Dutch-speaking electoral college

The Dutch-speaking electoral college is one of three constituencies of the European Parliament in Belgium. It currently elects 13 MEPs using the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. Before it elected 14 MEPs, until the 2007 accession of Bulgaria and Romania.

Dutch-speaking electoral college
European Parliament constituency
Map of the European Parliament constituencies with Dutch-speaking electoral college highlighted in red
Location among the current constituencies
Shown within Belgium
Member stateBelgium
Created1979
MEPs12
Sources
[1]

Boundaries

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The constituency generally corresponds to the Flemish Community of Belgium, and is sometimes called the Flemish-speaking electoral college.[1][2] In officially bilingual Brussels, electors can choose between lists of this electoral college or those of the French-speaking electoral college.

Prior to the 2011–2012 state reform, voters could choose between both lists not only in Brussels, but in an area encompassing unilingually Dutch territory, Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde; some towns in the officially Dutch-speaking Brussels Periphery still have this option.

Members of the European Parliament

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2019 – 2024

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2014 – 2019

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2009 – 2014

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2004 – 2009

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Election results

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2019

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Party EU party EP group Votes % Change Seats Change
  New-Flemish Alliance EFA ECR 954,048 22.44 −4.23 3 -1
  Flemish Interest ID Party ID 811,169 19.08 +12.32 3 +2
  Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats ALDE Renew 678,051 15.95 −4.45 2 -1
  Christian Democratic and Flemish EPP EPP 617,651 14.53 −5.43 2 0
  Green EGP Greens/EFA 525,908 12.37 +1.75 1 0
  Socialist Party Different PES S&D 434,002 10.21 −2.97 1 0
  Workers Party of Belgium None GUE/NGL 210,391 4.95 +2.55 0 0
  Volt Belgium Volt Europa None 20,385 0.48 +0.48 0 0
Total 4,251,605 100 12 0

2014

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Party EU party EP group Votes % Change Seats Change
  New-Flemish Alliance EFA ECR 1,123,363 26.67 +16.79 4 +3
  Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats ALDE ALDE 859,254 20.40 −0.2 3 0
  Christian Democratic and Flemish EPP EPP 840,814 19.96 −3.34 2 −1
  Socialist Party Different PES S&D 555,354 13.18 −0.05 1 −1
  Flemish Interest EAF None 284,891 6.76 −9.14 1 −1
  Green EGP Greens/EFA 447,449 10.62 +2.72 1 0
  Workers Party of Belgium None None 101,246 2.40 +1.42 0 0
Total 4,212,371 100 12 −1

2009

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Party Affiliation Votes % Change Seats Change
  Christian Democratic and Flemish EPP 948,123 23.26 −4.89 3 0
  Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats ELDR 837,884 20.56 −1.35 3 0
  Flemish Interest None 647,170 15.88 −7.28 2 −1
  Socialist Party Different PES 539,393 13.23 −4.60 2 −1
  New-Flemish Alliance EFA/EPP-ED group (previous term) 402,545 9.88 +9.88 1 0
  Green! EGP 322,149 7.90 −0.08 1 0
  List Dedecker None, (joined ECR) 296,699 7.28 N/A 1 N/A
  Workers Party of Belgium+ None 40,057 0.98 +0.37 0 0
  Social Liberal Party EFA 26,541 0.65 N/A 0 N/A
  Others 15,383 0.38 0
Total 4,075,944 100 13 −1

2004

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Party Affiliation Votes % Change Seats Change
  Christian Democratic and Flemish/New Flemish Alliance 1,131,119 28.15 +6.47 4 +1
  Vlaams Blok 930,731 23.16 +8.07 3 +1
  Flemish Liberals and Democrats 880,279 21.91 −1.7 3 0
  Social Progressive Alternative-Spirit 716,317 17.83 +3.62 3 +1
  Groen! 320,874 7.99 −3.99 1 −1
  Workers Party of Belgium 24,807 0.62 0.05 0 0
  Left Socialist Party 14,166 0.35 N/A 0 N/A
Total 4,018,293 100 14 0

1999

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Party Affiliation Votes % Change Seats Change
  Flemish Liberals and Democrats 847,099 21.88% +3.52% 3 0
  Christian People's Party 839,720 21.68% −5.75% 3 −1
  Vlaams Blok 584,392 15.09% +2.53% 2 0
  Socialist Party 550,237 14.21% −3.42% 2 −1
  People's Union-ID 471,238 12.17% +5.08% 2 +1
  Agalev-Groen 464,042 11.98% +1.25% 2 +1
  Vivant 67,107 1.73% N/A 0 N/A
  Others 48,589 1.25% 0 0
Total 3,872,424 100 14 0

1994

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Party Affiliation Votes % Change Seats Change
  Christian People's Party 1,013,266 27.43% −6.65% 4 −1
  Flemish Liberals and Democrats 678,421 18.36% +1.26% 3 +1
  Socialist Party 651,371 17.63% −2.41% 3 0
  Vlaams Blok 463,919 12.56% +5.97% 2 +1
  Agalev 396,198 10.73% −1.47% 1 0
  People's Union 262,043 7.09% −1.61% 1 +1
  WOW 127,504 3.45% N/A 0 N/A
  Others 101,427 2.75% 0 0
Total 100 14 +1

1989

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Party Affiliation Votes % Change Seats Change
  Christian People's Party 1,247,075 34.08% +1.55% 5 +1
  Socialist Party 733,242 20.04% −8.09% 3 −1
  Party for Freedom and Progress 625,561 17.10% +2.91% 2 0
  Agalev-Groen 446,539 12.20% +5.12% 1 0
  People's Union-EVA 318,153 8.70% −5.21% 1 −1
  Vlaams Blok 241,117 6.59% +4.49% 1 +1
  Others 47,219 1.29% 0 0
Total 100 13 0

1984

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Party Affiliation Votes % Change Seats Change
  Christian People's Party 1,132,682 32.53% −15.56% 4 −3
  Socialist Party 979,702 28.13% +7.23% 4 +1
  Party for Freedom and Progress 494,277 14.19% −1.13% 2 0
  People's Union 484,494 13.91% +4.20% 2 +1
  Agalev 246,712 7.08% +4.75% 1 +1
  Vlaams Blok 73,174 2.10% N/A 0 N/A
  Others 71,239 2.05% 0 0
Total 100 13 0

1979

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Party Affiliation Votes % Change Seats Change
  Christian People's Party 1,607,941 48.09% N/A 7 N/A
  Belgian Socialist Party 698,889 20.90% N/A 3 N/A
  Party for Freedom and Progress 512,363 15.32% N/A 2 N/A
  People's Union 324,540 9.71% N/A 1 N/A
  Agalev 77,986 2.33% N/A 0 N/A
  Others 121,783 3.64% N/A 0 N/A
Total 100 N/A 13 N/A

Returned members

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Below are all members since the creation of the Dutch-speaking electoral college. Only members who were sworn in at the beginning of each parliamentary turn are mentioned. Under Belgian law, MEPs can resign and be automatically replaced. This was the case, for example, for Johan Van Overtveldt, who resigned to become Minister of Finance on 14 October 2014 and was replaced by Sander Loones.

MEPs for Belgium's Dutch-speaking electoral college, 1979 onwards
Election 1979 (1st parliament) 1984 (2nd parliament) 1989 (3rd parliament) 1994 (4th parliament) 1999 (5th parliament) 2004 (6th parliament) 2009 (7th parliament) 2014 (8th parliament) 2019 (9th parliament)
MEP
Party
Willy Vernimmen
SP
Seat not established Anne Van Lancker
SP
Seat abolished
MEP
Party
Karel Van Miert
SP
Marc Galle
SP
Philippe De Coene
SP
Peter Bossu
SP
Saïd El Khadraoui
sp.a/Spirit
Seat abolished
MEP
Party
Marcel Colla
SP
Marijke Van Hemeldonck
SP
Freddy Willockx
SP
Luckas Vander Taelen
Agalev
Mia De Vits
sp.a/Spirit
Kathleen Van Brempt
sp.a
MEP
Party
Willy De Clercq
PVV
Jef Ulburghs
SP
Paul Staes
Agalev
Magda Aelvoet
Agalev
Patsy Sörensen
Agalev
Bart Staes
Groen
Petra De Sutter
Groen
MEP
Party
Herman Vanderpoorten
PVV
Paul Staes
Agalev
Willy De Clercq
VLD
Karel De Gucht
VLD/Vivant
Guy Verhofstadt
Open Vld
MEP
Party
Paul De Keersmaeker
CVP
Karel De Gucht
VLD
Annemie Neyts
VLD
Ward Beysen
VLD
Annemie Neyts
VLD/Vivant
Hilde Vautmans
Open Vld
MEP
Party
Jaak Henckens
CVP
August de Winter
VLD
An Hermans
CVP
Mimi Kestelijn-Sierens
VLD
Dirk Sterckx
VLD/Vivant
Philippe De Backer
Open Vld
Karel De Gucht
Open Vld
Kris Peeters
CD&V
MEP
Party
Joris Verhaegen
CVP
Raphaël Chanterie
CVP
Miet Smet
CVP
Ivo Belet
CD&V/N-VA
Cindy Franssen
CD&V
MEP
Party
Lambert Croux
CVP
Marianne Thyssen
CVP
Geert Bourgeois
N-VA
MEP
Party
Marcel Vandewiele
CVP
Rika De Backer
CVP
Karel Pinxten
CVP
Wilfried Martens
CVP
Johan Van Hecke
CVP
Jean-Luc Dehaene
CD&V/N-VA
Johan Van Overtveldt
N-VA
MEP
Party
Leo Tindemans
CVP
Pol Marck
CVP
Leo Tindemans
CVP
Nelly Maes
VU
Frieda Brepoels
CD&V/N-VA
Mark Demesmaeker
N-VA
Assita Kanko
N-VA
MEP
Party
Joannes Verroken
CVP
Jaak Vandemeulebroucke
VU
Bart Staes
VU
Koen Dillen
VB
Derk-Jan Eppink
LDD
Louis Ide
N-VA
Filip De Man
VB
MEP
Party
Maurits Coppieters
VU
Willy Kuijpers
VU
Karel Dillen
VB
Philip Claeys
VB
Helga Stevens
N-VA
Patsy Vatlet
VB
MEP
Party
Seat not established Frank Vanhecke
VB
Gerolf Annemans
VB

References

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  1. ^ Patsy Vatlet was originally elected but chose not to take her seat.
  1. ^ "A new "Black Sunday"". internationalviewpoint.org. 1 October 2004. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021.
  2. ^ Perrineau, P.; Grunberg, G.; Ysmal, C. (30 April 2016). Europe at the Polls: The European Elections of 1999. Springer. ISBN 9781137044419 – via Google Books.