The federal government wants to start work on abolishing the Senate as soon as possible. To make the ambition a reality, the parties first need to agree on the details and get support from the opposition.
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Prime minister hopes to move quickly to abolish Senate
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The abolition of the Senate is an important issue for the government, and is the only concrete institutional reform in the coalition agreement. There have been calls within the political arena for years to close this part of parliament and prime minister Bart De Wever now wants to make it happen.
At a meeting of the core cabinet on Wednesday, De Wever put it on the agenda for the first time since the coalition was formed. Due to time constraints, the subject was not discussed, but it is clear that the prime minister wants to make rapid progress. Work is likely to start on it next week.
The Senate may hardly ever meet, but it still plays a role in political decision-making. It has to approve international treaties, appointments of judges and constitutional amendments, and it officially remains the part of the federal parliament where the regions consult each other. In the event of a conflict of interest, the Senate can intervene.
Complex task
The government must decide where these powers will end up and how they will be transferred. This is a complex legal and judicial task. In addition, part of party funding comes from the Senate, which is always a sensitive issue.
Not all coalition parties are equally enthusiastic about the plan. Francophone liberals MR were previously opposed to it but relented during the negotiations to form the current government.
For MR and Les Engagés, the Senate is an important symbol of Belgium, which is why Flemish nationalist party N-VA wants to get rid of it. Socialists Vooruit have made a clear statement against the Senate: the party did not appoint any senators.
In its election programme, Christian democrats CD&V argued for an alternative to the Senate to ensure that consultation between the regions continues, but the party has dropped this demand.
Agreement in principle
While the government agrees on the principle of abolition, the question is whether this will remain the case when decisions on the details have to be taken. Even if the parties reach an agreement, abolishing the Senate requires a constitutional amendment, which needs a two-thirds majority in parliament.
The governing parties together have 82 of the 150 seats, leaving them18 seats short of that majority. They will have to convince opposition parties to vote in favour.
According to their election manifestos, Groen, Open VLD and Ecolo are in favour of abolition. Even if they rally behind the majority, if the remaining parties vote against, the government will not be able to achieve a majority.
The governing parties will therefore have to cooperate with PS, PVDA or Vlaams Belang, but the latter two have already been ruled out.
That leaves only the francophone socialists, PS. Leader Paul Magnette has spoken out in favour of abolition in the past and campaigned to replace it with a citizens’ assembly. The chance that the PS – and the other opposition parties – will simply vote in favour of the government’s plans seems slim.
The strategy that the majority should follow to convince the opposition is part of the discussions that will begin next week.