Will it stay or will it go?’ Federalism and the sustainability of Belgium

Bibliographic Data

ID6406493
AuthorsWilfried Swenden (0000-0002-8168-340X), Maarten Theo Jans, Maarten Jans
Year2006
Volume29
Issue5
Pages877-894
Publication date2006-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueWest European Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0140-2382 • E-ISSN: 1743-9655
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01402380600968745
OpenAlexW2170288292
LanguageEN
Citations received44
References cited16

This article provides an overview of the federalisation of Belgium. It first discusses why Belgium acquired a federal character when the politics of the centre already recognised the multilingual character of the Belgian state. Subsequently the authors discuss the specificities of the Belgian federal system when it is placed in a comparative perspective. The presence of two different types of regions – Regions and Communities – the steering capacity of a small group of political elites reluctant to give up political control, the presence of institutional asymmetries, the initially dual nature of dividing competencies and the slow development of intergovernmental relations are highlighted as specific features of Belgian federalism. In the final section, the authors assess the assets and liabilities of federalism from the viewpoint of institutional stability. They argue that while Belgian federalism contains significant institutional shock absorbers and issues of common interest, the further unravelling of the centre in a confederal direction is more likely

Character (mathematics · Dual federalism · Federalism · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · State (computer science · Sustainability · European Union Policy and Governance · Law · Local Government Finance and Decentralization · Political Systems and Governance · Public Administration

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