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The politics of Belgium take place in the framework of a federal, representative democratic, constitutional monarchy. The King of the Belgians is the head of state, and the prime minister of Belgium is the head of government, in a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government.
Belgium’s mainstream had been bracing for a far-right win in the north, with voters endorsing a plan to break up the country in just a few years and Vlaams Belang riding a wave of European far-right forces doing well across member countries in the June 6-9 EU election.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Flemish nationalist parties dominated general elections in Belgium on Sunday as Prime minister Alexander De Croo’s liberal party took a hit, with difficult coalition talks to form a new government now looming.
Belgian elections guide: What Belgium's parties stand for. Seven political parties are in the current Belgian government coalition, while more will compete in the June 9 elections. The Brussels Times parse the history and manifestos of each to explain who they are and what they want.
On June 9, Belgians will elect a new federal parliament, regional parliaments and members of the European Parliament all on the same day. The results risk sending the small yet fragmented country into a months-long institutional standstill over who holds the power.
Political rights and civil liberties are legally guaranteed and largely respected. Major concerns in recent years have included the threat of terrorism, corruption scandals, and rising right-wing nationalism and xenophobia.
Belgian voters return to the national polls on Sunday, in conjunction with the European Union vote, amid a rise of both the far-right and the far-left in the country. The vote could mean complex negotiations ahead in a country of 11.5 million people who are divided by language and deep regional identities.