Senate of Belgium

Geschiedenis

The Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament. Created in 1831 as a chamber fully equal to the Chamber of Representatives, it has undergone several reforms in the past, most notably in 1993 and the reform of 2014 following the sixth Belgian state reform. The 2014 elections were the first ones without a direct election of senators. Instead, the new Senate is completely composed of members of community and regional parliaments and co-opted members. It is a chamber of the communities and regions and serves as a platform for discussion and reflection about matters between the different language communities. The Senate now only plays a very minor role in the federal legislative process. Since the reform, it only holds about ten plenary sessions a year.HistoryAfter the Belgian Revolution, the National Congress decided about the Belgian Constitution and the state structure. A bicameral Parliament was chosen over a unicameral one, due to fears of more democratic and progressive decisions in the Chamber of Representatives, as was seen in France. Thus the Senate served as a more conservative and elite body. To be eligible, one had to pay 1000 francs, which meant that at that time, only about 4000 persons could be elected.

"At federal level, the Senate is the assembly of the federated states: these are the Communities and Regions. In the Senate, elected representatives of the state parliaments take part in the federal decision-making process or take a position on it. The Senate embodies federal legitimacy. Through the senators, the federal states can enter into dialogue with each other or with the federal authority.The Senate, with the Chamber of Representatives, is fully competent, among other things, for the Constitution and legislation on the organisation and functioning of the institutions of the federal state and of the federated states. The Senate can draw up information reports, in particular when a rule affects that of another level of competence."