Belgium

House of RepresentativesSenate

House of Representatives

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections

Background

Election date(s) The date when elections started and ended for directly or indirectly elected parliaments/chambers. The date of appointments for appointed parliaments/chambers.
26.05.2019
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature Date at which the previous legislature (elected at the previous elections) was dissolved.
23.05.2019
Timing of election Timing of election: Upon normal expiry; Early elections; Delayed elections
Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections The expected date at which the next elections should take place, based on law or practice.
09.06.2024
Number of seats at stake Number of seats contested at the elections. Where the parliament/chamber is fully renewed, this number is usually identical to the statutory number of members. Where the parliament/chamber is partially renewed or appointed, the number of seats at stake is usually less than the total number of members.
150
Scope of elections Scope of elections: Full renewal; Partial renewal.
Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election This field may include either the number of parties contesting the election, or the number of coalitions/electoral alliance.
63

Voter turnout

Registration Number of people registered to vote
8,167,709
Votes Number of people who actually voted
7,218,633
Voter turnout The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of people who actually voted by the number of people registered to vote
88.38%

Results

About the election Short description of the context and results of the election.
The 2019 parliamentary elections once again resulted in a fragmented House of Representatives. The New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) led by Mr. Bart De Wever, remained the largest party in the 150-member House but its share of seats was reduced from 33 to 25, as was the case of the three parties in the outgoing caretaker government (see note 1) and of the Socialist Party – Walloon (PS) led by former Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, which nevertheless remained the second largest party. On the other hand, the share of Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest), now led by a 32-year-old leader Mr. Tom Van Grieken, jumped from 3 to 18 seats. The Greens – Walloon (Ecolo), co-led by Mr. Jean-Marc Nollet and Ms. Zakia Khattabi, more than doubled its share to 13 seats.

As was the case in the 2014 elections, lengthy coalition talks followed the 2019 elections. On 2 July, the outgoing Prime Minister Charles Michel of the Movement for Reform (MR), was elected as the new European Council President to assume the post starting on 1 December. On 27 October, King Philippe appointed Ms. Sophie Wilmès (MR) as the new caretaker Prime Minister. She became the first woman in Belgium to assume the post amid stalemate over the formation of the new coalition government.

In March 2020, nearly 10 months after the elections, the major political parties agreed to support a minority government to be led by Ms. Wilmès in order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. On 16 March 2020, the King appointed her as the official Prime Minister. On 19 March, Parliament approved her government comprising the MR, the Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V) and Open Vld.

On 30 September 2020, seven parties (see note 2) agreed to form a majority government. On 1 October, Mr. Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) was sworn in as Prime Minister, 652 days after the fall of the previous administration in December 2018. On 13 October, the Senate elected Ms. Stephanie D'Hose as the new Senate President and the House of Representatives elected Ms. Eliane Tillieux as its President, who thereby became the first woman in Belgium to assume the post.

Note 1:
The government formed after the 2014 elections initially comprised the Movement for Reform (MR), the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), the Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V), and the Open Vld. In December 2018, the N-VA withdrew from the coalition in a dispute over the United Nations Compact on Migration. Prime Minister Charles Michel (MR) tendered his resignation to the King but stayed as the caretaker Prime Minister until the 2019 elections.

Note 2:
The seven parties are the Socialist Party - Walloon (PS), the Movement for Reform (MR), the Greens - Walloon (Ecolo), the Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V), the Open Vld, the Flemish Socialist Party (sp.a) and GROEN! (Flemish green party), which took a total of 88 seats in the 2019 elections.
Number of parties winning seats The number of parties which won parliamentary representation in the given election.
12
Percentage of parties winning seats The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of parties which won parliamentary representation by the number of parties contesting the election.
19.05%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of seats won by the largest party by the number of seats at stake in the election.
16.67%
Alternation of power after elections The results of the elections caused a change in the government. "Not applicable" to countries using the presidential system when parliamentary and presidential elections are held separately, to countries in political transition or where there is no party system.
Yes
Number of parties in government The government may be formed by one or more political parties
3
Names of parties in government The government may be formed by one or more political parties
Movement for Reform (MR), Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V), Open Vld
Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political groups winning seats breakdown
Political group Total
New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) 25
Socialist Party - Walloon (PS) 20
Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) 18
Movement for Reform (MR) 14
Greens - Walloon (Ecolo) 13
Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V) 12
Open vld 12
Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB*PVDA) 12
Flemish Socialist Party (sp.a) 9
GROEN! (Flemish green party) 8
Humanist Democratic Centre (cdH) 5
DéFI (Democratic, Federalist, Independent) 2
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
86
Number of women elected
64
Percentage of women elected The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women elected in the election and the number of seats at stake at the election.
42.67%
Sources
House of Representatives (07.06.2019, 30.07.2020)
https://elections2019.belgium.be
Reuters
euronews.com
theguardian.com
uobserver.com
Women Directly Elected
64

New legislature

Total number of men after the election The total number of male parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
86
Total number of women after the election The total number of female parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
64
First-term parliamentarians The number of members who are assuming their parliamentary mandate for the first time following the election or renewal, regardless of their mode of designation.
73
Date of the first session The date when the newly elected parliament/chamber was convened for the first time. It may be different from the date when members were sworn in.
20.06.2019
First Speaker of the new legislature
First Speaker of the new legislature First name of the Speaker of the new legislature following the election or renewal.
Patrick Dewael (Male)
Political party
Open vld
Date of election
27.06.2019