Dutch-speaking electoral college

Dutch-speaking electoral college
Dutch-speaking electoral college
European Parliament constituency
	Location among the current constituencies
	Shown within Belgium
Member state	Belgium
Created	1979
MEPs	12
Sources

The Dutch-speaking electoral college is one of three constituencies of the European Parliament in Belgium. It currently elects 13 MEPs using the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. Before it elected 14 MEPs, until the 2007 accession of Bulgaria and Romania.

Boundaries

The constituency generally corresponds to the Flemish Community of Belgium, and is sometimes called the Flemish-speaking electoral college.^[1]^[2] In officially bilingual Brussels, electors can choose between lists of this electoral college or those of the French-speaking electoral college.

Prior to the 2011–2012 state reform, voters could choose between both lists not only in Brussels, but in an area encompassing unilingually Dutch territory, Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde; some towns in the officially Dutch-speaking Brussels Periphery still have this option.

Members of the European Parliament

Representatives of the Dutch-Speaking community
(1979–present)
Election	Member of the European Parliament (Party)
1979		Lambert Croux (CVP)		Paul De Keersmaeker (CVP)		Jaak Henckens (CVP)		Léo Tindemans (CVP)		Marcel Vandewiele (CVP)		Joris Verhaegen (CVP)		Joannes Verroken (CVP)		Willy De Clercq (PVV)		Herman Vanderpoorten (PVV)	Maurits Coppieters (VU)	Marcel Colla (SP)	Karel Van Miert (SP)	12 seats
1984	Raphaël Chanterie (CVP)	Lambert Croux (CVP)	Rika De Backer (CVP)	Pol Marck (CVP)		Paul Staes (Agalev)		Willy Kuijpers (VU)		Jef Ulburghs (SP)	Karel De Gucht (PVV)	August de Winter (PVV)	Jaak Vandemeulebroucke (VU)	Marijke Van Hemeldonck (SP)		Willy Vernimmen (SP)	13 seats				Karel Van Miert (SP)
1989	Marianne Thyssen (CVP/ CD&V)	Leo Tindemans (CVP)	An Hermans (CVP)	Pol Marck (CVP)		Paul Staes (Agalev)	Karel Pinxten (CVP)		Karel Dillen (VB)	Willy De Clercq (PVV/ VLD)	Karel De Gucht (PVV)	Marc Galle (SP)		Marijke Van Hemeldonck (SP)	12 seats
1994			Wilfried Martens (CVP)	Raphaël Chanterie (CVP)	Magda Aelvoet (Agalev)		Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens (PVV)	Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck (PVV)			Anne Van Lancker (SP/ SP.A)	Philippe De Coene (SP)			Frederik Willockx (SP)	13 seats
1998			Wilfried Martens (CVP)	Raphaël Chanterie (CVP)	Magda Aelvoet (Agalev)	Nelly Maes (VU)	Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens (PVV)	Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck (PVV)				Philippe De Coene (SP)			Frederik Willockx (SP)	13 seats
1999		Miet Smet (CVP)	Johan Van Hecke (CVP /VLD)		Frank Vanhecke (VB)		Patsy Sörensen (Agalev)					Ward Beysen (VLD)		Dirk Sterckx (VLD/ Open VLD)			Bart Staes (VU/ Groen)	Peter Bossu (SP)	Luckas Vander Taelen (Agalev)
2000				Kathleen Van Brempt (SP)															Luckas Vander Taelen (Agalev)
2002				Kathleen Van Brempt (SP)									Jan Dhaene (Agalev)
2003					Koenraad Dillen (VB)			Frank Vanhecke (VB)	Saïd El Khadraoui (SP)				Jan Dhaene (Agalev)
2004					Koenraad Dillen (VB)	Jean-Luc Dehaene (CD&V)				Ivo Belet (CD&V)		Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck (VLD/ Open VLD)			Philip Claeys (VB)			Frieda Brepoels (NVA)		Mia De Vits (SP.A)
2009			Guy Verhofstadt (Open VLD)		Derk Jan Eppink (LDD)								Kathleen Van Brempt (SP.A/ Vooruit)			13 seats
2011		Philippe De Backer (Open VLD)
2013				Mark Demesmaeker (NVA)
2014
2014						Helga Stevens (NVA)		Louis Ide (NVA)			Johan Van Overtveldt (NVA)			Gerolf Annemans (VB)	12 seats
2014	Tom Vandenkendelaere (CD&V)				Sander Loones (NVA)			Louis Ide (NVA)
2015							Anneleen Van Bossuyt (NVA)
2016		Lieve Wierinck (Open VLD)						Hilde Vautmans (Open VLD)
2018		Lieve Wierinck (Open VLD)			Ralph Packet (NVA)
2019	Kris Peeters (CD&V)	Geert Bourgeois (NVA)		Assita Kanko (NVA)	Cindy Franssen (CD&V)		Filip De Man (VB)		Johan Van Overtveldt (NVA)		Tom Vandendriessche (VB)					Petra De Sutter (Groen)
2024	Wouter Beke (CD&V)	Kris Van Dijck (NVA)		Assita Kanko (NVA)	Rudi Kennes (PTB)	Liesbet Sommen (CD&V)	Barbara Bonte (VB)		Johan Van Overtveldt (NVA)	Sara Matthieu (Groen)	Tom Vandendriessche (VB)				Bruno Tobback (Vooruit)	13 seats

Election results

2024

	EU party	EP group	Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
Flemish Interest	ID	PfE	1,034,112	22.94	−3.86	3	-
New-Flemish Alliance	EFA	ECR	995,868	22.09	−0.35	3	-
Christian Democratic and Flemish	EPP	EPP	594,968	13.20	−2.33	2	-
Vooruit	PES	S&D	570,067	12.64	+2.43	2	+1
Groen	EGP	G-EFA	450,781	10.00	−2.37	1	-
Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats	ALDE	RE	410,743	9.11	−6.84	1	-1
Workers' Party of Belgium	ELA	Left	366,285	8.12	+3.17	1	+1
For You	NI	NI	47,243	1.05	new	0	new
Volt Belgium	NI	NI	38,713	0.86	+0.83	0	-

2019

Party		EU party	EP group	Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
	New-Flemish Alliance	EFA	ECR	954,048	22.44	−4.23	3	-1
	Flemish Interest	ID Party	ID	811,169	19.08	+12.32	3	+2
	Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats	ALDE	Renew	678,051	15.95	−4.45	2	-1
	Christian Democratic and Flemish	EPP	EPP	617,651	14.53	−5.43	2	0
	Green	EGP	Greens/EFA	525,908	12.37	+1.75	1	0
	Socialist Party Different	PES	S&D	434,002	10.21	−2.97	1	0
	Workers' Party of Belgium	None	GUE/NGL	210,391	4.95	+2.55	0	0
	Volt Belgium	Volt Europa	None	20,385	0.48	+0.48	0	0
Total				4,251,605	100		12	0

2014

Party		EU party	EP group	Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
	New-Flemish Alliance	EFA	ECR	1,123,363	26.67	+16.79	4	+3
	Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats	ALDE	ALDE	859,254	20.40	−0.2	3	0
	Christian Democratic and Flemish	EPP	EPP	840,814	19.96	−3.34	2	−1
	Socialist Party Different	PES	S&D	555,354	13.18	−0.05	1	−1
	Flemish Interest	EAF	None	284,891	6.76	−9.14	1	−1
	Green	EGP	Greens/EFA	447,449	10.62	+2.72	1	0
	Workers' Party of Belgium	None	None	101,246	2.40	+1.42	0	0
Total				4,212,371	100		12	−1

2009

Party		Affiliation	Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
	Christian Democratic and Flemish	EPP	948,123	23.26	−4.89	3	0
	Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats	ELDR	837,884	20.56	−1.35	3	0
	Flemish Interest	None	647,170	15.88	−7.28	2	−1
	Socialist Party Different	PES	539,393	13.23	−4.60	2	−1
	New-Flemish Alliance	EFA/EPP-ED group (previous term)	402,545	9.88	+9.88	1	0
	Green!	EGP	322,149	7.90	−0.08	1	0
	List Dedecker	None, (joined ECR)	296,699	7.28	N/A	1	N/A
	Workers' Party of Belgium+	None	40,057	0.98	+0.37	0	0
	Social Liberal Party	EFA	26,541	0.65	N/A	0	N/A
	Others		15,383	0.38		0
Total			4,075,944	100		13	−1

2004

Party		Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
	Christian Democratic and Flemish/New Flemish Alliance	1,131,119	28.15	+6.47	4	+1
	Vlaams Blok	930,731	23.16	+8.07	3	+1
	Flemish Liberals and Democrats	880,279	21.91	−1.7	3	0
	Social Progressive Alternative-Spirit	716,317	17.83	+3.62	3	+1
	Groen!	320,874	7.99	−3.99	1	−1
	Workers' Party of Belgium	24,807	0.62	0.05	0	0
	Left Socialist Party	14,166	0.35	N/A	0	N/A
Total		4,018,293	100		14	0

1999

Party		Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
	Flemish Liberals and Democrats	847,099	21.88%	+3.52%	3	0
	Christian People's Party	839,720	21.68%	−5.75%	3	−1
	Vlaams Blok	584,392	15.09%	+2.53%	2	0
	Socialist Party	550,237	14.21%	−3.42%	2	−1
	People's Union-ID	471,238	12.17%	+5.08%	2	+1
	Agalev-Groen	464,042	11.98%	+1.25%	2	+1
	Vivant	67,107	1.73%	N/A	0	N/A
	Others	48,589	1.25%		0	0
Total		3,872,424	100		14	0

1994

Party		Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
	Christian People's Party	1,013,266	27.43%	−6.65%	4	−1
	Flemish Liberals and Democrats	678,421	18.36%	+1.26%	3	+1
	Socialist Party	651,371	17.63%	−2.41%	3	0
	Vlaams Blok	463,919	12.56%	+5.97%	2	+1
	Agalev	396,198	10.73%	−1.47%	1	0
	People's Union	262,043	7.09%	−1.61%	1	+1
	WOW	127,504	3.45%	N/A	0	N/A
	Others	101,427	2.75%		0	0
Total			100		14	+1

1989

Party		Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
	Christian People's Party	1,247,075	34.08%	+1.55%	5	+1
	Socialist Party	733,242	20.04%	−8.09%	3	−1
	Party for Freedom and Progress	625,561	17.10%	+2.91%	2	0
	Agalev-Groen	446,539	12.20%	+5.12%	1	0
	People's Union-EVA	318,153	8.70%	−5.21%	1	−1
	Vlaams Blok	241,117	6.59%	+4.49%	1	+1
	Others	47,219	1.29%		0	0
Total			100		13	0

1984

Party		Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
	Christian People's Party	1,132,682	32.53%	−15.56%	4	−3
	Socialist Party	979,702	28.13%	+7.23%	4	+1
	Party for Freedom and Progress	494,277	14.19%	−1.13%	2	0
	People's Union	484,494	13.91%	+4.20%	2	+1
	Agalev	246,712	7.08%	+4.75%	1	+1
	Vlaams Blok	73,174	2.10%	N/A	0	N/A
	Others	71,239	2.05%		0	0
Total			100		13	0

1979

Party		Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
	Christian People's Party	1,607,941	48.09%	N/A	7	N/A
	Belgian Socialist Party	698,889	20.90%	N/A	3	N/A
	Party for Freedom and Progress	512,363	15.32%	N/A	2	N/A
	People's Union	324,540	9.71%	N/A	1	N/A
	Agalev	77,986	2.33%	N/A	0	N/A
	Others	121,783	3.64%	N/A	0	N/A
Total			100	N/A	13	N/A

Returned members

Below are all members since the creation of the Dutch-speaking electoral college. Only members who were sworn in at the beginning of each parliamentary turn are mentioned. Under Belgian law, MEPs can resign and be automatically replaced. This was the case, for example, for Johan Van Overtveldt, who resigned to become Minister of Finance on 14 October 2014 and was replaced by Sander Loones.

MEPs for Belgium's Dutch-speaking electoral college, 1979 onwards
Election	1979 (1st parliament)		1984 (2nd parliament)		1989 (3rd parliament)		1994 (4th parliament)		1999 (5th parliament)		2004 (6th parliament)		2009 (7th parliament)		2014 (8th parliament)		2019 (9th parliament)
MEP Party		Willy Vernimmen SP			Seat not established			Anne Van Lancker SP					Seat abolished
MEP Party		Karel Van Miert SP				Marc Galle SP		Philippe De Coene SP		Peter Bossu SP		Saïd El Khadraoui sp.a/Spirit			Seat abolished
MEP Party		Marcel Colla SP		Marijke Van Hemeldonck SP				Freddy Willockx SP		Luckas Vander Taelen Agalev		Mia De Vits sp.a/Spirit		Kathleen Van Brempt sp.a
MEP Party		Willy De Clercq PVV		Jef Ulburghs SP		Paul Staes Agalev		Magda Aelvoet Agalev		Patsy Sörensen Agalev		Bart Staes Groen					Petra De Sutter Groen
MEP Party		Herman Vanderpoorten PVV		Paul Staes Agalev		Willy De Clercq VLD						Karel De Gucht VLD/Vivant		Guy Verhofstadt Open Vld
MEP Party		Paul De Keersmaeker CVP		Karel De Gucht VLD				Annemie Neyts VLD		Ward Beysen VLD		Annemie Neyts VLD/Vivant					Hilde Vautmans Open Vld
MEP Party		Jaak Henckens CVP		August de Winter VLD		An Hermans CVP		Mimi Kestelijn-Sierens VLD		Dirk Sterckx VLD/Vivant				Philippe De Backer Open Vld		Karel De Gucht Open Vld	Kris Peeters CD&V
MEP Party		Joris Verhaegen CVP		Raphaël Chanterie CVP						Miet Smet CVP		Ivo Belet CD&V/N-VA					Cindy Franssen CD&V
MEP Party		Lambert Croux CVP				Marianne Thyssen CVP											Geert Bourgeois N-VA
MEP Party		Marcel Vandewiele CVP		Rika De Backer CVP		Karel Pinxten CVP		Wilfried Martens CVP		Johan Van Hecke CVP		Jean-Luc Dehaene CD&V/N-VA				Johan Van Overtveldt N-VA
MEP Party		Leo Tindemans CVP		Pol Marck CVP		Leo Tindemans CVP				Nelly Maes VU		Frieda Brepoels CD&V/N-VA				Mark Demesmaeker N-VA	Assita Kanko N-VA
MEP Party		Joannes Verroken CVP		Jaak Vandemeulebroucke VU						Bart Staes VU		Koen Dillen VB		Derk-Jan Eppink LDD		Louis Ide N-VA	Filip De Man VB
MEP Party		Maurits Coppieters VU		Willy Kuijpers VU		Karel Dillen VB						Philip Claeys VB				Helga Stevens N-VA	Patsy Vatlet VB
MEP Party	Seat not established							Frank Vanhecke VB								Gerolf Annemans VB

References

↑ "A new "Black Sunday"". internationalviewpoint.org. 1 October 2004. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021.
↑ Perrineau, P.; Grunberg, G.; Ysmal, C. (30 April 2016). Europe at the Polls: The European Elections of 1999. Springer. ISBN 9781137044419 – via Google Books.

[1] "A new "Black Sunday"". internationalviewpoint.org. 1 October 2004. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021.

[2] Perrineau, P.; Grunberg, G.; Ysmal, C. (30 April 2016). Europe at the Polls: The European Elections of 1999. Springer. ISBN 9781137044419 – via Google Books.

[1]

[2]

European Parliament constituencies
Belgium	Dutch-speaking French-speaking German-speaking
Ireland	Dublin Midlands–North-West South
Italy	Central Islands North-East North-West Southern
Poland	Pomeranian Kuyavian-Pomeranian Podlaskie and Warmian-Masurian Warsaw Masovian Łódź Greater Poland Lublin Subcarpathian Lesser Poland and Świętokrzyskie Silesian Lower Silesian and Opole Lubusz and West Pomeranian
National	Austria Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden