Parliament of Wallonia

{{Short description|Legislative body of the Belgian region}}

{{More refs|date=November 2024}}

{{Infobox legislature

| name = Parliament of Wallonia

| native_name = {{Name in official languages

|fr = Parlement de Wallonie

|de = Parlament von Wallonien

|wa = Pårlumint di Walonreye

}}

| logo = Parlement de Wallonie logo.svg

| logo_res = 250px

| house_type = Unicameral

| leader1_type = President

| leader1 = Willy Borsus

| party1 = MR

| election1 = 25 June 2024

| members = 75

| structure1 = Parlement Wallon 2024.svg

| structure1_res = 250px

| political_groups1 =

Government (43)

  • {{Color box|{{party color|Mouvement Réformateur}}|border=darkgray}} MR (26)
  • {{Color box|{{party color|Les Engagés}}|border=darkgray}} LE (17)

Opposition (32)

  • {{Color box|{{party color|Parti Socialiste (Belgium)}}|border=darkgray}} PS (19)
  • {{Color box|{{party color|Workers' Party of Belgium}}|border=darkgray}} PTB (8)
  • {{Color box|{{party color|Ecolo}}|border=darkgray}} Ecolo (5)

| term_length = 5 years

| last_election1 = 9 June 2024

| next_election1 = 2029

| session_room = Walloon Parliament main entrance.jpg

| session_res = 250px

| meeting_place = Saint-Gilles Hospice, Namur

| website = https://www.parlement-wallonie.be/

}}

The Parliament of Wallonia ({{langx|fr|Parlement de Wallonie}}, {{IPA|fr|paʁləmɑ̃ də walɔni|pron}}), or the Walloon Parliament ({{lang|fr|Parlement wallon}}, {{IPA|fr|paʁləmɑ̃ walɔ̃|}}) in the decrees, is the legislative body of Wallonia, one of the three self-governing regions of Belgium (the other two being Flanders and the Brussels-Capital Region). The parliament building, the former Hospice Saint-Gilles, is situated in Namur, the capital of Wallonia, at the symbolic confluence of the Meuse and the Sambre, the two main rivers of the most inhabited parts of Wallonia, the Sillon industriel. On the other side of the Meuse, facing the Parliament, is the Élysette, the seat of the Government of Wallonia.

History and names

A 1974 law on the temporary creation of regions installed a Walloon Regional Council (alongside a Flemish Regional Council), which were both abolished in 1977. At the creation of the first (permanent) regional assemblies in 1980 (second state reform), the body was also called "Walloon Regional Council" (Conseil régional wallon). Its members were the national representatives and senators elected in the Walloon Region, who thus by law held two offices simultaneously.

The fourth state reform (1993), transformed Belgium into a federal state and changed the "Walloon Regional Council" (Conseil régional wallon) into the "Council of the Walloon Region" (Conseil de la Région wallonne), which was directly elected for the first time on 21 May 1995. Shortly before these elections, in April 1995, the Council adopted a resolution to use the terms "Walloon Parliament" (Parlement wallon) and "Walloon deputies" (députés wallons).

A 2005 constitutional amendment revised the official terminology for all community and regional councils into community and regional parliaments, changing the "Council of the Walloon Region" into the "Walloon Parliament" (Parlement wallon).

In 2015, the Parliament opted to use the term "Parliament of Wallonia" (Parlement de Wallonie) instead of "Walloon Parliament".

File:Namur Zitadelle & Parlament Walloniens 2.jpg, beneath the Namur Citadel]]

Composition

All members of the Parliament of Wallonia are also members of the Parliament of the French Community, except for German-speaking members, who represent the German-speaking population and are advisory members of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community.

The parliament exercises several functions:

  • It discusses and passes decrees, and they can take initiatives to draw them up. After this, decrees are sanctioned and promulgated by the Walloon Government.
  • It controls the Walloon Government. Control is exercised via the vote.
  • It ratifies the international treaties linked to its powers.

Compositions

{{see also|List of members of the Walloon Parliament}}

=2024–2029 (current)=

class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" |Affiliation

!Members

bgcolor="blue" | 

|Mouvement Réformateur ("Reformist Movement")

| align="center" |26

bgcolor="red" | 

|Parti Socialiste ("Socialist Party")

| align="center" |19

bgcolor="turquoise" | 

|Les Engagés ("The Committed Ones")

| align="center" |17

bgcolor="red" | 

|Parti du Travail de Belgique ("Workers' Party of Belgium")

| align="center" |8

bgcolor="green" | 

|Ecolo ("Environmentalist")

| align="center" |5

colspan="2" rowspan="1" | Total

| align="center" |75

=2019–2024=

class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" |Affiliation

!Members

bgcolor="red" | 

|Parti Socialiste ("Socialist Party")

| align="center" |23

bgcolor="blue" | 

|Mouvement Réformateur ("Reformist Movement")

| align="center" |20

bgcolor="green" | 

|Ecolo ("Environmentalist")

| align="center" |12

bgcolor="red" | 

|Parti du Travail de Belgique ("Workers' Party of Belgium")

| align="center" |10

bgcolor="orange" | 

|Centre démocrate humaniste ("Humanist Democratic Centre")

| align="center" |10

colspan="2" rowspan="1" | Total

| align="center" |75

=2014–2019=

This is the composition of the Walloon Parliament following the 2014 regional election.

class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" | Affiliation !! Members

bgcolor="red" | Parti Socialiste ("Socialist Party")

| align="center" | 30

bgcolor="blue" | Mouvement Réformateur ("Reformist Movement")

| align="center" | 25

bgcolor="orange" | Centre démocrate humaniste ("Humanist Democratic Centre")

| align="center" | 13

bgcolor="green" | Ecolo ("Environmentalist")

| align="center" | 4

bgcolor="red" | Parti du Travail de Belgique ("Workers' Party of Belgium")

| align="center" | 2

bgcolor="purple" | Parti populaire ("People's Party")

| align="center" | 1

colspan=2 rowspan="1" |  Total

| align="center" | 75

{{clear}}

=2009–2014=

This is the composition of the Walloon Parliament following the 2009 regional election.{{cite web |url=https://resultatselection.belgium.be/fr/election-results/parlement-wallon/2009/région/221604 |title=Résultat Parlement wallon 7 juin 2009 |lang=fr |trans-title=Result of the Walloon Parliament, 7 June 2009}} The PS, Ecolo and CDH formed together a government.

File:Walloon Parliament (2009).svg

class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" | Affiliation !! Members

bgcolor="red" | Parti Socialiste ("Socialist Party")

| align="center" | 29

bgcolor="blue" | Mouvement Réformateur ("Reformist Movement")

| align="center" | 19

bgcolor="green" | Ecolo ("Environmentalist")

| align="center" | 14

bgcolor="orange" | Centre démocrate humaniste ("Humanist Democratic Centre")

| align="center" | 13

colspan=2 rowspan="1" |  Total

| align="center" | 75

{{clear}}

=2004–2009=

This was the composition of the Walloon Parliament following the 2004 regional election. The PS and CDH formed together a government.

File:Walloon Parliament (2004).svg

class="wikitable"

! colspan=2 | Affiliation !! Members

bgcolor="red" | Parti Socialiste ("Socialist Party")

| align="center" | 34

bgcolor="blue" | Mouvement Réformateur ("Reformist Movement")

| align="center" | 20

bgcolor="orange" | Centre démocrate humaniste ("Humanist Democratic Centre")

| align="center" | 14

bgcolor="brown" | Front National ("National Front")

| align="center" | 4

bgcolor="green" | Ecolo ("Environmentalist")

| align="center" | 3

colspan=2 rowspan="1" |  Total

| align="center" | 75

{{clear}}

=1999–2004=

This was the composition of the Walloon Parliament following the 1999 regional election. The PS, Ecolo and PRL formed together a government.

File:Walloon Parliament (1999).svg

class="wikitable"

! colspan=2 | Affiliation !! Members

bgcolor="red" | Parti Socialiste ("Socialist Party")

| align="center" | 25

bgcolor="blue" | Parti Réformateur Libéral ("Reformist Movement")
with Front Démocratique des Francophones ("Democratic Front of the Francophones")

| align="center" | 21

bgcolor="green" | Ecolo ("Environmentalist")

| align="center" | 14

bgcolor="orange" | Parti Social Chrétien ("Christian Socialist Party")

| align="center" | 14

bgcolor="brown" | Front National ("National Front")

| align="center" | 1

colspan=2 rowspan="1" |  Total

| align="center" | 75

{{clear}}

1995–1999

style="width:100%; font-size:88%; text-align:center;"
style="font-weight:bold"

| style="background:green; width:10.42%; color:white" | 8

| style="background:red; width:35.22%; color:white" | 30

| style="background:orange; width:21.56%; color:white" | 16

| style="background:blue; width:23.67%; color:white" | 19

| style="background:brown; width:5.11%; color:white" | 2

style="font-weight:bold; color:#996;"

| Ecolo

| PS

| PSC

| PRL + FDF

| FN

1999–2004

style="width:100%; font-size:88%; text-align:center;"
style="font-weight:bold"

| style="background:green; width:18.22%; color:white" | 14

| style="background:red; width:29.44%; color:white" | 25

| style="background:orange; width:17.07%; color:white" | 14

| style="background:blue; width:24.69%; color:white" | 21

| style="background:brown; width:3.95%; color:white" | 1

style="font-weight:bold; color:#996;"

| Ecolo

| PS

| PSC

| PRL + FDF

| FN

2004–2009

style="width:100%; font-size:88%; text-align:center;"
style="font-weight:bold"

| style="background:green; width:8.52%; color:white" | 3

| style="background:red; width:36.91%; color:white" | 34

| style="background:orange; width:17.62%; color:white" | 14

| style="background:blue; width:24.29%; color:white" | 20

| style="background:brown; width:8.12%; color:white" | 4

style="font-weight:bold; color:#996;"

| Ecolo

| PS

| CDH

| MR

| FN

2009–2014

style="width:100%; font-size:88%; text-align:center;"
style="font-weight:bold"

| style="background:green; width:18.54%; color:white" | 14

| style="background:red; width:32.77%; color:white" | 29

| style="background:orange; width:16.14%; color:white" | 13

| style="background:blue; width:23.41%; color:white" | 19

style="font-weight:bold; color:#996;"

| Ecolo

| PS

| CDH

| MR

2014–2019

style="width:100%; font-size:88%; text-align:center;"
style="font-weight:bold"

| style="background:#BB0000; width:5.79%; color:white" | 2

| style="background:green; width:8.53%; color:white" | 4

| style="background:red; width:30.96%; color:white" | 30

| style="background:orange; width:15.09%; color:white" | 13

| style="background:blue; width:26.71%; color:white" | 25

| style="background:purple; width:4.89%; color:white" | 1

style="font-weight:bold; color:#996;"

| PTB–GO!

| Ecolo

| PS

| CDH

| MR

| PP

2019–2024

style="width:100%; font-size:88%; text-align:center;"
style="font-weight:bold"

| style="background:#BB0000; width:13.33%; color:white" | 10

| style="background:green; width:16%; color:white" | 12

| style="background:red; width:30.6%; color:white" | 23

| style="background:orange; width:13.33%; color:white" | 10

| style="background:blue; width:26.71%; color:white" | 20

style="font-weight:bold; color:#996;"

| PTB

| Ecolo

| PS

| CDH

| MR

2024–present

style="width:100%; font-size:88%; text-align:center;"
style="font-weight:bold"

| style="background:#BB0000; width:10.67%; color:white" | 8

| style="background:green; width:6.67%; color:white" | 5

| style="background:red; width:25.33%; color:white" | 19

| style="background:turquoise; width:22.67%; color:white" | 17

| style="background:blue; width:34.67%; color:white" | 26

style="font-weight:bold; color:#996;"

| PTB

| Ecolo

| PS

| LE

| MR

Constituencies

The Walloon Parliament is the only Belgian parliament which still uses arrondissement-based constituencies. The federal Chamber of Representatives and the Flemish Parliament both merged theirs into larger province-based constituencies.

A January 2018 law merged both Luxembourg constituencies and reformed the Hainaut constituencies (* = boundaries changed), following a successful challenge by Ecolo to the Constitutional Court that constituencies with too few seats are unrepresentative.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
ProvinceConstituency1995 & 19992004 & 200920142019
rowspan="3" | LiègeLiège14colspan="3" | 13
Vervierscolspan="4" | 6
Huy-Waremmecolspan="4" | 4
rowspan="5" | HainautCharleroi10colspan="2" | 9rowspan="2" | 10 *
Thuincolspan="3" | 3
Tournai-Ath-Mouscroncolspan="3" | 77 *
Monscolspan="2" | 655 *
Soigniescolspan="3" | 45 *
Walloon BrabantNivelles7colspan="3" | 8
rowspan="2" | NamurNamurcolspan="2" | 6colspan="2" | 7
Dinant-Philippeville3colspan="3" | 4
rowspan="2" | LuxembourgArlon-Marche-Bastognecolspan="3" | 3rowspan="2" | 6
Neufchâteau-Virtoncolspan="3" | 2

See also

References

{{reflist}}