Over time, our country has become a constantly evolving reality with several faces. The complexity of our institutions has often been presented as a necessary evil. The coexistence of the Federal Government, the Regions and the Communities, with their own scopes of activity, reflects a great number of sensitivities, and for a lot of people is the only plan able to guarantee that the different aspirations of citizens are organised harmoniously.
The arrangement is undisputedly original. Belgian federalism has enabled the country's peaceable cohesion to be maintained. However, this arrangement is also, it has to be acknowledged, disconcerting for the citizen.
It is disconcerting in principle, since in order to be able to exercise citizenship properly, we have to have a clear vision of the institutions that govern the society in which we live. It is also disconcerting in practice, since the daily realisation of citizenship is built on exercising rights and duties and, consequently, involves being able to identify properly the public and institutional partners that we are likely to call upon.
It might be questioned whether a Belgian nation really exists or whether it has given way to Flemish and French-speaking or Walloon nations, which in any case forced the Unitary State to be federalised.
Is federalism necessary to a country the size of Belgium ?
Size is not the criteria according to which the State is organised on a unitary or federal basis.
The reasons for federalism are specific to each country. In Belgium, it is to enable diverse groups of people to continue to live side by side. Belgium federalism is unique in two respects. Firstly, it forms part of a process of dissociation and not of association and secondly, it only has a few federated entities. It arouses interest throughout the world because it is a peaceable way of resolving conflicts.
Our Community
back to the top 
