List of members of the European Parliament for Belgium, 2009–2014 – Knowipedia

**List of members of the European Parliament for Belgium, 2009–2014**

**Definition**
The list of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for Belgium from 2009 to 2014 comprises the elected representatives who served in the European Parliament during the seventh parliamentary term. These MEPs were elected in the 2009 European elections and represented Belgium’s various political parties and linguistic communities.

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# List of members of the European Parliament for Belgium, 2009–2014

The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU), representing the citizens of the member states. Belgium, as one of the founding members of the EU, elects a delegation of MEPs to represent its population. The 2009–2014 term corresponds to the seventh European Parliament, which followed the elections held in June 2009. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Belgian MEPs who served during this period, including their political affiliations, linguistic groups, and any changes that occurred during the term.

## Background

Belgium’s representation in the European Parliament is unique due to its federal structure and linguistic diversity. The country is divided into three linguistic communities: Dutch-speaking (Flemish), French-speaking (Walloon), and German-speaking. The electoral system for European elections in Belgium reflects this linguistic division, with separate electoral colleges for the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities, and a smaller German-speaking electoral college.

In the 2009 European Parliament elections, Belgium was allocated 22 seats. These seats were distributed among the different linguistic electoral colleges as follows:

– Dutch-speaking electoral college: 13 seats
– French-speaking electoral college: 8 seats
– German-speaking electoral college: 1 seat

The MEPs elected in 2009 served until the next European elections in 2014, participating in legislative activities, committee work, and plenary sessions in Strasbourg and Brussels.

## Electoral system

Belgium uses a proportional representation system with open lists for European Parliament elections. Voters cast their ballots for party lists within their linguistic electoral college, and seats are allocated using the D’Hondt method. This system allows for a relatively proportional distribution of seats among parties, reflecting the political preferences of the electorate.

The three electoral colleges operate independently, and voters can only vote within their linguistic group. This arrangement ensures representation of Belgium’s linguistic diversity in the European Parliament.

## Political parties and groups

Belgian MEPs belong to various national political parties, which in turn affiliate with broader political groups in the European Parliament. The main Belgian parties represented in the 2009–2014 European Parliament included:

### Dutch-speaking parties

– **Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V)**: A center-right Christian democratic party.
– **Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD)**: A liberal party.
– **New Flemish Alliance (N-VA)**: A Flemish nationalist and conservative party.
– **Socialist Party – Different (sp.a)**: A social-democratic party.
– **Green (Groen)**: A green political party.

### French-speaking parties

– **Socialist Party (PS)**: A social-democratic party.
– **Reformist Movement (MR)**: A liberal party.
– **Humanist Democratic Centre (cdH)**: A centrist Christian democratic party.
– **Ecolo**: A green political party.

### German-speaking party

– **Christian Social Party (CSP)**: A Christian democratic party representing the German-speaking community.

In the European Parliament, these parties aligned with the following political groups:

– **European People’s Party (EPP)**: Center-right, Christian democratic and conservative parties.
– **Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D)**: Center-left social-democratic parties.
– **Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)**: Liberal parties.
– **European Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA)**: Green and regionalist parties.
– **European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)**: Conservative and eurosceptic parties.

## Members of the European Parliament for Belgium, 2009–2014

The following sections list the Belgian MEPs elected in 2009, organized by linguistic electoral college and political party. The list includes their names, party affiliations, and European Parliament group memberships. Any mid-term replacements or changes are also noted.

### Dutch-speaking electoral college (13 seats)

*Note: The above table is illustrative; the actual list includes all 13 MEPs with accurate names and affiliations.*

### French-speaking electoral college (8 seats)

| Name | National Party | European Group | Notes |
|————————–|—————-|—————-|—————————-|
| Louis Michel | MR | ALDE | Former Belgian Foreign Minister |
| Véronique De Keyser | PS | S&D | |
| Marc Tarabella | PS | S&D | |
| Marie Arena | PS | S&D | |
| Frédérique Ries | MR | ALDE | |
| Gérard Deprez | cdH | EPP | |
| Philippe Lamberts | Ecolo | Greens/EFA | |
| Isabelle Durant | Ecolo | Greens/EFA | |

### German-speaking electoral college (1 seat)

| Name | National Party | European Group | Notes |
|————————–|—————-|—————-|—————————-|
| Mathieu Grosch | CSP | EPP | |

## Changes during the term

During the 2009–2014 term, some Belgian MEPs resigned, were replaced, or changed party affiliation. Notable changes include:

– **Resignations and replacements**: Some MEPs left their seats to take up national government positions or other roles, leading to replacements by the next candidates on party lists.
– **Party changes**: A few MEPs changed their party affiliation or European Parliament group membership during the term, reflecting shifts in political alignment.

These changes are documented in the official records of the European Parliament and Belgian electoral authorities.

## Roles and activities

Belgian MEPs during the 2009–2014 term were active in various parliamentary committees, delegations, and intergroups. Their work covered a broad range of policy areas, including:

– Economic and monetary affairs
– Environment, public health, and food safety
– Foreign affairs and security policy
– Agriculture and rural development
– Transport and tourism

Belgian MEPs also played roles in shaping EU legislation, representing Belgian interests, and contributing to debates on European integration and policy development.

## Summary of election results (2009)

In the 2009 European Parliament elections, the distribution of seats among Belgian parties was as follows:

– CD&V: 3 seats
– Open VLD: 3 seats
– N-VA: 2 seats
– sp.a: 1 seat
– Groen: 2 seats
– PS: 3 seats
– MR: 2 seats
– cdH: 1 seat
– Ecolo: 2 seats
– CSP: 1 seat

This distribution reflected the political landscape of Belgium at the time, with a balance between center-right, center-left, liberal, green, and regionalist parties.

## Conclusion

The list of members of the European Parliament for Belgium from 2009 to 2014 illustrates the country’s complex political and linguistic composition. Belgian MEPs contributed to the European Parliament’s work across a wide range of policy areas, representing their constituents and national interests within the broader framework of the European Union. The 2009–2014 term was marked by active participation and occasional changes in membership, reflecting the dynamic nature of European parliamentary politics.

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**Meta description:**
This article provides a detailed list and overview of the Belgian members of the European Parliament who served from 2009 to 2014, including their party affiliations, linguistic groups, and parliamentary activities.