Belgium has implemented a power sharing system to manage tensions between its French and Dutch linguistic communities. The country is divided along linguistic lines, with 59% identifying as Dutch-speaking Flemish and 40% as French-speaking Wallonia. To prevent conflict and civil war, Belgium amended its constitution four times to establish power sharing arrangements like equal representation of both communities in government, special voting laws requiring majority support from both groups, and autonomous community governments to handle cultural and education matters. This power sharing system has successfully avoided social conflicts and strengthened national unity in Belgium by distributing power among the linguistic communities.

1. POWER SHARING

2. BELGIUM

3. • Belgium is a small European country.
• Population is just 1 crore.
• It has borders with France, Netherlands, Germany
and Luxembourg.
• Population is just 1 crore.
• Brussels is the capital city.

4. ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF BELGIUM
GERMANS
1%
DUTCH FRENCH
59% - FLEMISH 40% - WALLONIA

6. • The French were rich and powerful. The Dutch
were poor.
• This created discontent among the Dutch.
• Tension and conflicts started between the French
and the Dutch.

7. Conflicts were more in Brussels. There
French were in majority

8. POWER SHARING ARRANGEMENT IN BELGIUM
• Belgium amended their constitution 4 times and made
the following arrangement.
(i) Equal number of ministers from both French and Dutch
communities in the Central Government.
(ii) Some special laws need the support of majority of the
members from each linguistic group.
(iii) State Governments are made autonomous and they
got many powers.
(iv) A separate government was set up at Brussels with
equal number of ministers from both French and Dutch
communities.
(iv) Each community will elect its own separate
community government. This government will look into
cultural, education and language matters.

9. ADVANTAGES OF POWER SHARING IN BELGIUM
• Avoided Social Conflicts.
• Prevented Civil War.
• Prevented breaking up of the country.
• Strengthened Unity

10. SRILANKA
POPULATION – 2 CRORE

11. ETHNIC COMPOSITION
SINHALAS (74%) TAMILS (18%)
BUDDHISTS
SRILANKAN TAMILS INDIAN TAMILS
(13%) (5%)
HINDUS AND MUSLIMS

12. MAJORITARIAN MEASURES IN SRILANKA
Srilanka followed majoritarian policy
It is a policy of giving many privileges to majority
community and discriminating against the minority

13. • In 1956, an Act was passed to make Sinhala the only
official language of Srilanka.
• Sinhala speakers are given preferences in
Government jobs and University positions.
• Buddhism was declared as the State religion and
the Government started taking steps to promote
Buddhism.
• Tamils did not enjoy equal political rights and they
were discriminated against.

14. DEMANDS OF TAMILS
• Tamils demanded official language status for Tamil.
• They demanded equal educational and job
opportunities for all the citizens.
• They demanded autonomy to the Tamil majority
areas.
• Later, they demanded a separate state called Elam.

15. • Tamils formed their own political organizations and
raised their demands. Later, some
• terrorist groups were formed. They started a war
against the Government.

16. • CIVIL WAR IN SRILANKA

17. • Several people were killed.
• Many were injured.
• Many had to go to other countries as refugees.
• Properties were destroyed.
• It affected Srilanka’s economic progress.
• War ended in 2009 with the defeat of LTTE

18. Power sharing is a system in which all the social and
ethnic groups are give a role to play in the
administration of the country.

19. REASONS FOR POWER SHARING
PRUDENTIAL REASONS MORAL REASONS

20. Prudential reason for power sharing
• Power sharing helps to reduce conflicts between
social groups.
• It establishes political stability and strengthens the
unity of the country.
• It is good for the majority also because it provides
them peace and security.

21. Moral reason for power sharing
• Democracy means power sharing among the
people.
• So power sharing is the spirit of democracy.
• All the social groups must get a share of power.

23. (i) Power sharing among different organs of
government:
• In democratic countries power is shared between
legislature, executive and judiciary.
• Each organ checks the other.
• There is a balance of power.
• This system is called the system of checks and
balance or horizontal distribution of power.
• For example, the Bombay High Court ordered
Maharashtra government to take steps in order to
improve the condition of street children.

24. HORIZONTAL DISTRIBUTION OF POWER

25. (ii) Power is shared among governments at different
levels:
• In a federal system, political power in shared
between two sets of governments-one at the centre
and the other at the state.
• This is called vertical division of power. For example,
in India the constitution divides power among the
central and state governments.

27. (iii) Power is shared among different social groups:
Power is shared among different social groups such as
the religious and linguistic groups.
Example: the community government in Belgium.

28. (iv) Power is shared between political parties,
pressure groups and movements:
In a democracy, the citizens have the freedom to
choose the government.
Competition between political parties in the election
ensures that the power does not remain in the hands
of one party.
Interest groups also get a share in power.
For example, in Tamil Nadu DMK and AIADMK come
to power periodically.

29. THANK YOU