Senate (Belgium) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Senate De Senaate/Le Sénat/Der Senat
Type
Type	Upper house of the Belgian Federal Parliament
Leadership
President	Sabine Laruelle, MR
Structure
Seats	60 50 Senators of the federated entities 10 co-opted senators
Political groups	N-VA (9)      VB (7)      PS (7)      MR (7)      MR (6)      German-speaking senator (1)      CD&V (5)      PVDA-PTB (5)      Ecolo-Groen (9)      Open Vld (5)      sp.a (4)      cdH (2)
Length of term	5 years
Elections
Voting system	Indirect election
Last election	26 May 2019
Next election	May 2024
Meeting place
Website
http://www.senate.be/

The Senate of Belgium is an important part of the Belgian Parliament. It is like the "upper house" in a two-house system. The other house is the House of Representatives.

The Senate was created in 1831. At first, it had the same power as the House of Representatives. Over time, there were several changes, especially in 1993 and 2014. These changes made the Senate's role different.

Today, the Senate does not make as many laws as it used to. However, it still works with the House to protect the Belgian Constitution. The Constitution is the main set of rules for the country. The Senate also helps make sure Belgium and its different regions work well together. It usually meets about ten times a year.

What is the Belgian Senate?

The Senate is one of two groups of lawmakers in Belgium. Together with the House of Representatives, they form the Federal Parliament. This Parliament is where new laws are discussed and approved for the whole country.

How Many Members are in the Senate?

The Senate has 60 members, called senators.

• 50 senators are chosen by the different regions of Belgium. These regions are called "federated entities."
• 10 senators are "co-opted." This means they are chosen by the other senators.

What Does the Senate Do?

Even though the Senate's role in making laws is smaller now, it still has important jobs:

• It checks if new laws follow the Constitution.
• It discusses big issues that affect all of Belgium.
• It can suggest changes to laws.
• It helps to make sure the different parts of Belgium work together smoothly.

History of the Senate

The Senate was created when Belgium became an independent country in 1831. For many years, it had a very similar role to the House of Representatives. Both houses had to agree on new laws.

Changes Over Time

Over the years, Belgium's government changed. Two big changes happened in 1993 and 2014. These changes made Belgium more like a federal state. This means that different regions of Belgium got more power. As a result, the Senate's role became more focused on representing these regions. It also became less involved in the day-to-day making of laws.

Images for kids

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  senate of belgium

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  The Palace of the Nation in Brussels, where the Belgian Parliament meets.

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  The special seat for the President of the Senate.

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  How the Senate was made up in 2020-2021.

See also

In Spanish: Senado de Bélgica para niños