Government and power in Belgium

Who leads Belgium, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

Who leads Belgium?

• Head of state: le Roi Philippe (Roi des Belges)
• Head of government: Bart de Wever (Premier Ministre du Royaume de Belgique)
• Foreign minister: Maxime Prévot (Vice-Premier Ministre et Ministre des Affaires étrangères, des Affaires européennes, et de la Coopération au développement du Royaume de Belgique)

Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.

Governance scores

The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.

Voice and accountability

Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.

Political stability and absence of violence

Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.

Government effectiveness

Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.

Regulatory quality

Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.

Rule of law

Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.

Control of corruption

Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.

Official bodies that hold power in Belgium

Government

• Belgium federal portal
  Information on federal public services, government structures and official procedures.

Parliament

• Chamber of Representatives
  Bills, plenary reports, written questions and votes of the federal lower house.
• Senate
  Texts, reports and debates of the Belgian Senate.

Elections

• Federal Public Service Interior, Elections
  Official election results, candidate lists and voting information for Belgian elections.

Courts

• Court of Cassation
  Judgments and annual reports of Belgium's highest court in ordinary matters.
• Council of State
  Judgments of the supreme administrative court and legislative advice on draft laws.
• Constitutional Court
  Judgments reviewing whether laws comply with the Constitution and fundamental rights.

Public audit

• Belgian Court of Audit
  Audit reports on federal, community and regional finances and public bodies.

Ombudsman

• Federal Ombudsman
  Complaint findings and annual reports on federal administrative services.

Public contracts

• e-Procurement (FPS Policy and Support)
  The federal public procurement platform, including tender notices and procurement guidance.

Laws and the official gazette

• Belgian Official Gazette and Justel database
  The Belgian Official Gazette and consolidated federal legislation.

Government below the national level

• Regions (3) and communities (3): Elected parliaments and governments
• Provinces (10): Provincial council elected; governor appointed by the regional government
• Municipalities (565 since 2025): Municipal council elected for six years (last October 2024); mayor (bourgmestre/burgemeester) formally appointed by the region from the elected councillors

How local power works in Belgium

Places in Belgium

• All 3 regions
• The 8 largest cities
• Official statistics for Belgium

Sources

• World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
• World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
• World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
• World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
• World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
• World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
• World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
• World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
• World Bank: World Development Indicators: Central government spending (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 808094019f50…)
• World Bank: World Development Indicators: Tax revenue (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08c94b750f31…)
• World Bank: World Development Indicators: Military spending (MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7f6913a783b…)
• World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
• World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
• World Bank: World Development Indicators: Births registered (SP.REG.BRTH.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f8d443034ba7…)
• World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)

Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.