BELGIAN FEDERALISM: FEATURES OF FORMATION, CHALLENGES AND THREATS

Abstract

The issue of international and national security is relevant for the functioning of the European space in recent years. The Covid-19 pandemic, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the strengthening of separatist sentiments, and the coming to power of extreme right forces following the results of the European Parliament elections in June 2024 – all this affects the political landscape of Europe and threatens both the functioning of a single European political vector and the state system of some countries. In particular, there is great interest in the functioning of federalism in Belgium as a country that acts as a symbol of the European Union and a united Europe, considering the spread of separatist currents, which are supported and promoted by third countries in order to solve their own geopolitical interests. The emphasis in the article is focuses on determining the conditions for the formation and functioning of Belgian federalism as the only option for solving the complex problem of interethnic relations and maintaining the territorial integrity of the state. And there is also identifies challenges and threats to the development of Belgian federalism, and outlines possible scenarios for its further existence in the context of the functioning of a united Europe.