Do Identities Matter More than Party Interests in Ethno-Territorial Politics? Conceptual and Empirical Insights from Multilevel and Deeply Divided Belgium

In territorial politics, identities are a chief variable of the political life. By definition, the ethno-linguistic identities play(ed) an important role in the political dynamics of several highly divided societies. In most cases, the institutional design is in fact adapted or has been adapted to the ethno-linguistic divisions of the country. According to quite a few scholars, it is especially true for political elites who are not only shaped by this variable but also use this variable to legitimate their attitudes and actions. Therefore political elites of each ethno-linguistic group appeared to behave as monolithic blocks, standing against each other along ethno-linguistic lines. Nonetheless, this view neglects the role of party interests in explaining the behaviors of political elites. An important question for ethno-territorial politics should be raised: do identities matter more that party interests? The current reform of the – multilevel and deeply-divided – Belgian state provides a fertile ground to test this hypothesis. To what extent, party interests can account for political elites’ position in the debate about the 6th Belgian constitutional reform? To explore these questions, we surveyed every representative of Belgium’s seven legislative assemblies with a standardized questionnaire (Summer 2011). This research will help us apprehend the rationale behind political elites’ attitudes – be it identities, party interests or a mix of them – negotiating the new boundaries of the state and above all shed light on territorial politics in Europe. So doing, this paper aims at contributing to the debate that explores the possibility of a unified analytical approach bridging ethno-territorial politics and party politics.