 11, PSC 10, AGALEV 9, VU 8, FN 1; note: as a result of the revision of the constitution in 1993, which secured the transition to a federal state, Belgium currently has three levels of government (federal, regional and linguistic communities) with a complex mechanism for delimiting powers; thus there are actually six governments, each of which has its own legislative assembly.
Judicial branch: The Supreme Court (Hof van Cas-satie, Cour de Cassation), judges are appointed by the monarch for life.
Political parties and leaders: Green Party (Flemings) (AGALEV) (Dos GEYSELS); Green Party (francophones) (ECOLO) (no chairman); Flemish Christian Democrats (Christian People's Party) (CVP) (Stefan DE KLERK, chairman); Flemish Liberal Democrats (VLD) (Carl DE GUHT, chairman); Socialist Party (Flemish) (SP) (Patrick JANSENS, chairman); Francophone Christian Democrats (Social Christian Party) (PSC) (Joel MILKE, chairman); Liberal Reformist Party (francophones) (PRL) (Daniel DUCARME, chairman); Socialist Party (francophones) (PS) (Hélio DI RUPO, chairman); National Front (FN) (Daniel FERE); Flemish Block (VB) (Frank WANHEKE); Folk-suni (Volksunie, VU) (leader post is vacant); other small parties.
Groups political influence and their leaders: Christian and socialist trade unions; Federation of Belgian Industry; numerous other associations uniting bankers, manufacturers, representatives of medium and small businesses, lawyers and doctors; there are various organizations that reflect the cultural interests of the Flemings and Walloons; there are various peace groups such as Pax Christi, as well as groups representing the interests of immigrants.
Participation in international organizations: ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO , ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO , ZC.
Diplomatic representation in the USA: Head of Mission: Ambassador Alexis REYN; office: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; phone: (202) 333-6900; fax: (C (202) 333-3079; consulates general: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago.
US Diplomatic Mission: head of mission: ambassador - post is vacant; embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels; mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710; telephone: (2) 508-2111; fax: (2) 511-2725.
Flag Description: three identical vertical stripes of black (the side adjacent to the hoist side), yellow and red; The flag of France served as a model.
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brief information
Belgium is considered a great country for excursions, because its centuries-old history is reflected in the architecture of Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liege, and historical artifacts are carefully stored in numerous local museums. However, in Belgium there are also prestigious beach resorts(De Panne, Knokke-Heist), located on the coast of the North Sea (let the word "north" not mislead you), as well as a variety of folk festivals, ranging from the Witches' Festival in Elsel to the Carnival in Binche.
Geography of Belgium
Belgium is located in the northwest of Europe. In the south-west, Belgium borders on France, in the north - on the Netherlands, in the east - on Luxembourg and Germany, and in the north-west it is washed by the waters of the North Sea. The total area of this country is 30,528 sq. km. Belgium is divided into three main geographical regions - the northwestern coastal plain, the central plateau (Anglo Belgian Basin) and the Ardennes highlands in the south.
Capital of Belgium
Brussels has been the capital of Belgium since the 1830s. This city was founded in the 9th century AD, although some historians suggest that the first settlement on the site of modern Brussels appeared in the 6th century. Now the population of Brussels is more than 1.1 million people. It is in this city that the headquarters of NATO is located.
Official language
Belgium has three official languages - Dutch, French and German. Dutch is spoken by the inhabitants of Flanders and Brussels, French- residents of the Walloon region and Brussels, and on German spoken in the province of Liege (about 100 thousand people).
Religion in Belgium
More than 75% of Belgians belong to the Roman Catholic Church. Protestants also live in this country (25% of the population), and in last years there are more and more Sunni Muslims (3.5%). Also in Belgium there are about 100 thousand people belonging to the Greek Catholic Church, about 40 thousand Jews, and more than 20 thousand Anglicans.
State structure of Belgium
Belgium is a hereditary constitutional monarchy. According to the Constitution of 1831, executive power belongs to the king, who appoints and removes ministers, civil servants, judges and officers. Thanks to a constitutional amendment in 1991, the Belgian throne can also be inherited by a woman.
The King of Belgium is the supreme commander. With the approval of Parliament, he has the right to declare war.
Legislative power in Belgium is exercised by the king and the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the House of Representatives (150 people) and the Senate (71 people). Belgians aged 18 and over are required to participate in parliamentary elections. Belgians are fined for failing to vote.
In accordance with the constitutional reform of 1980, there are three communities in Belgium - French-speaking, Dutch-speaking and German-speaking.
Climate and weather
In the coastal regions of Belgium, the climate is mild and humid. In the southeastern regions, hot summers alternate with cold winters. in Brussels average temperature air temperature is +10 C. In July, the average air temperature is +18 C, and in January it drops to -3 C. Monthly precipitation in Belgium averages 74 mm.
Rivers and lakes
Two rivers flow through Belgium big rivers- Scheldt and Meuse, into which small Belgian rivers flow. Created in the country special system dams and locks to avoid floods. There are very few lakes in Belgium.
History of Belgium
Belgium got its name from the Celtic tribe Belgov ("belgae"). In the 1st century BC. The Belgians were conquered by Roman legionnaires, and Belgium became a province of Rome. During the 300 years of Roman rule, Belgium has become a prosperous country. However, gradually the power of Rome decreased, and around the 3rd century AD. Hunnic tribes led by Attila invaded the territory modern Germany. Because of this, part of the Germanic tribes was forced to move to the north of Belgium. In the IV century AD. The Franks invaded Belgium and took possession of the country.
A few centuries later, Belgium came under the rule of the Duke of Burgundy, and from the end of the 14th century, this country became part of the Habsburg possessions (that is, it was part of the Holy Roman Empire).
In 1519-1713 Belgium was occupied by the Spaniards, and in 1713-1794 by the Austrians. In 1795 Belgium became part of Napoleonic France. In 1830, a revolution took place in Belgium, and the country became independent. In 1831, a constitutional monarchy was established in Belgium.
During World War I, Belgium was occupied by German troops. The same thing happened in 1940, after the outbreak of World War II. In 1944, American, British and Canadian troops liberated Belgium.
In 1970, Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels received fairly significant political autonomy.
Since 1994, after a constitutional reform, Belgium is not a unitary, but a federal state.
Culture of Belgium
Since Belgium was part of the ancient rome, Roman influence on the culture of Belgium became decisive. Until now, a large number of monuments of the Roman era have been preserved in this country.
However, the real flowering of Belgian culture began in the Middle Ages. This is evidenced by the surviving to this day Cathedral Notre Dame in the city of Tournai, which was built in the XII century.
Medieval Belgian painting was greatly influenced by Flemish artists, in particular, Pieter Brueghel the Elder and A. Van Dyck. Since the 17th century, Belgian artists have been influenced by their French counterparts. Thus, the Belgian school of painting took shape only in the mid-1800s, after Belgium became independent. The most famous Belgian artist of this period is Gustav Wappers, who painted the paintings Van Dyck and his Model, The Defense of Rhodes and The Savior in the Tomb.
The most famous Belgian poet and playwright is Maurice Maeterlinck, who received in 1911 Nobel Prize on literature.
big role in cultural life Belgium play folk holidays. The most popular and famous among them are: Carnival Week (February, celebrated throughout Belgium), Carnival in Aalst and Binche (February 25-26), Festival in Liège (August), Feast of Witches in Elsel (June), as well as the Walloon Festival in Namur.
Cuisine of Belgium
Belgian cuisine was formed under the influence of French and German chefs. In everyday life, the Belgians eat potatoes, meat (pork, chicken, beef), seafood and bread. The national drink in Belgium is beer. By the way, beer lovers will probably be interested to know that more than 400 varieties of this drink are now produced in Belgium. In addition, in Belgium in large numbers wine is imported.
In the north of Belgium, French fries with mussels and "waterzooi", a vegetable and meat broth (sometimes fish is used instead of meat), are a popular dish. In general, French fries are very popular throughout Belgium (most often they are eaten with mayonnaise).
Among the traditional Belgian dishes, the following should be mentioned: “pork chops in Liege”, “chicken in Ghent”, “village stew with beer”, “Flandish fish cakes”, and also “mussels marinated in beer”.
Belgian chocolate has long been legendary, and local waffles are deservedly considered the best in the world.
A large number of immigrants has led to the fact that Belgium has a lot of "ethnic" restaurants, because of which the Belgians are gradually changing their eating habits.
Landmarks of Belgium
In Belgium, they have always carefully treated their history. Therefore, there are a lot of different attractions here, and it is difficult to single out the best of them. In our opinion, the top five most interesting sights in Belgium include:
Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels (Museum of Fine Art).
For the first time this museum received visitors in 1801. It was formed on the initiative of Napoleon Bonaparte. Now the Royal Museum of Fine Arts houses several thousand paintings and prints of the most famous artists. So, in this museum there are works by Robber Campin, Dirk Bouts, Hans Memling, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Rubens, Van Dyck, Hieronymus Bosch, Paul Gauguin, and Vincent van Gogh.
Wellington Museum in Waterloo.
The museum is dedicated to the famous battle of 1815 between the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte and the anti-French coalition. Big collection personal belongings of the English Duke of Wellington. By the way, the house where this museum is located used to be a hotel in which the famous English commander lived for several days just before the Battle of Waterloo.
Gravensteen Castle.
This ancient castle is located near Ghent. It was built in 1180 by Philip of Alsace, Count of Flanders, modeled on the Crusader fortresses he saw during the Second Crusade. Previously, this place was a small wooden fortress, built, as historians believe, in the 9th century.
Diamond Museum in Antwerp.
There are only five diamond museums in the world, and one of the best of them is in Antwerp.
The museum is open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. All January and December 25-26 the museum is closed.
The entrance ticket costs 6 euros. Children under 12 years old enter free of charge.
Cities and resorts in Belgium
In addition to Brussels, the largest cities in Belgium are Antwerp (population - more than 2.3 million people), Ghent (about 250 thousand people), Liege (more than 200 thousand people), Charleroi (more than 200 thousand people), and Bruges ( about 120 thousand people).
Belgium has only 70 km of coast near the North Sea, and therefore it is not surprising that there is a very high population density - every Belgian wants to be closer to the beautiful local beaches. There are so many high-rise buildings on the Belgian coastline from De Panne to Knokke-Heist that it feels more like Tokyo than the Benelux country. Every wealthy Belgian considers it his duty to have a second home or apartment on the North Sea coast.
Souvenirs/Shopping
We recommend tourists to bring from Belgium as souvenirs candies from local producers (for example, Neuhaus, Leonidas or Godiva), as well as wonderful Belgian waffles and chocolate. Perhaps someone will want to bring real Belgian beer from Belgium.
Office Hours
In Belgium in weekdays shops are open from 9.00 to 18.00, on Saturday - from 9.00 to 12.30, and on Sunday - day off.
Bank opening hours:
Mon-Fri: from 09:00 to 17:00
Sat: from 09:00 to 12:00
About a quarter of Belgians vote for the Socialists in elections (there are slightly more supporters of the Socialists in Wallonia). The third major party group is traditionally the liberals, whose base is made up of small businessmen and merchants. This movement is generally conservative, pro-private enterprise, and often opposes the expansion of the welfare system. The liberal movement consists of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (FLD) and the Reformed Liberal Party (RLP). In elections, every fifth Belgian votes for the liberals (in Flanders, a little more). Any party (including a small one) can get seats in parliament by gaining at least 1% of total number votes across the country. In the 1970s, federalists were represented in parliament, in the 1980s and 1990s and to this day, environmental and nationalist (or chauvinist) parties.
Belgium
The country seeks to raise its "own voice" in world politics, relying on the principles of "humanity, democracy, protection of the weak, tolerance." As part of European integration, Belgium, together with its partners in the Benelux, has put forward the concept of “enhanced cooperation”, which justifies for small countries the right to form small groups to “promote” certain projects within the framework of EU reform.
Attention
The armed forces of the country consist of the land army, Air force, Navy and federal police. The territory of Belgium is divided into three military regions (Brussels, Antwerp, Liege).
The annual number of conscripts (men) is 63.2 thousand people. The draft age is 19 years. Defense spending reached nearly $3 billion.
(2002), their share in GDP is 1.4%.
Belgium kingdom of belgium
Belgium established a High Council of Justice, consisting of an equal number of magistrates of the judiciary and the prosecutor's office, on the one hand, and representatives appointed by the Senate civil society- with another. This body of self-government by the judiciary nominates candidates for appointment to the positions of judges and prosecutors (made by the monarch), is responsible for the training of judges and prosecutors, prepares proposals for the organization and activities judicial system, carries out general supervision of the functioning of the latter.
Judges are appointed for life. They retire when they reach the legal age. The Prosecutor's Office functions under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice.
At the Court of Cassation, there is the first Prosecutor General and several of his assistants - Advocates General, who give opinions on legal issues.
State structure and political system of Belgium
The Belgians believe that the role of small countries, acting together with several leading powers, can be unique in European construction. They are indispensable as intermediaries between large countries.
It is small states in such alliances that can put forward strategic initiatives regarding development prospects, since it is difficult to suspect them of “imperial ambitions”. The special role of Belgium in European integration was based on the unique experience of combining in this country two key European cultures - Latin and German (later Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian were added, and Slavic will soon appear).
The country gradually turned into a "universal mediator", without the efforts of which the adoption of any decisions is difficult. The Belgians hope to obtain for their country a status corresponding to the current position of Brussels, which has long been living on "world time".
Legal systems of the countries of the world: Encyclopedic reference book Belgium Kingdom of Belgium State in Western Europe. Territory - 30.5 thousand square meters. km. The capital is Brussels.
Important
Population - 10.2 million people. (1998), including Flemings 51%, Walloons - 41%. The German-speaking minority is less than 1%. official languages- French, Dutch (Flemish) and German.
Religion - the vast majority of believers are Catholics. State structure According to the form of the state-territorial structure, Belgium is a federal state, consisting of communities and regions. Communities are built on a cultural-linguistic basis, while regions are built on a linguistic-territorial basis. Belgium includes 3 communities: French, Flemish and Germanic and 3 regions: Walloon, Flemish and Brussels (bilingual). The transition from unitary to federal structure in Belgium occurred on January 1, 1989.
Belgium
The term "Brussels officials" has long been synonymous with the EU's ruling elite, which is not unfounded. This small European country has become a kind of experimental laboratory of the EU, as the ways of solving many of its problems become a benchmark for developing a common European strategy.
It is no coincidence that, according to the foreign policy concept of the current coalition government, Belgium seeks to come up with large-scale plans for the permanent expansion of the EU with its simultaneous transformation into a more centralized organization. First of all, we are talking about the creation of a new state structure, especially in the sphere of the formation of a unified foreign policy Europe and combat-ready armed forces to take its rightful place in contemporary world politics.
Belgian government
In accordance with it, delegations of personnel take part in the management of production at enterprises; at the level of industries, parity commissions were created from representatives of trade unions and entrepreneurs; the National Labor Council, the Central Economic Council and other bodies function at the national level. There is a developed system of labor legislation, including acts that regulate general working conditions (the Labor Law of 1971) and specific issues of hiring and firing, safety, etc.
In particular, the Employment Contracts Act of 1978 introduced the notion of "fair dismissal" applied to a specific worker. In accordance with the Law on collective agreements and parity commissions in 1968.
Government of Belgium 2012
So the tribe disappeared, but after a few centuries a country called Belgium appeared. However, these centuries were filled with turbulent events. The territory of modern Belgium along their length was part of:
- Duchy of Burgundy;
- Roman Empire;
- Spain;
- France;
- Netherlands.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the Belgian Revolution took place, as a result of which the country separated from the Netherlands. Since 1831, the state gains independence, and it is headed by the first king of Belgium - Leopold. Leopold, King of Belgium Such a stormy and complex formation of the country and the state left its mark on the formation of the structure and principles of the state system.
The subsequent history of the country was filled with no less drama. Belgium was particularly hard hit during the First World War.
No wonder the Belgians call it the Great War.
Permanent financial transfers from Flanders to Wallonia have always been considered controversial for wealthier Flemings (their per capita GDP is 10% higher). The main regions of the country should receive greater fiscal independence, with the right to moderate taxation rate maneuvering. The coalition government as a whole managed to significantly improve relations between the main regions. This was achieved on the basis of regular meetings of representatives of the federal, regional and linguistic community governments.
It was at this level that the problems of introducing greater autonomy of regions in the conduct of tax policy, securing the right to independent solution many local economic issues, educational problems and community culture. For the first time, political rather than linguistic-communal differences began to prevail within the coalition government.
Belgium state structure encyclopedic reference book
Belgium is a country of federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The Constitution adopted on February 7, 1831 is in force. The last changes were made on July 14, 1993 (the parliament approved a constitutional package of laws on the creation of a federal state).
Administrative division: 3 regions (Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels metropolitan area) and 10 provinces (Antwerp, West Flanders, East Flanders, Vlaams-Brabant, Limburg, Brabant-Walloon, Hainaut, Liege, Namur, Luxembourg). Most big cities(2000): Brussels, Antwerp (932 thousand people), Liege (586 thousand people), Charleroi (421 thousand people). Principles government controlled based on the separation of powers. Supreme legislature is a bicameral parliament, which includes the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies (elections to these bodies take place simultaneously every 4 years).
The Kingdom of Belgium is a federal state, a constitutional parliamentary monarchy. The Belgian constitution of February 7, 1831 is in force with the last changes of July 14, 1993, when the Belgian Parliament approved the constitutional reform of the state structure of the country, which completed the process of its federalization, which began in the 70s.
The current version of the constitution was published on February 3, 1994. The federal state consists of three regions with broad autonomy - Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussel) and three linguistic communities: Flemish, French and German (Flemish, French, German).
The competence of communities and regions is delimited. The head of state is the king.