Political Parties

Political Parties
   During the 1990s the Liberals (Parti Réformateur Libéral) entered the ruling coalition in the Brussels regional government despite being in opposition in the other regional legislatures and at the federal level. It has garnered about 34 percent of the vote and constitutes an indispensable player in regional coalition building. Either alone or as part of a group, it is the main electoral force in Ixelles, Etterbeek, Koekelberg, Uccle, Forest, and the two Woluwes.
   The Socialists (Parti Socialiste), the strongest force in the late 1980s and early 1990s, now holds second place at both regional and municipal levels. Several communes have long been traditional "red" strongholds —Anderlecht, Saint-Gilles, Evere, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean.
   The Front démocratique des Francophones remains the third largest party, with strength in Auderghem, Watermael-Boitsfort, and Woluwe Saint-Lambert. The moderate Christian Democrats (Parti Social Chrétien) are traditionally strong in the city of Brussels, Ganshoren, Jette, and Berchem-Sainte-Agathe. The radical right made inroads during the 1990s with the Front National winning six seats on the Brussels Regional Council in 1995. Radical Francophone parties do best in the southern and southeastern communes, where Dutch-language representation is virtually nonexistent.
   During the 1990s, the number of Dutch-speaking elected officials hovered around 11 percent for communal elections and 14 percent for regional contests. They secure seats either as members of the regional divisions of a Flemish party, as members of Flemish cross-party lists, or as members of bilingual lists of one political party. Local contests hinge on local issues and personalities rather than the language question. At the regional level electoral lists must be unilingual. Voters are free to vote any list. The Dutch-language lists do best in western and northwestern suburbs.
   The position of the parties on the status of Brussels mirrors the linguistic division. Moderate Dutch-language parties (Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, Christelijke Volkspartij, Socialistische Partij) call for a guaranteed bilingual status for the Brussels Capital Region (BCR) to ensure unfettered participation by their linguistic compatriots, encourage Dutch-language learning, and support bicommunity initiatives that do not promote further Francophone inroads. The right-wing Vlaams Bloc seeks an eventual independent state of Flanders with Brussels as capital. The party affirms that the French presence in Brussels is of relatively recent origin and can be reversed over time. Francophones in Brussels will support the party when they realize it is in their economic interest to do so, Vlaams Bloc adherents maintain.
   French-language parties (Parti Réformateur Libéral, Parti Social Chrétien) uphold current regional arrangements while stressing cultural and economic ties that link the BCR with Wallonia. Close association is essential to thwart any possible moves by Flanders to change the language border into a political border. The Parti Socialiste supports enlargement of the region to include neighboring areas, including the communes à facilités. The Front démocratique des Francophones calls for a strengthening of French language and culture in the BCR and close ties with Wallonia.
   See also National Politics.

Historical Dictionary of Brussels. .

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • POLITICAL PARTIES — ▪ 1997        Political PartiesThe following Table (Political Parties) is a guide to the principal political parties and coalitions of the world. All countries that were independent on Dec. 31, 1996, are included, except the Vatican City State.… …   Universalium

  • Political parties —    Israel s political parties, many with roots in late 19th and early 20th century Europe, fall into several distinct categories, many with cross cutting ideological and denominational lines. These categories of parties include secular… …   Historical Dictionary of Israel

  • Political parties —    Owing to the country’s seven decades as a one party totalitarian state, the status of political parties in Russia is complex and protean. In 1990, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) abandoned its monopoly on political… …   Historical Dictionary of the Russian Federation

  • political parties — Formal organizations for representing the aims and interests of different socio economic forces in the political sphere although not all societies have a party political system of government. Political parties are the organizational means by… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • political parties —    Spanish political parties are characterized by several factors, most of which can be explained by the legacy of the Franco regime and the nature of the subsequent élite led transition to democracy. These factors are: low levels of membership… …   Encyclopedia of contemporary Spanish culture

  • Political Parties —    A centralized parliament of sorts existed in the Habsburg Empire after 1861. Delegates, however, came from the provincial estates, which chose them. These people were not representatives of organized political parties but rather of four… …   Historical dictionary of Austria

  • Political parties —    The constitution of the new Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1814–1815 limited suffrage to a very small group of rich and propertied people. The political elite remained an oligarchy, even after the proclamation of a new constitution in 1848… …   Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands

  • Political Parties 2 — ▪ Table Political Parties       Parlia     Voting  mentary Country Affili strength represen   Name of party ation  (%)  tation  Afghanistan           Multifactional warfare from January 1993     Albania (May–June 1996)           Democratic Party… …   Universalium

  • Political parties in Iran — gives information on the political parties in Iran. Iran has regular presidential and parliamentary elections. Only those candidates and parties that are approved by the clerical Guardian Council can be elected. The system as a whole is presented …   Wikipedia

  • Political parties in Syria — lists political parties in Syria. While not formally a single party state, all political life in Syria is controlled by the Baath Party through a political front , much like in the former German Democratic Republic. Article 8 of the constitution… …   Wikipedia

  • Political parties in Jordan — lists political parties in Jordan. Jordan has political parties, but besides the oppositional Islamic Action Front they don t play a real role. There is no clear picture on the political parties in Jordan, but sources mention the following… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”