Independence movements

Flanders: constitutional status and the confederalism/independence question

Where the question stood on 19 September 2026: the federal legal position, the 2024 election results, the 2025 De Wever government, and public opinion.

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Status verified as of 19 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.

Current constitutional position

Flanders is a Region and Community within federal Belgium under the Constitution as amended in 1993, with substantial further competences transferred by the sixth state reform of 2011–2014.[1][2] No referendum mechanism exists for Flemish independence or confederalism; Belgian constitutional change proceeds through negotiated state reforms requiring special parliamentary majorities.

Party positions and the 2024 Flemish Parliament

N-VA and Vlaams Belang tied as the largest parties in the Flemish Parliament after the June 2024 election, each with 31 of 124 seats.[3] N-VA pursues gradual confederalisation and, ultimately, an independent Flanders in the EU; Vlaams Belang also supports independence.[4][5] Other Flemish parties do not campaign for independence.[6]

The federal government

N-VA co-founder Bart De Wever has been Prime Minister of Belgium since 3 February 2025, leading a five-party "Arizona coalition" that does not include an independence or confederalism referendum in its programme.[7]

Public opinion

A large April 2024 reader survey found 40% support among Flemish respondents for eventual independence, against just over 50% opposed.[8]

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: 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
  2. 2.

    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
  3. 3.

    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.

  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: 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
  6. 6.

    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
  7. 7.

    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.

  8. 8.

    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

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