Belgium

MEPs from Belgium are elected every 5 years (at the same time as in the other EU member states). The country is split up into 3 constituencies, with a total of 22 MEPs were elected in 2024. A 13 képviselőt a holland (flamand), 8 képviselőt a francia, és 1 képviselőt a német nyelvű választókerületben választanak. (Ezzel a német nyelvű választókerület az egyetlen egymandátumos, és ezzel nem arányos, hanem "többségi" választókerület az Európai Parlamentben).

The main principle in the election of the Parliament (within the countries) is proportionality: by default, only a proportional system can be used, but beyond this, the member states decide for themselves what type. Belgium, like most member states, uses an open-list proportional system. This means that voters can vote not only for a party list, but also for a candidate on the list, thus allowing them the chance to collectively change the predetermined order of the candidates. The allocation of seats between parties is done using the D'Hondt (Jefferson) method, therefore the system is slightly biased towards larger parties. There is no legal electoral threshold, but in practice (due to the 22 seats) a minimum of about 6% is required to obtain a seat.

The minimum age for both active suffrage (the right to vote) and passive suffrage (the right to stand for election) is 18 years. Voting is not compulsory, and voting at embassies is possible, but postal voting, online voting or proxy voting are not.

This is the description of the electoral system of Belgium as of 05.06.2026 on Electoral Knowledgebase. Sources and further information on this topic:

• 2024 European Parliament elections: National rules (European Parliament)

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