G. Democracy in Belgium

Question 1

1. explain the key words constitutional state (=rechtsstaat), separation of Church and State (=scheiding van Kerk en Staat), constitution (=grondwet), free elections, coalition, majority, opposition, democratic majority, political party and constitutional parliamentary democracy.

Answer 1

• The state does not interfere with religious services and the different religions do not
  meddle with the (constitutional) state.
• Contains constitutional/municipal law:
• How is the state organized?
  Contains civil rights:
• Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, right of assembly
• Equality before the law: everyone should receive the same treatment in similar circumstances
• A voter/constituent should be able to vote unhindered and in secret
• Parties that together have more than half of the seats in Parliament. They come to an
  agreement about what they want to realize during their period of office
• Meerderheid
• Parties that together have less than half of the seats in Parliament
• Meerderheid in democracy
• A political organization of people with similar ideas of how a state should be governed
• A democracy with a Parliament that follows a Constitution

Question 2

2. give three characteristics of a constitutional parliamentary democracy.

Answer 2

• A constitution
• Contains constitutional/municipal law:
  → How is the state organized?
• Contains civil rights:
  → Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, right of assembly
  → Equality before the law: everyone should receive the same treatment in similar circumstances
• The state does not interfere with religious services and the different religions do not
  meddle with the (constitutional) state.
  
  • The separation of power:
• Legislative power (wetgevende macht):
  → Parliament
  → Function: making laws and controlling the other powers (there has to be a majority representatives to pass  half + 1 of the representatives)
• Executive power (uitvoerende macht):
  → Government
  → Function: govern, carry out the laws
• The judiciary (rechterlijke macht):
  → The courts of law
  → Function: guarantee the functioning of the constitutional state, ensuring everyone is equal before the law and making sure the civil rights and the laws are respected

Question 3

3. define what ‘freedom of opinion’ and ‘equality before the law’ mean according to the constitution.

Answer 3

• Everyone is allowed to express their opinion in a peaceful and unharmful manner
• Everyone should receive the same treatment in similar circumstances

Question 4

4. explain the concept of separation of powers.

Answer 4

Legislative power (wetgevende macht):
* Parliament
* Function: making laws and controlling the other powers (there has to be a majority representatives to pass  half + 1 of the representatives)
Executive power (uitvoerende macht):
* Government
* Function: govern, carry out the laws
The judiciary (rechterlijke macht):
* The courts of law
* Function: guarantee the functioning of the constitutional state, ensuring everyone is equal before the law and making sure the civil rights and the laws are respected

Question 5

5. explain the role the three state powers act out.

Answer 5

Legislative power (wetgevende macht):
* make the law
Executive power (uitvoerende macht):
* execute the law
The judiciary (rechterlijke macht):
* control the law

Question 6

8. give two examples to make clear that political parties have a lot of influence on our political system.

Answer 6

• They decide who runs for which elections
• They decide who gets the interesting spots on the electoral list
• The heads of the parties negotiate about possible coalitions
• If a party belongs to the majority, the party leadership decides who gets a position and that is not always the person with the most votes.

Question 7

9. give one example of how the power of the political parties has been limited by new election decrees.

Answer 7

• Voting for local elections is no longer compulsory.
• The person with most votes in the largest party of the coalition becomes the mayor.
• The first person of the largest party exclusively has the right of initiative to form a coalition during the first two weeks after the election.
• The possibility to vote for a party (on top of the list) disappears. This enabled people to get elected because of their high position on the list. Only the individual votes will determine whether someone gets elected.