Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to take stock of Belgium’s exceptional and – for some foreign observers – even schizophrenic position in the political world and attempts to explain its idiosyncrasy to a non-Belgian audience. It offers a broad and comprehensive analysis of Belgian politics based on cutting-edge research findings and an innovative approach. The book reflects on the long-term consequences of another electoral innovation in Belgium, namely gender quotas. It analyzes the rise of radical right populist parties, and the way Belgian elites have dealt with these challenger parties. The book describes trends in governments and government formation, and focuses on coalition dynamics, and specifically, how coalition formation in Belgium has become increasingly hard. It turns the attention to the process of federalization, and the special case of Brussels.