Politics of Flanders

Flanders is both a cultural community and an economic region within the Belgian state, and has significant autonomy.

Historically, the contemporary Flemish community (or nation, as some Flemings see it) grew out of the Catholic southern part of the medieval XVII provinces of the Low Countries. The contemporary Belgian Flanders area was divided within several feudal states. The most important states were the County of Flanders (except for its southernmost areas), the southern part of the Duchy of Brabant (except for the area around Nivelles) and the northern part of the Bishopric of Liège. Most of these states were united from 1384 to 1530 under the Burgundian Netherlands.

Between 1945 and 1973, Flanders and the greater Belgium experienced both economic and political changes; "Flanders especially benefited from this time of explosive growth, though they still had greater numbers of unemployed than ... Wallonia...."

Today, the Flemish community has a significant amount of political autonomy. Its institutions include the Flemish Parliament and a Flemish Government, both institutions of the region and community, with legislative powers for most matters and prescribed by the Belgian constitution. Residual powers rest with the federal layer, the Belgian Parliament and Government, or on the European layer (European Union).

In the 21st century, there was greater tension among the constituent linguistic parts of Belgium.