Egmont pact
Encyclopedia
The Egmont pact of 1977 is an agreement on the reform of Belgium
into a federal state and on the relations between the linguistic communities in the country. The pact was not carried out due to the resignation of the government, but important elements of the pact were used in later Belgian state reforms.
The pact was agreed in 1977 between the majority parties of the government Tindemans IV, which was a coalition between CVP
, PSC
, BSP-PSB
, Volksunie
and FDF
. It was named after the Egmont Palace
in Brussels
, where the negotiations took place.
The pact was supplemented with the "Stuyvenberg agreement" later the same year. Both would be called the "Community pact".
.
The advice on the law, that would have put the Egmont pact in practice, on a number of points was heavily criticised by the Council of State
. The resistance against the pact rose within the CVP
, and more and more MP's demanded new negotiations. These were refused by the French speaking parties. The CVP remained divided. On October 11, 1978, in an emotional speech, PM Leo Tindemans unexpectedly announced the resignation of his government.
Vlaams Blok
political party. The last unitary party in Belgium, the socialist BSP-PSB
, was split into a French-speaking
and a Dutch-speaking
party.
Although the Egmont pact itself failed, it was an important exercise towards the federalisation of Belgium. A large number of the goals of the Egmont pact have been carried out (see Communities, regions and provinces of Belgium
). Other points were not realised, like the division of the electoral district Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
or the inscription right in Brussels for French speakers from the Brussels periphery.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
into a federal state and on the relations between the linguistic communities in the country. The pact was not carried out due to the resignation of the government, but important elements of the pact were used in later Belgian state reforms.
The pact was agreed in 1977 between the majority parties of the government Tindemans IV, which was a coalition between CVP
Christian Democratic and Flemish
The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party...
, PSC
Humanist Democratic Centre
The Humanist Democratic Centre is a Francophone Christian democratic political party in Belgium. The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community and the Walloon Government.- History :...
, BSP-PSB
Belgian Socialist Party
The Belgian Socialist Party was a democratic socialist party which existed in Belgium from 1945 to 1978.The BSP was founded by activists from the Belgian Labour Party , which was the first Belgian socialist party. It ceased to function during the Second World War, while Belgium was under Nazi...
, Volksunie
People's Union (Belgium)
People's Union was a Belgian political party, formed in 1954 as a successor to the "Christian Flemish People's Union", an electoral alliance of Flemish nationalists....
and FDF
Democratic Front of Francophones
The Francophone Democratic Federalists , is a Francophone political party based in Brussels, Belgium founded on 11 May 1964. Until 1982, the FDF dominated Brussels' municipal politics. It is led by Deputy Olivier Maingain....
. It was named after the Egmont Palace
Egmont Palace
The Egmont Palace is a large mansion at the Wolstraat / Rue aux Laines and the Kleine Zavel / Petit Sablon Square in Brussels, Belgium...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, where the negotiations took place.
The pact was supplemented with the "Stuyvenberg agreement" later the same year. Both would be called the "Community pact".
Content
The Egmont pact covered agreements on a number of various topics :- The establishment of autonomous councils and executives (a government) for the three communities in Belgium (which followed the establishment of the three Cultural Communities in 1970 - Flemish, French and German), next to the establishment of three Regions (FlandersFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Wallonia), also with autonomous councils and their own executives. - An agreement on the linguistic relations in Brussels and the periphery, with a.o. the inscription right in Brussels for French speakers from 14 Dutch speaking communes around Brussels. This would give them language facilities and the right to vote in Brussels.
- A reform of the country's institutions.
Failure
The agreement was not put into practice, because there was an immediate protest from the Flemish side. Especially the points on Brussels, where the institutional equality between French and Dutch speakers' communities was ended, were unacceptable for a lot of FlemingsFlemish movement
The Flemish Movement is a popular term used to describe the political movement for emancipation and greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders, for protection of the Dutch language, and for the over-all protection of Flemish culture and history....
.
The advice on the law, that would have put the Egmont pact in practice, on a number of points was heavily criticised by the Council of State
Council of State (Belgium)
Council of State , in Belgium, is an organ of the Belgian government: it is the Supreme Administrative Court of Belgium. Its functions include assisting the executive with legal advice and being the supreme court for administrative justice...
. The resistance against the pact rose within the CVP
Christian Democratic and Flemish
The Christian Democratic and Flemish is a political party of Belgium, formerly called Christian People's Party...
, and more and more MP's demanded new negotiations. These were refused by the French speaking parties. The CVP remained divided. On October 11, 1978, in an emotional speech, PM Leo Tindemans unexpectedly announced the resignation of his government.
Consequences
The Egmont crisis had consequences for some Belgian parties. The radical right wing from the Volksunie separated itself, leading to the creation of the far rightFar right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
Vlaams Blok
Vlaams Blok
The Vlaams Blok was a Belgian far-right and secessionist political party with an anti-immigration platform. Its ideologies embraced Flemish nationalism, calling for the independence of Flanders. From its creation in 1978, it was the most notable militant right wing of the Flemish movement. Vlaams...
political party. The last unitary party in Belgium, the socialist BSP-PSB
Belgian Socialist Party
The Belgian Socialist Party was a democratic socialist party which existed in Belgium from 1945 to 1978.The BSP was founded by activists from the Belgian Labour Party , which was the first Belgian socialist party. It ceased to function during the Second World War, while Belgium was under Nazi...
, was split into a French-speaking
Socialist Party (francophone Belgium)
The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party...
and a Dutch-speaking
Socialist Party - Different
' is a Flemish social-democratic party in Belgium. It was formerly known as the Socialistische Partij , which in turn had branched off from the Belgian Socialist Party, itself formed by former members of the Belgian Labour Party.-1978-now:The party was the big winner in the 2003 election, running...
party.
Although the Egmont pact itself failed, it was an important exercise towards the federalisation of Belgium. A large number of the goals of the Egmont pact have been carried out (see Communities, regions and provinces of Belgium
Communities, regions and provinces of Belgium
Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. For each of these subdivision types, the sum of their circumscribed surfaces composes the entire country; in other words, the types overlap....
). Other points were not realised, like the division of the electoral district Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde
Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde is a Belgian electoral and judicial arrondissement in the center of the country, encompassing:* the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region, which coincides...
or the inscription right in Brussels for French speakers from the Brussels periphery.