Federalism

Federalism is studied both from a comparative and Belgian perspective, as well as in interaction with other research domains within Gaspar.

The Belgian federation is very sui generis: it is asymmetric, bipolar and has a centrifugal character. This makes it an interesting case to analyse. First of all the evolution of Belgian federalism is studied. What are the historical roots of this project of federalization and how was it institutionalized? As such, Belgian federalism offers important lessons for and an interesting comparison with other federal systems world-wide. Next to this descriptive and historical perspective Belgian federalism and the language conflict is approached from the angle of parties (e.g. government participation of regionalist parties; coalition conflicts) and representation (e.g. multilevel elections; social partners and federalism).