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BELGIUM
Sénat - Senaat - Senat (Senate)
ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module

Parliament name (generic / translated) Parlement fédéral - Federaal Parlement - Föderales Parlament / Federal Parliament
Structure of parliament Bicameral
Chamber name (generic / translated) Sénat - Senaat - Senat / Senate
Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Chambre des Représentants / House of Representatives
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Electoral Law 4 December 1894
Last amendment: 11 October 2011
Mode of designation indirectly elected 50
other 10
Constituencies n/a
Voting system : n/a

The Community or Regional Parliaments send 50 members based on their election results: 29 for the Flemish Parliament, 10 for the Parliament of the French-speaking Community, 8 for the Walloon Parliament, 2 for the French-speaking group of the Brussels Parliament and 1 for the Parliament of the German-speaking Community. These Community and Regional senators then co-opt 10 other senators - six Dutch-speaking and four French-speaking - based on the election results for the House of Representatives.

Vacancies are filled by new designations.
Voter requirements - age: 18 years or over
- Belgian citizenship
- full possession of civil and political rights
CANDIDATES
Eligibility - qualified electors
- age: 18 years or over
- Belgian citizenship
- full possession of civil and political rights
- residence in Belgium
Incompatibilities - Ministers of the Federal Government or the governments of communities or regions
- Membership of the House of Representatives or of a community or regional parliament (except for Community Senators)
Candidacy requirements - Must be a member of a Community or Regional Parliament

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