Text 18740, 65 rader
Skriven 2011-05-15 07:29:38 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
  Kommentar till text 18723 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
Ärende: Generalizations
=======================
Ward Dossche wrote to Robert Bashe on Sunday May 15 2011 at 00:57:

RB>> Are Belgian prime Ministers elected by popular vote? You don't have
RB>> to answer, but it would be interesting to see you try.

WD> Good question, but not to be compared to the US system.

Of course not, but since you were making comments on that system, I thought it
only fair to remind you that the popular vote isn't everything in Belgium
either.

WD> In the US, as I understand it, at the end of the day everything uually
WD> is decided.

In a presidential election, because of the electoral system and the fact that
there are only two major parties, that's true. The balance, however, comes with
the congressional elections. Since congress can make a president's life very
difficult indeed, and block his legislation, the president doesn't have
anything near to "absolute" power to do what he wants, any more than a prime
minister can dictate to parliament.

WD> Here, because of the multi-party system the "winner takes all" does
WD> not exist. After election, rounds of talks and negotiations are
WD> started which lead to a declaration with a plan supported by a
WD> majority of several paries forming an alliance.

Or there's a minority government tolerated by at least one non-government
party. If we're talking about "democracy", that would be a point any neutral
observer would have to find questionable - like the electoral system in the
States...

I might add that we in North Rhein-Westphalia presently have such a minority
(state) government, with the social democrats and greens running the state
parliament, tolerated by the leftist party. Naturally that doesn't sit well
with the christian democrats (middle) or free democrats (business-oriented
party) who are now in the opposition.

However, based on the opinion polls, in a new election, the greens would
probably become the strongest party and could form a majority government with
the social democrats - the latter being the junior partner (presently the
senior partner) - whereas the leftists would essentially disappear and the
christian democrats and free democrats would get clobbered, so basically nobody
is interested in provoking new elections at the present. If that all sounds
very complicated, it is.

WD> That process is heavily influenced by the monarch who first appoints a
WD> Royal Informer who discreetly parlays with all parties to see what
WD> they want and what can be mediated. Then he return to the monarch who
WD> then appoints a "formateur", someone to put a government together and
WD> as far as I can remember this "formateur" becomes the prime-minister.

Makes you wonder what people think they're voting for. But anyway, as mentioned
in my other message, different countries have different systems. As long as the
population doesn't rebel, they have the system they deserve (to paraphrase an
old saying).

WD> Our last elections were, I think, June 13 last year and they're still
WD> talking ... :--)

Which, I suppose, nobody except a Belgian can understand. Good luck ;-)

Cheers, Bob

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