Foreign Policy and Diplomacy of the Belgian Regions: Flanders and Wallonia

ABSTRACT

Since 1993, Belgium has become a federal state in which the regions are compelled by the constitution to manage their own external relations. In many ways, Belgium can be seen as a 'testing ground' for regional sub-state diplomacy. This paper studies the foreign policy and diplomatic representation of two of the most prominent Belgian Regions and Communities: Flanders and Wallonia. First, a brief overview is provided of the consequences of the main constitutional principles for the foreign policy of the federal and regional governments. Second, a comparison is made of the departments of foreign affairs and delegations abroad (both diplomatic and other) which Flanders and Wallonia have developed over the years. Third, an overview is offered of the different instruments, both formal and informal, which Flanders and Wallonia employ to advance their interests. Fourth, the actual foreign policies of Flanders and Wallonia are compared, focussing on their respective geopolitical and functional priorities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. David Criekemans is a Senior Researcher at the Flemish Centre for International Policy in Antwerp (Belgium), Assistant Professor of 'Belgian and Comparative Foreign Policy' at the University of Antwerp and Assistant Professor of 'Geopolitics' at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels (Belgium). He has edited a Special Issue Regional Sub-state Diplomacy Today of The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, Vol. 5, No. 1 (published in March 2010) and a book under the same title (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers). His PhD (2005) Geopolitics, 'geographical consciousness' of foreign policy? was published in Dutch by Garant in 2007.