Partition of Belgium Belgian identity was not defined on racial, ethnic or linguistic lines, but in the civilizational community of the Belgian people. Supporters of a partition of Belgium argue that the synchronized attempts to forge a national identity and culture have been unable to forestall ethno-linguistic rivalries. French was the only official language of Belgium until 1898, even though Flanders was and still is predominantly Dutch-speaking. The government's long refusal to acknowledge Dutch as an official language led to hostilities between Flanders and the French-speaking bourgeoisie who held both political and economic power. These hostilities gave rise to the Flemish movement, which
Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region of one of the Regional Parliaments at the same time. Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region The Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region (French: "Parlement de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale", Dutch: "Parlement van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest"), is the governing body of the Brussels-Capital Region, one of the three regions of Belgium. It is also known as the Brussels Regional Parliament (French: "Parlement Bruxellois", Dutch: "Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Parlement"). Elections of 75 Brussels regional deputies, 89 since 2004, take place every five years. Here is the list of past regional elections: The composition of the Brussels Parliament is as follows: A dot means: