Institutional isomorphism and the transformation of regionalist movements in Belgium after decentralization reforms

One of the directions of transformation of political systems in European countries in the late 20th – early 21st centuries was a significant strengthening of regionalist parties and reforms aimed at decentralisation. Empirical evidence shows that regionalist parties show different dynamics after such reforms. Of particular interest are the regionalist movements in Belgium, where a series of federalization reforms were implemented between 1970 and 2011, but despite the institutional changes being roughly the same across regions, there are fundamentally different trajectories in the development of regionalist movements. This paper attempts to apply P.J. Dimaggio and W. Powell's concept of institutional isomorphism to explain these differences. The study is exploratory in nature, but nevertheless the author concludes that this concept has heuristic potential. Flemish regionalism, which exhibits features of normative isomorphism, shows even after the reforms a steady dynamism, proposing new forms of autonomy or full independence from Belgium. Walloon regionalism, which was formed mainly in the logic of coercive isomorphism, as a reaction to the Flemish threat, after the federal reforms reoriented itself to socio-economic problems, in fact refusing to further expand autonomy. After achieving the basic goals of autonomy, Walloon regionalism, deprived of strong internal motivation, gradually lost its identity. The regionalist movement of the German-speaking community in Belgium can be interpreted more as an imitative isomorphism; it deliberately copied the institutional models of Flanders and Wallonia, seeking similar powers.

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