2003 Belgian federal election

Federal elections were held in Belgium on 18 May 2003, the first under a new electoral code. One of the novelties was an electoral threshold of 5, which has cost many seats to the N-VA and the Green parties, Ecolo and Agalev. The Belgian Socialists recovered well; the liberal and nationalist parties increased their vote as well.

2003 Belgian federal election

18 May 2003 (2003-05-18)

Chamber of Representatives

All 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives 76 seats needed for a majority

Party Leader % Seats +/– VLD Guy Verhofstadt 15.36 25 +2 sp.a–spirit Johan Vande Lanotte 14.91 23 +9 CD&V Stefaan De Clerck 13.25 21 -1 PS Elio Di Rupo 13.02 25 +6 VB Frank Vanhecke 11.68 18 +3 MR Antoine Duquesne 11.40 24 +6 cdH Joëlle Milquet 5.47 8 -2 N-VA Geert Bourgeois 3.06 1 New Ecolo Philippe Defeyt Évelyne Huytebroeck Marc Hordies 3.06 4 -7 FN Daniel Féret 1.98 1 0

Senate

40 of 71 seats in the Senate

Party Leader % Seats +/– sp.a–spirit Johan Vande Lanotte 15.47 7 +3 VLD Guy Verhofstadt 15.38 7 +1 PS Elio Di Rupo 12.84 6 +2 CD&V Stefaan De Clerck 12.71 6 0 MR Antoine Duquesne 12.15 5 0 VB Frank Vanhecke 11.32 5 +1 cdH Joëlle Milquet 5.54 2 -1 Ecolo Philippe Defeyt Évelyne Huytebroeck Marc Hordies 3.19 1 -2 FN Daniel Féret 2.25 1 +1 Chamber of Representatives results by electoral district Senate results by electoral district Federal Government before Federal Government after election Verhofstadt I Government Verhofstadt II Government

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The Flemish Greens lost all their seats. The Greens were attacked on two fronts: some, including their coalition partners, accused them of being too fundamentalist, while others said that they had betrayed their ideals. The resignation of a Walloon green minister (Isabelle Durant), one week before the elections, probably didn't do them much good either. Although it was predicted in some opinion polls, the gains of the Front National were surprising, considering that it seldom appeared in the media. The most important trend was the recovery of the Flemish social-democrats, led by the popular (some would say populist) Steve Stevaert. The fact that Elio Di Rupo was learning Dutch caused rumours that he hoped to become prime minister, if the social-democrats would turn out to be the largest political family.

Themes that probably influenced the election results in some way were the government's opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the controversy around the nuisance around the airport of Zaventem, the controversy surrounding the banning of tobacco publicity, and unemployment, but a general dominating theme was lacking.