Belgium: A Discreet and Pragmatic Europhile Approach Building Bridges Paper Series
Belgium has historically been a pro-European country. It depends on trade and foreign investment. As a small country, it benefits from being part of an institutional framework that balances the power of bigger Member States. The lack of a strong sense of national identity also helps to explain why there has been less reluctance to transfer competences to the EU.
The arrival of an explicitly conservative government ending a 24-year socialist presence in government could impair the general pro-EU consensus among elites in the country. Moreover, the change of tone by the nationalist conservative N-VA, which has become more eurosceptic, could also be consequential on the Belgium intellectual debate on the EU.
Solving the economic and social crisis is the first priority for Belgians. Several options would be supported including a bigger European budget, a common minimum income and a bolder EU investment policy. A greater involvement of citizens in the EU decision-making process would also help legitimise the EU further.
This publication is part of the "Building Bridges Paper Series". For more information about this project, click here.