ELECTIONS HELD IN 1999
<<< Return to the Historical Archive page of parliamentary election results for BELGIUM <<<
| Chamber: | |
| Sénat - Senaat - Senat | |
|
|
| 13 June 1999 | |
|
|
| Elections were held for all the elective seats following the dissolution of Parliament in the wake of adoption of a declaration to revise the Constitution. | |
|
|
| The 1999 general elections were held simultaneously with polling for Belgium's representatives to the European Parliament and for regional assemblies in Flanders, Wallonia and the capital Brussels.
For the seats of the bicameral Parliament, the centre-left coalition Government comprising members of the Flemish and Walloon (French-speaking) branches of the Christian Social (CVP and PSC) and Socialist (SP and PS) parties was primarily opposed, as in the past, by the Liberal Party (VLD and PRL), far-right parties (Vlaams Blok), community parties (Volksunie) and the Greens (Agalev and Ecolo). Campaign debate focused to a great extent on the dioxin-in-food crisis resulting from polluted animal feed. This overshadowed the successes of the outgoing Government led by Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene (CVP): reduction of unemployment and public debt, the country's joining Europe's single currency system, and the launching of far-reaching reforms of the police and justice sectors. On polling day, voter outrage and confusion over the Government's mishandling of the above-mentioned food issue proved decisive, as the governing duo lost 17 House and 8 Senates seats to its challengers and especially the Liberals, who became the leading force in both Chambers for the first time since World War II. Analysts also interpreted this outcome as bearing out the electorate's desire for change in the ruling circles and its reaction to the series of political scandals that had plagued the outgoing Administration. In this context, Mr. Dehaene announced his resignation on 14 June and a new Government comprising -for the first time in two decades- three and not two parties was formed on 12 July. The new Prime Minister is Mr. Guy Verhofstadt (VLD) who heads a Cabinet comprising Liberals, Socialists and Greens. |
|
STATISTICS
| Round no 1 (13 June 1999): Elections results | |
| Number of registered electors | 7 343 466 |
| Voters | 6 645 974 (91 %) |
| Blank or invalid ballot papers | 451 657 |
| Valid votes | 6 194 317 |
| Round no 1: Distribution of votes | |||
| Political Group | Votes | % | |
| Liberal Party - Flemish (VLD) | 952 116 | 15.37 | |
| Christian Social Party - Flemish (CVP) | 913 508 | 14.74 | |
| Socialist Party - Walloon (PS) | 597 890 | 9.65 | |
| Liberal Party - Walloon (PRL-FDF) | 654 961 | 10.57 | |
| Vlaams Blok | 583 208 | 9.41 | |
| Socialist Party - Flemish (SP) | 550 657 | 8.88 | |
| Greens - Walloon (Ecolo) | 458 658 | 7.40 | |
| Greens - Flemish (Agalev) | 438 931 | 7.08 | |
| Christian Social Party - Walloon (PSC) | 374 002 | 6.04 | |
| Volksunie | 317 180 | 5.12 | |
| Round no 1: Distribution of seats | |||
| Political Group | Total | ||
| Liberal Party - Flemish (VLD) | 11 | ||
| Christian Social Party - Flemish (CVP) | 10 | ||
| Socialist Party - Walloon (PS) | 10 | ||
| Liberal Party - Walloon (PRL-FDF) | 9 | ||
| Vlaams Blok | 6 | ||
| Socialist Party - Flemish (SP) | 6 | ||
| Greens - Walloon (Ecolo) | 6 | ||
| Greens - Flemish (Agalev) | 5 | ||
| Christian Social Party - Walloon (PSC) | 5 | ||
| Volksunie | 3 | ||
| Distribution of seats according to sex: | |
| Men: | 51 |
| Women: | 20 |
| Percent of women: | 28.17 |
| Distribution of seats according to age: | ||
| 21 to 30 years | 2 | |
| 31 to 40 years | 13 | |
| 41 to 50 years | 26 | |
| 51 to 60 years | 23 | |
| 61 to 70 years | 7 | |
|
||
| Teachers | 17 | |
| Private sector employees | 15 | |
| Civil servants | 13 | |
| Liberal professions | 9 | |
| Medical professions | 7 | |
| Business/Trade/Industry | 4 | |
| Self-employed | 3 | |
| Retired | 1 | |
| Farmers | 1 | |
| Others | 1 | |
Copyright © 1999 Inter-Parliamentary Union