Belgian Senate

The Sénat constitutes with the Chambre of the Representatives one of the two rooms of the Belgian federal Parlement sitting at the palate of the Nation.

Composition

The Senate is composed of 4 types of senators:

40 directly elected senators during legislative elections proportional S: 25 senators elected by the Dutch-speaking College and 15 senators elected by the French-speaking College
21 senators of Communautés : elected officials by the councils (Parliaments) of the the Communities and to form part of it in front. Ten senators resulting from the Flemish Parliament, ten resulting from the Parliament of the French Community and resulting from the Parliament of the German-speaking Community.
10 co-opted senators : 6 indicated by the 35 already taken again Flemish senators, and 4 indicated by the 25 already taken again French-speaking senators.
the senators of right : Children of the King, or if it does not have any, his/her brothers and sisters. They must be 18 years old and have lent oath in front of the Senate. They obtain the right to vote with the 21 years age. But they are not taken into account at the time of the determination of the quorum, and by tradition do not vote.

Competences

Before the revision of the Constitution in 1993 the Room and the Senate had the same capacities and a law was to be voted and adopted in both.

Since 1993, it is not any more the case. The Senate is still equivalent to the Room for a limited number of matters: the operation of the State, international treaties and businesses concerning the Monarchy. In other fields it can still discuss the law and to propose modifications but it is the Room which makes the final decision. Lastly, there exist some fields where only the Room is qualified.

Legislature 2007-2011

Composition of the Senate for the legislature 2007-2011

Office of the Senate

President: Armand De Decker (MR.)

First Vice-president: Hugo Vandenberghe (CD&V)

Second Vice-president: Guy Verhofstadt (Open Vld)

Third Vice-president: Jurgen To yield (Vlaams Belang)

Members of the Senate

Senators of right

Prince Philippe of Belgium Senator of right
Princess Astrid of Belgium Senator of right
Prince Laurent of Belgium Senator of right

Directly elected senators

Bert Anciaux (sp.a/Spirit)
Wouter Beke (CD&V)
Frieda Brepoels (CD&V/N-VA)
Philippe Busquin (suppl.: Olga Zrihen) (PS)
Jurgen To yield (VB)
Alain Courtois (MR. MCC)
Hugo Coveliers (VB)
Jose Daras (Ecologist)
Armand De Decker (MR.)
Jean-Jacques De Gucht (open-vld)
Michel Delacroix (FN)
Francis Delpérée (cdH)
Anne Delvaux (cdH)
Alain Destexhe (MR.)
Filip Dewinter (VB)
Vera DUA (Groen!)
Isabelle Lasting (Ecologist)
Richard Fournaux (MR. MCC)
Louis Ide (CD&V/N-VA)
Geert Lambert (sp.a)
Nahima Lanjri (CD&V)
Yves Leterme (CD&V)
Nele Lijnen (open-vld)
Anne-Marie Lizin (PS)
Philippe Mahoux (PS)
Philippe Monfils) (MR.)
Philippe Moureaux (PS)
Etienne Schouppe (CD&V)
Marleen Temmerman (sp.a)
Dominique Tilmans (MR.)
Elke Tindemans (CD&V)
Johan Vande Lanotte (sp.a)
Hugo Vandenberghe (CD&V)
Anke Van dermeersch (VB)
Lieve Van Ermen (Lijst Dedecker)
Frank Vanhecke (VB)
Patrik Vankrunkelsven (open-vld)
Tony Van Parys (CD&V)
Guy Verhofstadt (open-vld)
Marc Verwilghen (VB)

Co-opted senators

Filip Anthuenis (open-vld)
Jacques Brotchi (MR.)
Dirk Claes (CD&V)
Georges Dallemagne (cdH)
Carine Russo (Ecologist)
Els Schelfhout (CD&V)
Guy Swennen (sp.a-spirit)
Martine Taelman (open-vld)
Freddy Van Gaever (Vlaams Belang)
Christiane Vienna (PS)

Community senators

Sfia Bouarfa (PS)
Marcel Cheron (Ecologist)
Berni Stuck (MR.)
Christophe Collignon (PS)
Christine Defraigne (MR.)
Alain Destexhe (MR.)
Vera DUA (Groen!)
Josy Dubié (Ecologist)
Marc Elsen (cdH)
Margriet Hermans (open-vld)
Joelle Kapompolé (PS)
Bart Martens (sp.a)
Jean-Paul Prosecutor (cdH)
François Roelants of the Fish pond (MR.)
Miet Smet (CD&V)
Helga Stevens (CD&V)
Luc Van den Brande (CD&V)
Joris Van Hauthem (Vlaams Belang)
Andre Van Nieuwkerke (sp.a)
Karim Van Overmeire (Vlaams Belang)
Paul Wille (open-vld)

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