[en] The 2012–14 reform of the Belgian state has deeeply transformed its Senate. Not only does the reform reduce the legislative powers of the Belgian upper chamber, but it also alters its composition. The former appointment of Senators based on a system of direct and community-based election is replaced by a system of indirect and mixed regional and community-based designation. This article presents this important reform. On the basis of a comprehensive dataset of federal and regional political careers, it also comparatively analyses the profile of the Senators, before and after the reform. Overall, although rules regarding seats allocation have been thoroughly remodelled, we conclude that the reform had neither dramatically affected the subtle balances upon which the Belgian federal state relies nor altered the patterns of Senators’ profiles.
Disciplines :
Political science, public administration & international relations
T.Balzac, Thierry, P.BaudewynsPierre, V.LegrandVincent, J.JaminJérôme, O.PayeOlivier and N.SchiffinoNathalie. 2014. Fondements de Science Politique. Louvain-la-Neuve: De Boeck.
P.Baudewyns, Pierre, R.DandoyRégis and M.ReuchampsMin. 2015. The success of the regionalist parties in the 2014 elections in Belgium. Regional & Federal Studies 25 (1): 91–102. doi: 10.1080/13597566.2014.998202
F.Bouhon, Frédéric and M.ReuchampsMin (eds). 2012. Les Systèmes Électoraux de la Belgique. Bruxelles: Bruylant.
S.Brenton, Scott. 2014. State-based representation and national policymaking: the evolution of the Australian Senate and the federation. The Journal of Legislative Studies 21 (2): 270–80. doi: 10.1080/13572334.2014.979626
D.Caluwaerts, Didier and M.ReuchampsMin. 2015. Combining federalism with consociationalism: Is Belgian consociational federalism digging its own grave? Ethnopolitics 14 (3): 277–95. doi: 10.1080/17449057.2014.986866
R.Dandoy, Régis, G.MatagneGeoffroy and C.Van WynsbergheCaroline. 2013. The future of Belgian federalism: an analysis of party preferences. Regional and Federal Studies 23 (3): 331–51. doi: 10.1080/13597566.2013.773894
R.Dandoy, Régis, M.ReuchampsMin and P.BaudewynsPierre. 2015. The 2014 federal and European elections in Belgium. Electoral Studies 39: 164–68. doi: 10.1016/j.electstud.2015.05.004
R.Dandoy, Régis, P.DumontPatrick and L.VerzichelliLuca. 2011. Living off politics across (subnational) borders? Ministerial resignations and new multi-level career patterns in Belgium and Italy. Paper presented at the ECPR Joint Sessions, St Gallen, 12–17 April.
P.Delfosse, Pascale and J.-P.DupratJean-Pierre. 1999. Des Sénats. Revue Internationale de Politique Comparée 6 (1): 7–9.
K.Deschouwer, Kris. 2012. The Politics of Belgium: Governing a Divided Society. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
K.Deschouwer, Kris and M.ReuchampsMin. 2013. The Belgian federation at a crossroad. Regional & Federal Studies 23 (3): 261–70. doi: 10.1080/13597566.2013.773896
C.Devos, Carl and D.SinardetDave. 2012. Governing without a government: the Belgian experiment. Governance 25 (2): 167–71. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0491.2012.01580.x
J.Dodeigne, Jérémy. 2014a. Regionalism does matter but nationalism Prevails. A comparative analysis of career patterns in Western Multi-level Democracies. Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, 3–6 September, Glasgow.
J.Dodeigne, Jérémy. 2014b. (Re-)Assessing career patterns in Multi-level systems: insights from Wallonia in Belgium. Regional & Federal Studies 24 (2): 151–71. doi: 10.1080/13597566.2013.865605
V.Dujardin, Vincent and M.A.Ï.T.E.Singelyn. 2012. Histoire du système électoral belge. In Les systèmes électoraux de la Belgique, edited by F.BouhonFrédéric and M.ReuchampsMin. Bruxelles: Bruylant, pp. 63–84.
C.Istasse, Cédric. 21 May 2015. Quel devenir pour le Sénat ? Premier bilan. Les @nalyses du CRISP en ligne. Available at http://www.crisp.be/crisp/wp-content/uploads/analyses/2015-05-21_ACL-Istasse_C-2015-Quel_devenir_pour_le_Senat_Premier_bilan.pdf.
M.L.Krook, Mona Lena. 2009. Quotas for Women in Politics: Gender and Candidate Selection Reform Worldwide. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
X.Mabille, Xavier. 2000. Histoire Politique de la Belgique: Facteurs et Acteurs de Changement. Bruxelles: CRISP.
B.Manin, Bernard. 1999. En guise de conclusion: Les secondes chambres et le gouvernement complexe. Revue Internationale de Politique Comparée 6 (1): 189–99.
M.Reuchamps, Min. 2013a. Structures institutionnelles du fédéralisme belge. In Le fédéralisme belge: Enjeux institutionnels, acteurs socio-politiques et opinions publiques, edited by R.DandoyRégis, G.MatagneGeoffroy and C.Van WynsbergheCaroline. Louvain-la-Neuve: Academia-L'Harmattan, pp. 29–61.
M.Reuchamps, Min. 2013b. The current challenges on the Belgian federalism and the sixth reform of the state. In The Ways of Federalism in Western Countries and the Horizons of Territorial Autonomy in Spain, edited by A.López-BasagurenAlberto and L.Escajedo San-EpifanioLeire. Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 375–92.
M.Reuchamps, Min, F.OnclinFrançois, D.CaluwaertsDidier and P.BaudewynsPierre. 2014. Raising the threshold, fighting fragmentation? Mechanical and psychological effects of the legal electoral threshold in Belgium. West European Politics 37 (5): 1087–1107. doi: 10.1080/01402382.2014.925736
M.Russell, Meg. 2013. The Contemporary House of Lords: Westminster Bicameralism Revived. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
C.Sägesser, Caroline and C.IstasseCédric. 2014. Le Sénat et ses réformes successives. Courrier hebdomadaire du CRISP: 2219–2220: 5–115. doi: 10.3917/cris.2219.0005
J.Stengers, Jean. 1990. Histoire de la législation électorale en Belgique. In Stratégies Politiques Et Réformes Électorales Aux Origines Des Modes De Scrutin En Europe Aux Xixe Et Xxe Siècles, edited by S.NoiretSerge. Baden Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, pp. 76–107.
A.Stepan, Alfred. 1999. Federalism and democracy: beyond the U.S. Model. Journal of Democracy 10 (4): 19–34. doi: 10.1353/jod.1999.0072
C.Van Wynsberghe, Caroline. 23 October 2014. The Belgian Senate: little damage, little use. Verfassungsblog on Matters Constitutional. Available at http://www.verfassungsblog.de/en/belgian-Senate-little-damage-little-use/#.VFi0O9ydlXK.
R.L.Watts, Ronald L. 2008. Comparing Federal Systems (3rd edn). Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press.
