Until 1970, Belgium was a unitary state. Tensions between language groups led to four waves of federalist reforms from 1980, which culminated in the St. Michel Accords of 1993, confirming the state as a federal monarchy.
Main Political Issues
Language
Tensions between the two language groups are receding. However, the divisions remain strong. Each community has its own Socialist Party (the PS in Wallonia, the SP in Flanders) and the Christian Democrats are split into the francophone PSC and Flemish CVP. Under the premiership of Jean-Luc Dehaene the four parties have worked in an uneasy coalition.
Debt
Belgium's debt is now greater than its national income. The question of how to deal with it dominates and defines most political debate. Dehaene pushed through unpopular tax-raising budgets in 1993. However, many Flemings, who feel they are subsidizing Wallonia's costs, want the debt to be regionalized.
Profile
Belgian politics are defined by language. Apart from this, a high degree of consensus exists over the benefits of EU membership and monetary union. In recent years, there has been an increase in support for the racist "Vlaams Blok," which objects to Belgium's Turkish and Moroccan minorities. "Vlaams Blok" captured 25% of Antwerp's vote in 1991.
The current government is a left-of-center coalition, composed of the Socialist and Christian Democrat parties from the Flemish and French-speaking communities. Although the coalition has a majority in parliament, it had difficulty in securing the necessary two-thirds majority for the constitutional reform enacted in the St. Michel Accords. These gave the three regional governments, Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels, significant powers under a federal government. Most of the population sees this as the best system to cope with the country's diversities.
