Expat interest in politics in Belgium

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Bhavna Team

Member since 01 June 2015

BhavnaTeam05 November 2019 05:35:00

40582

Hello everyone,

As an expat, your day-to-day life in Belgium is impacted by decision-making at the political level in your host country as well as in your country of origin. We would like to know how involved you think expats should be in the political day-to-day of either their host or home country?

Can expats vote during elections which take place in their country of origin? Can you do so online or through embassies/consulates in Belgium?

What is the administrative process which has been set up in Belgium to enable expats to vote in their country of origin?

To which extent should political life in Belgium include expats and their concerns? Should they be more active as a community to make their voices heard?

Are there any precautionary measures to observe during election period in your host country? Any local prohibitions?

Do you keep up with politics in Belgium?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Bhavna

phipiemar VIP Member

Member since 01 May 2013

phipiemarVIP Member06 November 2019 15:12:43

4733

Hello Bhavna,

And yes, again, I'll start ...

The basic elements of the electoral system are set by the Belgian Constitution:

Elections are held by universal suffrage.

The principle of proportional representation is applied
Each voter has one vote
The vote is secret
Voting is mandatory
The vote takes place in the municipality
These elements are complemented by a set of general and specific laws and regulations concerning elections.

Federal Elections
This is the election of members of the House of Representatives.

Regional and community elections
Also called regional elections, and the European elections: the election of the members of the Walloon Parliament, the Flemish Parliament, the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Parliament of the German-speaking Community and the election of the Belgian members of the European Parliament .

Elections of municipal and provincial councils
This is the election of members of provincial and communal councils. This is almost entirely the responsibility of the Regions.

Non-EU nationals may vote in local elections if they meet the conditions and have registered in advance.

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