Federal level
Belgium is a federal state in which the legislative power is exercised by: 1. Federal Parliament. It is a bicameral parliament that comprises the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. 2. The Government. It consists of the King and the Ministers. The King has no individual power. The ministers are fully responsible for their decisions (bills, adopted by the Parliament or royal orders).
Regional level
Belgium is a federal State composed of Communities and Regions 1. The Communities: Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German. Belgium is composed of three Communities: the Flemish Community, the French Community and the German-speaking Community. These three Communities correspond to the linguistic groups in Belgium. Each Community has its own Parliament and Government. 2. The Regions: there are three Regions in Belgium. The names of the Regions are linked to those of the territories. We have the Flemish Region, the Walloon region and the Brussels-Capital Region. The regions also have legislative and executive organs called Regional Government and Regional Parliament. The institutions of the Flemish Region and Community are united. In other words, in Flanders, we have just one Government and one Parliament that handle all the competencies of the Flemish Region and Community.
Local/municipal level
The country is composed of 10 provinces and 589 municipalities. The municipality is the closest administrative level to the citizen. The competences of municipal authorities are various and cover all functions that are linked with the collective needs of the municipality's inhabitants. The municipality must also take care of the respect of public order, the CPAS (Belgian social assistance system), the civil status and the population's registers. If you settle in Belgium, you must go to the municipality to get your documents in order.
The municipality is managed by the local council composed of local councillors who are elected during the local elections. The local councillors designate the deputy Burgomaster and the Burgomaster. The College of Burgomaster and Deputy Burgomasters is the executive organ of the municipality. Each municipality has its own administration.
