2025 Volume 11 Pages 79-94
Belgium is renowned as a classic example of “consociational democracy”, a political model pioneered by Arend Lijphart. This political model includes the institutions and cultures necessary for the coexistence of diverse social and linguistic groups within a state. Simultaneously, most major political parties in Belgium have agreed to the cordon sanitaire, refusing to form a coalition government with radical right-wing parties. Considering this historical context, political scientist Mathijs Bogaards referred to Belgium as a “militant consociational democracy”. However, in the 2024 local elections in Belgium, the cordon sanitaire collapsed in four municipalities, either because the radical right-wing party Flemish Interest (Vlaams Belang: VB) secured an absolute majority or because the VB formed a coalition with other parties. This study examines the political processes involved in the elections of four Belgian municipalities in which the cordon sanitaire collapsed.
