2009 European Parliament election in Belgium

An election of the delegation from Belgium to the European Parliament was held on Sunday, 7 June 2009. The elections were on the same day as regional elections to the Flemish Parliament, Walloon Parliament, Brussels Parliament and the Parliament of the German-speaking Community.[1]

2009 European Parliament election in Belgium

7 June 2009

22 seats to the European Parliament
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Jean-Luc Dehaene Guy Verhofstadt Jean-Claude Marcourt
Party CD&V Open Vld PS
Alliance EPP ALDE PES
Last election 4 seats, 17.43% 3 seats, 13.56% 4 seats, 13.54%
Seats won 3 3 2
Seat change Decrease 1 Steady Decrease 1
Popular vote 948,123 837,884 714,947
Percentage 14.43% 12.75% 10.88%
Swing Increase 3.00% Decrease 0.81% Decrease 2.66%

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Frank Vanhecke Louis Michel
Party VB MR
Alliance ALDE
Last election 3 seats, 14.43% 3 seats, 10.35%
Seats won 2 2
Seat change Decrease 1 Decrease 1
Popular vote 647,170 640,092
Percentage 9.85% 9.74%
Swing Decrease 4.49% Decrease 0.61%
Members of the
European Parliament

for Belgium
ECSC delegation (1952)
EP delegation (1958)
1st term (1979)
2nd term (1984)
3rd term (1989)
4th term (1994)
5th term (1999)
6th term (2004)
7th term (2009)
8th term (2014)
9th term (2019)

As a result of the Treaty of Nice – that became active in November 2004 – the number of Belgian delegates in the European Parliament decreased from 24 (in 2004) to 22 delegates: 13 delegates were elected by the Dutch-speaking Electoral College, 8 delegates by the Francophone Electoral College and 1 by the German-speaking Electoral College.

Results

PartyVotes%Seats
French-speaking electoral college
Socialist Party714,94729.103
Reformist Movement640,09226.052
Ecolo562,08122.882
Humanist Democratic Centre327,82413.341
National Front87,7063.570
Wallonia First37,5051.530
Rassemblement Wallonie France30,4881.240
Workers' Party of Belgium28,4831.160
Revolutionary Communist League7,9540.320
Committee for Another Policy–D'Orazio7,6260.310
Communist Party of Belgium7,5330.310
Socialist Movement4,9390.200
Total2,457,178100.008
Dutch-speaking electoral college
Christian Democratic and Flemish948,12323.263
Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats837,88420.563
Vlaams Belang647,17015.882
Socialist Party Differently539,39313.232
New Flemish Alliance402,5459.881
Green!322,1497.901
List Dedecker296,6997.281
Workers' Party of Belgium40,0570.980
Sociaal-Liberale Partij26,5410.650
Left Socialist Party8,9850.220
Committee for Another Policy6,3980.160
Total4,075,944100.0013
German-speaking electoral college
Christian Social Party12,47532.251
Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt7,87820.370
Ecolo6,02515.580
Socialist Party5,65814.630
ProDG3,89710.070
Vivant2,4176.250
Europe of Values3300.850
Total38,680100.001
Valid votes6,571,80293.69
Invalid/blank votes442,6136.31
Total votes7,014,415100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,760,43690.39
Source: Belgian Elections

Candidates

Dutch-speaking electoral college

Flemish Interest
PlaceNameParty# of votes
1Frank VanheckeVB161,371
2Marijke DillenVB43,974
3Philip ClaeysVB27,763
4Linda VissersVB30,167
5Francis Van den EyndeVB25,598
6Johan DemolVB32,600
7Alexandra ColenVB27,686
8Gerda Van SteenbergeVB22,751
9Bart LaeremansVB24,592
10Bruno ValkeniersVB33,322
11Anke Van dermeerschVB41,049
12Filip DewinterVB150,584
13Marie-Rose MorelVB108,629
Green!
PlaceNameParty# of votes
1Bart StaesGROEN!97,036
2Joke Van de PutteGROEN!28,556
3Meyrem AlmaciGROEN!28,806
4Hugo van DienderenGROEN!10,049
5Maarten TavernierGROEN!11,331
6Rik JellemaGROEN!7,442
7Sara MatthieuGROEN!18,248
8Francine De PrinsGROEN!12,230
9Inan AsliyüceGROEN!11,763
10Philippe AvijnGROEN!6,870
11Tom KestensGROEN!9,866
12Tinne Van der StraetenGROEN!19,116
13Vera DuaGROEN!39,725
List Dedecker
PlaceNameParty# of votes
1Jean-Marie DedeckerLDD149,768
2Moniek DenhaenLDD10,629
3Derk Jan EppinkLDD13,898
4Kristof Van Der CruysseLDD7,405
5Isabelle Van LaethemLDD9,785
New Flemish Alliance
PlaceNameParty# of votes
1Frieda BrepoelsN-VA67,717
2Flor Van NoppenN-VA27,788
3Elke SleursN-VA19,575
4Louis IdeN-VA16,382
5Hil D'HaeseN-VA11,585
Socialist Party–Differently
PlaceNameParty# of votes
1Kathleen Van BremptSP.A146,992
2Saïd El KhadraouiSP.A50,408
3Anne Van LanckerSP.A47,415
4Selahattin KocakSP.A33,444
5Tom GermonpréSP.A19,173
6Tom BalthazarSP.A21,864
7Laila El AbouziSP.A25,694
8Myriam VanlerbergheSP.A25,683
9Ludwig VandenhoveSP.A22,781
10Sener UgurluSP.A23,333
11Dalila DouifiSP.A20,748
12Christine Van BroeckhovenSP.A28,490
13Bert AnciauxSP.A71,919

Linguistic controversy

Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde constituency

Generally in Belgium, residents of Flanders can only vote for a party list that runs in Flanders, and in Wallonia residents may only pick a Walloon list. In practice this means residents will only be able to vote for a party representing the official language group of the region. (French-speakers in Flanders have, however, joined up in the cross-party Union des Francophones with one seat in the Flemish Parliament).

In the capital Brussels, which is officially bilingual, people can choose either a French- or a Dutch-speaking party list. However, the area surrounding Brussels is part of Dutch-speaking Flanders, but is joined with the Brussels constituency in elections for the European Parliament and the Belgian Parliament. This bilingual constituency, Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde, has been declared unconstitutional and has been a source of controversy for years. Flemings fear the bilingual constituency leads to increased francisation of the Dutch-speaking area surrounding Brussels, while French-speakers claim it is their basic right to vote for a French-speaking party. Some Dutch-speaking municipalities decided to boycott the EU Parliament election for reason of the unconstitutionality,[2] but elections were carried out anyway.

As in previous elections, Francophone parties campaigned outside of the Francophone area, leading to measures from Flemish authorities. Affligem and Halle are located in Dutch-speaking Flanders (although a substantial minority of Francophones also live there) but belong to the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde constituency. Politicians in Affligem and Halle have objected to French-speaking campaigners in Flanders, and billboard space has been denied by the municipal authorities. In Affligem, French-language posters that had already been put up were covered with white paper. The Francophone party Humanist Democratic Centre has condemned it as an attack on "the fundamental rights of French speakers on the periphery [of Brussels]".[2][3]

The municipalities of Merchtem, Beersel, Kapelle-op-den-Bos, Machelen, Ternat, Meise, and Grimbergen also said that they would not provide billboard space, in the hope of avoiding French-language posters. In Steenokkerzeel, Ternat, and Grimbergen stickers were distributed, to be placed on mailboxes, requesting that only Dutch flyers are accepted.[3]

References

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