Constitution of Belgium in the context of "Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium"

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⭐ Core Definition: Constitution of Belgium

The Constitution of Belgium (Dutch: Belgische Grondwet; French: Constitution belge; German: Verfassung Belgiens) dates back to 1831. Since then Belgium has been a parliamentary monarchy that applies the principles of ministerial responsibility for the government policy and the separation of powers.

The most recent major change to the constitution was the introduction of the Court of Arbitration, whose competencies were expanded by a special law of 2003, to include Title II (Articles 8 to 32), and the Articles 170, 172 and 191 of the Constitution. The Court developed into a constitutional court; in May 2007 it was formally redesignated as the Constitutional Court. This court has the authority to examine whether a law or a decree is in compliance with Title II and Articles 170, 172 and 191.

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👉 Constitution of Belgium in the context of Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium

Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities and three regions that are based on four language areas. For each of these subdivision types, the subdivisions together make up the entire country; in other words, the types overlap.

The language areas were established by the Second Gilson Act, which entered into force on 2 August 1963. The division into language areas was included in the Belgian Constitution in 1970. Through constitutional reforms in the 1970s and 1980s, regionalisation of the unitary state led to a three-tiered federation: federal, regional, and community governments were created, a compromise designed to minimize linguistic, cultural, social, and economic tensions.

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Constitution of Belgium in the context of Christianity in Belgium

Most people in Belgium do not belong to a religion. Christianity is the largest religion, with the Catholic Church representing the largest community, though it has experienced a significant decline since the 1950s (when it was the nominal religion of over 80% of the population). Belgium's policy separates the state from the churches, and freedom of religion is guaranteed by the country's constitution.

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Constitution of Belgium in the context of French Community of Belgium

In Belgium, the French Community (French: Communauté française (de Belgique), pronounced [kɔmynote fʁɑ̃sɛːz bɛlʒik], CFB) refers to one of the three constituent constitutional linguistic communities. Since 2011, the French minority has used the name Wallonia-Brussels Federation (French: Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, pronounced [fedeʁɑsjɔ̃ walɔni bʁysɛl], FWB), which is controversial because its name in the Belgian Constitution has not changed and because it is seen as a political statement. The name "French Community" refers to the French language and not to France. As such, the French minority of Belgium is sometimes rendered in English as "the French-speaking Community of Belgium" for clarity, in analogy to the German-speaking Community of Belgium.

The Community has its own parliament, government, and administration. It and its predecessor entity have used the flag of Wallonia since 1975.

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Constitution of Belgium in the context of 1866 Constitution of Romania

The 1866 Constitution of Romania was the fundamental law that capped a period of nation-building in the Danubian Principalities, which had united in 1859. Drafted in a short time and closely modeled on the 1831 Constitution of Belgium, then considered Europe's most liberal, it was substantially modified by Prince (later King) Carol and adopted by the Constituent Assembly. The newly installed Prince then promulgated it on 13 July [O.S. 1 July] 1866. In a bold move, the constitution was drafted without input from the major powers. Notably, the framers did not even consult the Ottoman Empire even though Romania was nominally an Ottoman vassal. By then, however, the Ottoman Empire's sovereignty over Romania had long since become a legal fiction, though this only ended when Romania gained de jure independence in 1878.

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Constitution of Belgium in the context of State reform in Belgium

State reform, in the context of Belgium, is the ongoing process of seeking and finding constitutional and legal solutions to the problems and tensions in the different segments of the Belgian population, mostly between the Dutch-speakers of Flanders and the French-speakers of Wallonia. In general, Belgium has evolved from a unitary state to a federal state with communities, regions, and language areas.

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Constitution of Belgium in the context of Congress Column

The Congress Column (French: Colonne du Congrès [kɔlɔn dy kɔ̃ɡʁɛ]; Dutch: Congreskolom [kɔŋˈɣrɛskoːˌlɔm]) is a monumental column in Brussels, Belgium, commemorating the creation of the Belgian Constitution by the National Congress of 1830–31. Inspired by Trajan's Column in Rome, it was erected between 1850 and 1859, on the initiative of the then-Prime Minister of Belgium, Charles Rogier, according to a design by the architect Joseph Poelaert. At the top of the column is a statue of Belgium's first monarch; King Leopold I, and at its base, the pedestal is surrounded by statues personifying the four freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution. The Belgian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame lies at its foot.

The column is located on the Place du Congrès/Congresplein; a small square adjacent to the Rue Royale/Koningsstraat, in the Freedom Quarter. This area is served by Brussels-Congress railway station, the metro stations Parc/Park (on lines 1 and 5) and Botanique/Kruidtuin (on lines 2 and 6), as well as the tram stop Congrès/Congres on lines 92 and 93.

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Constitution of Belgium in the context of Belgian flag

The national flag of the Kingdom of Belgium is a tricolour consisting of three equal vertical bands displaying the national colours: black, yellow, and red. The colours were taken from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, and the vertical design may be based on the flag of France. When flown, the black band is nearest the pole (at the hoist side). It has the unusual proportions of 13∶15, and therefore, unlike the flags of Switzerland and the Vatican City, it is not a perfect square.

In 1830, the flag, at that time non-officially, consisted of three horizontal bands, with the colors red, yellow and black. On 23 January 1831, the National Congress enshrined the tricolor in the Constitution, but did not determine the direction and order of the color bands. As a result, the "official" flag was given vertical stripes with the colors black, yellow and red.

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