ABSTRACT
By definition, every political system is unique but, to paraphrase George Orwell, some are more unique than others. Belgium would certainly fall into the category of the more unique, especially within the context of Western European countries. At first glance that uniqueness is not apparent. As a political system and a social system, it shares many features with its neighbours, both proximate and across the rest of the continent. The political system is a ‘normal’ multi-party democracy, albeit with a larger number of political parties competing in elections and winning seats in parliament than in most countries. The political system is also parliamentary, with the prime minister and cabinet drawn from the parliament, always in a coalition but coalitions are the common mode of forming governments all across Europe. Again, the coalitions in Belgium are large, but this is perhaps a difference of degree rather than type. The public bureaucracy is also generally professional, with the usual merit criteria for recruiting, retention and promotion.
