At stake in this election:

• 71 seats in the Senate (Senaat / Senat)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: King ALBERT II
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE
• Assembly: Belgium has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate (Senaat / Senat) with 71 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Volksvertegenwoordigers / Chambre des Representants) with 150 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The King is hereditary N/A.
• In the Senate (Senaat / Senat), 40 members are elected by direct popular vote to serve 4-year terms and 31 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 4-year terms. In the Chamber of Deputies (Volksvertegenwoordigers / Chambre des Representants) 150 members are elected by popular vote via proportional representation to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD)
  • Leader: Guy VERHOFSTADT
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 6
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 6
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 23
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 21
• Party: Christian People's Party (CVP)
  • Leader: Marc VAN PEEL
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 6
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 7
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 22
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 29
• Party: Socialist Party (Walloon) (PS)
  • Leader: Philippe BUSQUIN
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 4
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 5
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 19
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 21
• Party: Liberal Reformation Party (PRL)
  • Leader: Louis MICHEL
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 5
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 5
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 18
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 18
• Party: Flemish Bloc (VL-BLOK)
  • Leader: Frank VANHECKE
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 4
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 15
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 11
• Party: Socialist Party (Flemish) (SP)
  • Leader: Fred ERDMAN
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 4
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 6
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 14
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 20
• Party: Ecologist (Francophone)
  • Leader: Isabelle DURAND, Jacky HORAEL
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 2
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 11
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 6
• Party: Social Christian Party (Francophone) (PSC)
  • Leader: Philippe MAYSTADT
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 10
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 12
• Party: Ecologist (Flemish) (AGALEV)
  • Leader: Jos GEYSELS
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 9
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 5
• Party: VU-ID
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 2
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 8
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: N/A
• Party: Other parties
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 0
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: N/A

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections were last held on May 21, 1995.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 10,192,264 ( est.)
• Registered Voters: 7,343,466 ( 1999 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 5,226,747 (1999)

·         Is Belgium a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Belgium ratified CEDAW: Yes (10 July 1985)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 35 (Chamber of Representatives); 20 (Senate) (following 1999 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 21 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Belgium a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Belgium ratified CRPD: Yes (2 July 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 1,528,839 (est.)