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e. Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled King (or Queen) of the Belgians ( Dutch: Koning (in) der Belgen, French: Roi / Reine des Belges, German: König (in) der Belgier) and serves as the country's head of state and commander-in-chief of the Belgian Armed Forces.
- Louise
Louise of Orléans (Louise-Marie Thérèse Charlotte Isabelle;...
- Mathilde
Mathilde (born Jonkvrouw Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz [matild...
- Queen Paola
Early life and family background. Paola Margherita...
- List of Belgian Monarchs
List of Belgian monarchs. This is a list of Belgian monarchs...
- Royal Palace of Brussels
The Royal Palace of Brussels (French: Palais royal de...
- Princess Eléonore
Princess Eléonore of Belgium (Eléonore Fabiola Victoria Anne...
- Prince Emmanuel of Belgium
Prince Emmanuel of Belgium (Emmanuel Léopold Guillaume...
- Louise
- Historical Aspects
- Legal Aspects
- Constitutional Amendments
- See Also
- References
- Further Reading
- External Links
Origins and adoption
The Belgian Constitution of 1831 was created in the aftermath of the secession of Belgium from the United Netherlands in the Belgian Revolution. After the revolution's initial success, an elected National Congress was convened in November 1830 to create a devise a political order for the new state. The members of the National Congress reflected a variety of political ideals, but the vast majority supported the "Union of Oppositions" which had emerged before the revolution. This brought togeth...
Political significance
The Constitution of 1831 was a highly visible national symbol of Belgian nationalism throughout the 19th century. A.V. Dicey, a British legal theorist, concluded that the Belgian document codified a number of conventions long established in the United Kingdom, saying that it "indeed comes very near to a written reproduction of the English constitution". It also inspired contemporary liberal movements in other European countries, including Denmark which adopted its first constitutionin 1849 ex...
Subsequent development
The Constitution of 1831 originally established Belgium as a unitary state organised at three levels: national level, provinces and municipalities. State reform in Belgium reconfigured the Belgian political system into on a federal modelwhich entailed significant amendments to the original document. The official version of the Constitution of 1831 was written in French and was only comprehensible to part of the national population. An official version in Dutch was only adopted in 1967.Up to t...
Federal Belgium, its composition and territory
Since 1993, the first article of the Constitution stipulates that Belgium is a federal state composed of Communities and Regions. This means that there are two types of devolved entities at the same level, with neither taking precedence over the other. Article 2 divides Belgium into three communities: the Flemish Community, the French Community and the German-speaking Community, whereas Article 3 divides Belgium into three regions: the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and the Brussels Regio...
The Belgians and their rights
Title II of the Belgian Constitution is titled The Belgians and their rights. In this title a number of rights and freedoms are enumerated. Although the Constitution speaks of the rights of the Belgians, in principle they apply to all persons on Belgian soil. In addition to the rights enumerated in Title II of the Constitution, the Belgians also enjoy the rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. Articles 8 and 9 determine how the Belgian nationality can be obtained. Articl...
The Powers
Title III of the Belgian Constitution is titled The Powers. It consists of Articles 33 to 166 and is subdivided into eight chapters, four of which are further subdivided into several sections. It is by far the largest title of the Constitution. In this title, the Belgian system of government is outlined, in accordance with the principle of the separation of powers. Article 34 of the Constitution expressly stipulates that the exercise of certain powers or responsibilities can be attributed to...
The Belgian Constitution can be amended by the federal legislative power, which consists of the King (in practice, the Federal Government) and the Federal Parliament. The amendment process is governed by the provisions of Title VIII of the Constitution, which is titled The revision of the Constitution. In order to amend the Constitution, the federa...
Bibliography
1. Dicey, A.V. (1889). Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution(3rd ed.). London: Macmillan and Co. 2. Hawgood, J.A. (1971). "Liberalism and Constitutional Developments". In Bury, J.P.T. (ed.). The New Cambridge Modern History. Vol. 10. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 185–212. ISBN 0521045487. 3. Witte, Els; Craeybeckx, Jan; Meynen, Alain (2009). Political History of Belgium from 1830 Onwards (New ed.). Brussels: ASP. ISBN 978-90-5487-517-8. 4. Huygebaert, Stefan (2...
Deseure, Brecht (2018). "Constitutional Precedence and the Genesis of the Belgian Constitution of 1831". Reconsidering Constitutional Formation II Decisive Constitutional Normativity: From Old Libe...Deseure, Brecht (2019). "Republican Monarchy in the 1830 Revolutions: From Lafayette to the Belgian Constitution". History of European Ideas. 45 (7): 992–1010. doi:10.1080/01916599.2019.1628085. S2...The three official versions of the Belgian Constitution:English translation, recently updated but without official recognition:- Before 21 February 1831; 192 years ago
- 7 February 1831; 192 years ago
- (in French) Constitution du 7 février 1831
- Belgium
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The Southern Netherlands rebelled during the 1830 Belgian Revolution, establishing the modern Belgian state, officially recognized at the London Conference of 1830. The first King of Belgium, Leopold I, assumed the throne in 1831. The first half of the twentieth century was tumultuous.
Eligibility. Since 1991, Belgium practises absolute primogeniture among the descendants of King Albert II (then Prince of Liège). Descendants of earlier monarchs and princes are only eligible to succeed if male and descended from King Leopold I in male-line (i.e. according to agnatic primogeniture), meaning that descendants of all Belgian princesses not descended from Albert II are barred ...
Belgium a hereditary monarchy. 2.2 A hereditary monarchy LIn Belgium the constitutional position of the King passes on to his natural and legitimate descendants in a direct line. A new King accedes to the throne only after he has solemnly sworn the constitutional oath in a joint session of the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament.
Monarchy of Belgium. Monarchy in Belgium is constitutional and popular in nature. The monarch is the head of state. The Monarch is officially called King of the Belgians. The current leader is Philippe I. Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the first King of the Belgians. To date all have belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha .
