The effect of the problem between Walloon and Flemish communities on the political structure of Belgium and Auropean Union membership

This thesis has been prepared to discover the reasons of the political dispute between Walloon and Flemish communities which has brought Belgium on the verge of separation, to research how the political system in Belgium has been changed owing to the issue between the Walloons and the Flemish and to clarify how this issue affects EU and Belgium relations. In the context of the study, Wallon and Flemish history has been researched to understand how and why the present political problem in Belgium has developed and how federalism, consensus and consociational democracy which have been studied in the theoric framework are implemented in Belgium. The fundamental reason for choosing this subject is to question the probability of the partition in Belgium in the long run and to reveal how EU adopts an attitude towards the Belgium issue. The second reason is the absence of an academic study in Turkey about the political problems in Belgium. It has been intended to provide a Turkish source about federalism and autonomous administrations through Belgian case . This study has two main arguments: Firstly, considering Belgium federalism, distribution of powers from center to periphery is not a remedy for political problems; on the contrary, empowering peripheral administrations has caused the aggravation of the problems. Secondly, through regional policy EU strengthens peripheral administrations in Belgium and thus indirectly contributes to enhance cleavage in Flanders. It has also been emphasised that EU does not give any reaction for the growing separatist demands of Flanders.Key Words: Belgium, European Union, Walloon, Flemish, Federalism