Insights into Belgian Voting Habits: The Great Political Barometer

2023-06-11 09:00:00

In a year, we will be called to vote. In Belgium, voting is compulsory, but not everyone is satisfied with this rule. A few figures thanks to our Grand Barometer, one year away from the European, regional and federal elections.

It’s theoretically mandatory, but will you vote?

Compulsory since 1893, voting has become a habit for Belgians over 18 years old. As our Great Barometer shows, 74% of respondents, regions combined, say they will vote for a party or a person. The trend is less clear if we isolate Wallonia: the Walloon will put a small cross at only 68%, against 73 in Brussels and 78 in Flanders.

9% of respondents explain that they will vote, but white. Here, once again, Wallonia stands out: 11% if we isolate the Walloons, against 9% in Brussels and 7% in the north.

The Walloon is decidedly more hostile to the vote than its neighbors in the north of the country: still in the survey, 8% of Walloons explain that they simply will not vote, against 6% in Brussels and 4% in Flanders.

Regarding the provinces, it is in Liège that people will vote the least, with 9% of those polled. The other French-speaking provinces are just behind, and the Flemings even further.

Men more than women

With regard to the profile of the voter, it appears that men will go to the polls more easily than women. 76% of them will vote for a party or a person, against only 73% of ladies. Conversely, 6% of men will not vote at all, against 4% of women.

On average, it is the over 55s who will mostly vote, while a very large number of young people will put a blank ballot in the ballot box.

The reasons for this disenchantment

To understand the reason for this dislike of voting among a certain segment of the Belgian population, our Grand Barometer asked respondents to explain their choice. In Wallonia, for 1 in 2 people, it is simply a lack of confidence in the political class. In Brussels, the main reason lies in a lack of interest in politics, as in Flanders, where one person in two gives this reason.

Hard on politics, the Walloon also believes, at 32%, that our elected officials are “disconnected from our reality”.