Belgian elections, unlike the British elections which took place last week, are run on a form of proportional representation. Parties present lists of candidates to the voters, who may choose a whole list or vote for the individuals on it.

The formation of the lists is of supreme importance to politicians because one’s position on the list more or less determines one’s chances of being elected. If a party is expected to pick up four seats, for example, then the fifth person on the list has a slim chance of being elected, but the sixth does not.

Voters on the whole are happy with the choices being made for them. They also don’t seem to mind that some people are standing with not the slightest intention of taking up the seats they are sure to win. Ingrid Lieten is leading the socialist party sp.a’s list in Limburg; Geert Bourgeois is leading his NV-A party’s list in West Flanders. Neither will be taking a seat in the Chamber on 14 June, because they are both serving ministers in the Flemish government and have, together with their colleagues, pledged to remain in Kris Peeters’ administration until their full term of office is over.

As Anja Otte explains in this week’s Fifth Column (right), the news so far has been somewhat dominated by “white rabbits” like TV figures Rik Torfs and Siegfried Bracke. Among the career politicians, meanwhile, there have been a few surprises on the lists, but more predictable results than anything else.

In the arrondissement of Leuven – the half of the province of Flemish Brabant that is not part of Brussels-Halle- Vilvoorde (BHV) – Rik Daems (Open VLD) has been moved sideways, from list-leader for the Chamber to third in line for the Senate. Gwendolyn Rutten, who narrowly missed being elected to chair the party recently, leads the Chamber list. The man who beat her, Alexander De Croo, leads the Senate list. Vice premier Guy Vanhengel leads in BHV, the speaker of the Chamber Patrick Dewael in Limburg, Vincent Van Quickenborne in West Flanders and Matthias Declercq in East Flanders.

As reported last week, Yves Leterme will lead his party’s list in West Flanders, and Marianne Thyssen the nationwide Senate list. Also for CD&V, foreign minister Steven Vanackere leads the list in BHV. Defence minister Pieter De Krem leads in East Flanders and Inge Vervotte in Antwerp.

For the socialists, party chair Caroline Gennez stands in Antwerp against interior minister Annemie Turtelboom, who leads for Open-VLD. Bruno Tobback and Dirk Van der Maelen, two workhorse members who achieved high scores in De Morgen’s report card on the parliament last week, lead for the socialists in Leuven and East Flanders respectively. Renaat Landuyt leads in West Flanders, and former vice premier Johan Vande Lanotte leads the Senate list.

N-VA chairman Bart De Wever leads his party’s list for the Senate. Aside from Bracke and Bourgeois, N-VA named Jan Jambon for Antwerp.