Belgium needs a federal constituency, say Flemish Liberals

The Flemish liberal Open VLD party wants a federal constituency for Belgium, meaning that all voters could vote for the same electoral lists throughout the entire country, instead of just in Flanders or Wallonia.

“This means that Alexander De Croo, as prime minister of the entire country, does not have to account for any of his actions in French-speaking Belgium, because nobody there can vote for him,” ​ pointed out Open VLD president Egbert Lachaert.

Currently, political parties can be active in every electoral district in the country, but in practice they either campaign in Flemish-speaking or in French-speaking Belgium. At the end of the day, it means that Walloons will only vote for French-speaking parties, while Flanders residents will do so for Flemish parties.

Together with Federal MP for Open VLD Patrick Dewael, Lachaert is submitting a bill to introduce a Federal electoral district, in which 20 of the 150 seats in the Federal Parliament would be filled by national candidates, writes the Belgian newspaper De Standaard.

“The current system rewards politicians from one Region who are as tough as possible on the other Region,” Dewael told the newspaper. “But that causes a negative spiral that leads to a blockage.” 

(VIV)

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© BELGA PHOTO (KURT DESPLENTER) Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo at a party congress of Flemish liberal party Open Vld (Liberaal Vuur)