Independence movements

History of Belgian federalisation and the Flemish confederalist and independence movements

From the 1970–1993 state reforms that made Belgium a federal state, through N-VA's and Vlaams Belang's rise, the 2010–2011 government formation crisis and sixth state reform, to Bart De Wever's 2025 premiership.

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Belgium becomes a federal state, 1970–1993

Belgium's unitary state was progressively reorganised through successive state reforms beginning in 1970, each transferring further powers to Communities and Regions, including the Flemish Region and Community (merged into a single Flemish government).[1]

The process was completed by the constitutional revision of 5 May 1993, which amended Article 1 of the Constitution from "Belgium is divided into provinces" to "Belgium is a Federal State which consists of Communities and Regions".[2]

The rise of N-VA and Vlaams Belang

N-VA was founded on 13 October 2001 from the "Vlaams Nationaal" faction of the dissolved Volksunie party.[3] It describes its aim as an independent Flanders as a Member State of the European Union, pursued gradually through a confederalist platform under which Flanders and Wallonia would own all powers and cooperate voluntarily rather than through a federal structure.[4] Winning only one seat in 2003, N-VA grew to become the largest party in Flanders at the 2010, 2014 and 2019 elections.[5]

Separately, in April 2004 the Ghent Court of Appeal, following a Court of Cassation ruling, found that Vlaams Blok had violated Belgium's 1981 anti-racism law through repeated incitement to discrimination.[6] On 14 November 2004 the party's leadership founded Vlaams Belang ("Flemish Interest") as its successor, under a new statute that dropped some of Vlaams Blok's most extreme positions.[7]

The 2010–2011 government formation crisis

After the federal election of 13 June 2010, in which N-VA became the largest party in Flanders and the Socialist Party the largest in French-speaking Belgium, disagreement over further state reform and social-economic policy prevented a coalition from forming.[8] The resulting 541-day deadlock set a world record for the longest period an elected democracy had gone without a government in peacetime, before a government led by Elio Di Rupo was sworn in on 5 December 2011.[9]

· Other

Belgian government formation crisis, 2010–2011

A 541-day deadlock between Flemish and francophone parties over further state reform set a world record for the longest period without an elected government in peacetime.

The sixth state reform

The crisis was resolved through an agreement on further state reform, implemented through constitutional and legislative changes between 2012 and 2014. The sixth state reform transferred competences worth around €20 billion a year — about 4.4% of Belgian GDP — from the federal level to the regions and communities, the largest devolution since 1993.[10]

· Constitutional change

Sixth Belgian state reform, 2011–2014

Transferred roughly €20 billion a year in competences from the federal level to the regions and communities, the largest devolution since 1993.

The 2024 elections

At the federal election of 9 June 2024, N-VA won 24 of 150 Chamber seats and Vlaams Belang 20.[11] At the same-day Flemish Parliament election, N-VA and Vlaams Belang tied as the largest parties, each with 31 of 124 seats (23.88% and 22.66% of the vote respectively).[12]

Bart De Wever becomes Prime Minister

Bart De Wever, an N-VA co-founder, led the party from 2004 to 2025.[13] On 3 February 2025 he was sworn in as Prime Minister of Belgium at the head of a five-party coalition — N-VA, Forward, CD&V, MR and Les Engagés, nicknamed the "Arizona coalition" after the colours of the US state flag, matched to the traditional colours of the Belgian political families represented.[14][15] He became the first Flemish nationalist to hold the office.[14]

· Other

De Wever government formed, 2025

Bart De Wever, an N-VA founder, became the first Flemish nationalist Prime Minister of Belgium at the head of a five-party "Arizona coalition".

Public opinion and party positions

An April 2024 HLN/VTM reader survey of around 1.1 million respondents found 40% support among Flemish respondents for eventual independence, against just over 50% opposed; a broader devolution question found 47% in favour of transferring further powers from the federal level to the regions, against 40% opposed.[16][17]

Among Flemish parties, only N-VA and Vlaams Belang campaign for independence or confederalism; the other principal Flemish parties do not, though some have expressed openness to further devolution.[18]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: Belgium's federal structure developed through six successive state reforms, beginning in 1970 and continuing through 1980, 1988–89, 1993, 2001 and 2011–2014, progressively transferring powers from the national level to the Communities and Regions, including the Flemish Region and Community.

    • Federal Public Service Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Belgium, Historical outline of the federalisation of Belgium (Belgium.be) link, Historical outline. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
    • State reform in Belgium (Wikipedia) link, Overview and timeline. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: The constitutional revision of 5 May 1993 amended Article 1 of the Belgian Constitution from "Belgium is divided into provinces" to "Belgium is a Federal State which consists of Communities and Regions", completing Belgium's transformation into a federal state.

    • Federal Public Service Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Belgium, The third and fourth State reforms (Belgium.be) link, The third and fourth State reforms. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) was founded on 13 October 2001 from the "Vlaams Nationaal" faction of the dissolved Volksunie party, after a referendum of Volksunie members on the split.

    • Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA), History (N-VA) link, Founding. Political party perspective Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: N-VA describes itself as a democratic Flemish-national party pursuing an independent Flanders as a Member State of the European Union, while its later confederalist platform envisages Flanders and Wallonia as the owners of all powers, cooperating voluntarily rather than being bound by a federal structure. Attributed to N-VA (party statute and platform)

    • Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA), History (N-VA) link, party self-description and confederalist platform. Political party perspective Source record
    • New Flemish Alliance (Wikipedia) link, Ideology section. Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: N-VA won only one seat (its chairman) at the 2003 federal election, but grew to become the largest party in Flanders at the 2010, 2014 and 2019 federal elections and in successive regional and local elections.

    • Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA), History (N-VA) link, election timeline, 2003–2019. Political party perspective Source record
  6. 6.

    Claim: In April 2004 the Ghent Court of Appeal issued a final ruling, following a Court of Cassation decision, that Vlaams Blok had violated Belgium's 1981 anti-racism law through repeated incitement to discrimination, a ruling that in practice ended state funding and made the party's continuation as previously structured untenable.

  7. 7.

    Claim: On 14 November 2004, Vlaams Blok's leadership founded Vlaams Belang ("Flemish Interest") as its successor, adopting a new statute that dropped some of Vlaams Blok's most extreme positions.

    • Vlaams Belang (Wikipedia) link, Founding section. Source record
    • Flemish party renames itself after court's racism ruling (The Irish Times, 2004) link, article text. Source record
  8. 8.

    Claim: Following the federal election of 13 June 2010, in which the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) became the largest party in Flanders and the Socialist Party the largest in French-speaking Belgium, disagreements over further state reform and social-economic policy prevented a governing coalition from forming for 541 days.

    • 2010–2011 Belgian government formation (Wikipedia) link, lead and background sections. Source record
    • Belgium breaks own record for longest period without government (The Brussels Times) link, article text. Source record
  9. 9.

    Claim: The 541-day formation period set a world record for the longest time a country had gone without an elected government in peacetime, surpassing the previous record of 249 days set by Iraq in 2010; a government led by Elio Di Rupo was sworn in on 5 December 2011.

    • 2010–2011 Belgian government formation (Wikipedia) link, Record section. Source record
  10. 10.

    Claim: The sixth state reform, agreed in 2011 and implemented through constitutional and legislative changes between 2012 and 2014, transferred further competences valued at roughly €20 billion a year — around 4.4% of Belgian GDP — from the federal level to the regions and communities, the largest single devolution since 1993.

    • Sixth Belgian state reform (Wikipedia) link, Overview and financial scope. Source record
  11. 11.

    Claim: At the federal election of 9 June 2024, N-VA won 24 of the Chamber of Representatives' 150 seats and Vlaams Belang won 20 seats, on a turnout of 88.45%.

  12. 12.

    Claim: At the same-day Flemish Parliament election, N-VA and Vlaams Belang tied for the largest party, each winning 31 of 124 seats, with 23.88% and 22.66% of the vote respectively.

  13. 13.

    Claim: Bart De Wever, an N-VA co-founder, led the party from 2004 to 2025.

  14. 14.

    Claim: On 3 February 2025, Bart De Wever was sworn in as Prime Minister of Belgium at the head of a five-party coalition — N-VA, Forward, CD&V, MR and Les Engagés, nicknamed the "Arizona coalition" — becoming the first Flemish nationalist to hold the office.

  15. 15.

    Claim: The coalition's "Arizona" nickname derives from the US state flag's colours, matched to the traditional colours of the Belgian political families in the coalition: yellow for Flemish nationalists, blue for liberals, and orange for Christian democrats.

  16. 16.

    Claim: In an April 2024 HLN/VTM reader survey of around 1.1 million respondents, 40% answered "yes" when asked whether Flanders should gain independence over time, against just over 50% who said no.

    • Poll reveals 40 per cent of Flemish want Belgian break-up (Brussels Signal, 18 April 2024) link, article text. Source record
  17. 17.

    Claim: The same survey found broader support for shifting further powers from the federal level to the regions: nearly 47% favoured stripping more powers from federal authorities in favour of the regions, against 40% opposed.

    • Poll reveals 40 per cent of Flemish want Belgian break-up (Brussels Signal, 18 April 2024) link, article text. Source record
  18. 18.

    Claim: Among Flemish parties, only N-VA and Vlaams Belang are actively pro-independence or pro-confederation; the other principal Flemish parties (Open VLD, CD&V, Vooruit, Groen) do not campaign for Flemish independence, though some have expressed interest in transferring further powers to the regions.

    • Poll reveals 40 per cent of Flemish want Belgian break-up (Brussels Signal, 18 April 2024) link, summary of party positions. Source record

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