Structure of the Belgian State

Structure of the Belgian State

Belgium is a constitutional monarchy and a federal State. The country has a federal government and a federal parliament consisting of two chambers: the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate.

The federal State comprises three regions and three communities. Each one of them has executive and legislative powers. While this arrangement gives the country a certain complexity, it also ensures that various groups of people with different cultural backgrounds and needs, and also different languages, can live together in harmony.

The division of the country into communities is based on language. The communities have person-related responsibilities, including education and culture. Belgium has a Flemish (Dutch-speaking) Community, a French Community and a German-speaking Community.

The division into regions relates to territorial issues. The regions have economic responsibilities, such as employment, agriculture, environment, energy, housing and even foreign trade. The three regions are the Flemish Region, the Brussels-Capital Region and the Walloon Region.

The website belgium.be provides a more detailed description of the structure of the Belgian State.