By gaining independence in 1830, Belgium became a unitary state where the decision-making power derives from a national parliament and a national government. Four state reforms (carried out in 1970, 1980, 1988-1989 and 1993) have transformed Belgium into what it is today: a country that reconciles regional and cultural identities in a single federal structure.

The unitary Belgium of 1830 gave birth to a current, more complex structure on three levels: the upper level comprises the federal state, the Communities and the Regions; the middle level is occupied by the Provinces; and the lower level is that of the Communes.

Accordingly, Belgium is made up of three Communities (the Flemish Community, the French Community and the German-speaking Community), three Regions (the Flemish Region, the Brussels-Capital Region and the Walloon Region), 10 Provinces (Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant, West Flanders, East Flanders, Hainaut, Liège, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur) and 589 Communes.

At present, decision-making powers are no longer exclusively the competency of the federal government and federal parliament. The country is run by various bodies which discharge their allotted duties autonomously.