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11.3. Recuperation of Authorities on the Federal Level

In a federal country, it is quite normal that from time to time conflicts between the several governments arise. On the one hand, the centrifugal forces, which made from the unitarian Belgium of 1830 the federal Belgium of today, are still active. But since the last state reform, forces which tend to bring back the federalized authorities to the federal level, emerged.

As an example, in June 1996, the federal Minister Philippe Maystadt tried to raise a land-tax. This tax, to be imposed on the net revenues of the hire, would collide with the taxes on real estate, a regional matter. The regional Minister, Wivina Demeester said that such land-tax would make the Flemish tax not only ridicule, but in effect cross the plans for a Flemish social housing policy. The Flemish Region tries to discourage real estate standing empty or being neglected by a special social tax.

Another conflict arose as the federal government tried to resolve the needs of helpless elder people using service cheques. But assistance to persons being a community matter, such cheques could not be payed by the federal government. So the service cheques were converted into money, so becoming part of the federal matters.

Finally, some conflicts are very subtle. Full federal powers for example, should be checked by the parliaments of the regions and the communities. As a result, those powers designed to circumvent the federal parliament, should be controled by six parliaments in turn!


© Filip van Laenen ( f.a.vanlaenen@ieee.org )