Politics in Belgium from 1830 until 2025

Europe is going through a period of major political change. Governments are taking unusually long to form, elections are becoming more unpredictable, political systems are increa­singly fragmented, the radical right is gaining strength, and trust in politics is eroding across large parts of society. This book examines how these trends have played out in Belgium by taking a long-term view from 1830 to today. While Belgium’s political system and its main actors have changed significantly over time, some underlying patterns have remained.

By looking at shifts in political life, institutions, and key players since independence while using the major cleavages that have shaped political debate, the author identifies six key phases in Belgium’s political history: 1830–1893, 1894–1918, 1919–1945, 1946–1965, 1965–1999, and the early 21st century.

Each of these periods is explored in detail. As with any timeline, the boundaries between the phases are not rigid. Still, it is essential to adopt a dynamic approach that recognises conti­nuity and the turning points that have shaped Belgian politics.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pascal Delwit is a professor of political science at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), where he conducts his research at the Centre for the Study of Political Life (Cevipol). His work mainly focuses on political parties as well as political and electoral life in Belgium and Europe. He is the author of “Gauches radicales en Europe. XIXe-XXIe siècles” (2016) and ” La Vie politique en Belgique de 1830 à nos jours” (2022), both published by the Editions of the Université de Bruxelles.