The Belgian Presidency 2001

Summary by euractiv.com

In this study, entitled “the Belgian Presidency 2001”, Lieven De Winter and Huri Türsan analyse the priorities of the Belgian presidency in the context of Belgium’s social and political structures, culture, the country’s tradition of European policies and also conjunctural events.

In the foreword to the study, Jacques Delors points out that the Belgian presidency takes place at a crucial moment in the European construction process. He stresses the fact that this is partly the result of a deliberate desire of Belgium to play a role in the history of the Union.

The Belgian presidency programme contains an unprecedented list of 16 priorities for the country’s six-month term. According to De Winter and Türsan, the programme is not so much ambitious in terms of the number of priorities, but rather by the inclusion of the last priority, namely to open the debate on the future of Europe. They believe that, with this debate, Belgium might open a Pandora’s box as it provides an opportunity for Eurosceptic voices to put the EU into question again. In that sense, De Winter and Türsan think that the Belgian presidency might well have set its own trap. They also point out that the timing is not right to come up with a coherent declaration in Laeken, due to the upcoming French and German elections in 2002.

According to the authors, Belgium’s ambition to play a leading role in the EU is “deeply embedded in the continuity of the integrationist role Belgium has played in post-WWII Europe.” De Winter and Türsan analyse several elements that contribute to this attitude:

• There is quite a large consensus among Belgian political elites and interest groups on European issues (in favour of federalism and deepening of European integration).
• It is relatively easy for Belgium to put national interests aside as there are few problems on which Belgium has a unique Belgian interest.
• Belgian political elites are well trained in the reaching of a consensus over a large number of interested players. Given the diversity of opinions and interests, Belgian politicians know that too strong an attachment to principles can only lead to blocking decision-making or face-losing compromises.
• The finding of ad hoc solutions to institutional problems is a well-mastered skill, as the Belgian federal state itself is extremely complex, asymetrical and provisional.

Yet, according to the authors, Belgium does also have a national interest in the future EU debate.

• “The feasibility or failure of multi-level consensual decision-making in Europe is an important stake for the Belgian model, as this decision mode constitutes a central feature of the Belgian co-operative federalism. The success of a multi-level Europe is seen as a guarantee against the breakdown and complete separation of the country.”
• The Belgian presidency offers the country an opportunity to restore its tarnished reputation after a series of political scandals and crises.
• It is a unique opportunity for the “purple-green” coalition to prove that it can cope with European matters as well as or even better than the Christian-Democrats, who claim to be the natural leaders of European integration in Belgium.
• The EU presidency has positive effects on the government’s stability: there is a consensus in the coalition that the government cannot afford a major crisis before the end of the presidency, for the sake of Belgium’s image.

De Winter and Türsan conclude that most of the targets of the Belgian programme will probably be met without major difficulties. This will allow Belgium to conclude its Presidency by having enhanced its domestic and European image. Even though the debate on the future of Europe might prove to be a trap, Belgium will still be able to fall back on the grid of the 15 other points

Lieven De Winter is profess or at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and is senior lecturer at the Katholieke Universiteit Brussel (Belgium). Huri Türsan is assistant professor at Vesalius College, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) and at the Council for International Educational Exchange, Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium).