Legal system:
civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory;
judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent
Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July
1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional;
following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime
minister by the monarch and then approved by parliament
note: government coalition - VLD, MR, PS, SP.A-Spirit
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat
in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular
vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and
a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch,
Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly
elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 May 2003
(next to be held 10 June 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit
15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH
5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5,
VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected
senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD
15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR
11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit
23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8, Ecolo 4, other 2
note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six
governments each with its own legislative assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de
Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the
government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice
Council)
Political parties and leaders:
Flemish parties: Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V [Jo
VANDEURZEN]; Flemish Liberal and Democrats or VLD [Bart SOMERS];
GROEN! (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) [Vera DUA]; New Flemish
Alliance or NVA [Bart DE WEVER]; Social Progressive Alternative or
SP.A [Johan Vande LANOTTE]; Spirit [Geert LAMBERT] (new party now
associated with SP.A); Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Frank
VANHECKE]
Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX,
Isabelle DURANT, Claude BROUIR]; Humanist and Democratic Center of
CDH [Joelle MILQUET]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; Reform
Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI
RUPO]; other minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Christian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federation of
Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing
bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and
medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural
interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax
Christi and groups representing immigrants
International organization participation:
ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC,
EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA,
NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA,
SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR,
UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dominique STRUYE DE SWIELANDE chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York consulate(s): Atlanta
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tom C. KOROLOGOS; note - Ambassador-designate Sam FOX may take his place in early 2007; must face Senate confirmation hearing embassy: Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710 telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111 FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725