The Belgian Senate’s Institutional Affairs Committee began discussions, on Monday, on a proposal to amend Article 195 of the Constitution, put forward by the coalition partners and Open VLD.
The proposal aims to scrap the Senate ahead of the next federal elections.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who attended the session to explain the procedure, has called for the Senate to be abolished, as he believes it “no longer plays a relevant role in our political system.”
'I did not come to praise the Senate but to bury it'
The prime minister outlined the history of Belgium’s bicameral system, tracing its origins to 1815, before Belgium gained independence.
Since the Sixth State Reform in 2014, which further limited the Senate’s functions, its role has been “almost exclusively constitutional,” De Wever stated. He also highlighted the fact that he remains the only member of the committee elected as a senator under the previous system in 2010.
De Wever acknowledged the Senate’s historical importance in Belgium’s transition from a unionist to a federal state but concluded that it no longer serves a democratic purpose. He argued that the erosion of its powers has left it performing “a sort of occupational therapy.” Adapting a quote from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, he said, “I did not come to praise the Senate but to bury it.”
Senate 'no longer plays a relevant role...'
According to De Wever, the Senate failed to reinvent itself as a chamber for cooperation between Belgium’s federal entities. He claimed that the Chamber of Representatives already reflects the composition of the country’s regions and linguistic communities.
Maintaining the Senate, De Wever argued, would only contribute to confusion and unnecessary complexity. “We must accept the institutional reality. This institution no longer plays a relevant role in our political system and should therefore belong to the past.”
The abolition process will require amending several articles of the Constitution. While most are already listed as subject to revision, five crucial ones are missing.
Expert hearings could be held on the proposed abolition
The committee proposed adding a transitional provision to Article 195, which sets out the procedure for constitutional amendments, thus allowing for the elimination of the Senate.
Although committee members presented their views on Monday, no vote was held on changing Article 195. The debate will continue in a future session, with the premier present once again.
The next steps will address proposed amendments to the article and the potential inclusion of expert hearings, heavily advocated by the Socialist party, PS.
Should the committee eventually vote in favour, the proposal will move to the full Senate and then to the Chamber of Representatives, following the same process for each constitutional article. If successful, the Senate could be abolished by 2029.
