The Chamber of Representatives
On taking office, the government must secure a majority in a formal vote of confidence in the Chamber of Representatives. The Chamber is responsible for holding the federal government to account. It does this by means of:
- political oversight
- oversight of ministerial policies
- financial and budgetary oversight (approving or rejecting the federal budget)
The Chamber has the power to legislate as well as policy information powers. The right to ask questions enables parliamentarians to table written and oral questions, while the right of parliamentary inquiry allows the Chamber to set up inquiry committees.
The Chamber has many other powers, including:
- passing laws concerning the liability of federal ministers
- granting naturalisations
- appointing parliamentary ombudsmen
- deciding on the size of the Armed Forces
More information about the competences of the Chamber of Representatives can be found on its website (in French and Dutch).
The Senate
The Senate, on an equal footing with the Chamber, has full powers in relation to the Constitution as well as legislation on the organisation and functioning of the institutions of the federal state and the federated entities.
The Senate defends the interests of the federated entities at federal level. It can prepare information reports on areas of overlap between the powers of the federal state and those of the federated entities. It also mediates any conflicts of interest between the country's various parliaments. The Senate is involved in a number of appointments to high courts (as is the Chamber).
Like the other parliaments, the Senate ensures that the European Union does not take initiatives on issues better dealt with at another level. This is known as the principle of subsidiarity.