Brussels: Belgian Experience in Bilingualism at Heart of the Visit of a Delegation of the House of Representatives

A delegation of the House of Representatives initiated a working visit to the Belgian Federal Parliament in Brussels on Thursday, February 1, 2024, in order to explore the experience of adopting bilingualism in Belgian legislative institutions.

This two-day visit falls under the scope of the twinning project between the two legislative institutions, particularly in its aspect linked to efficiency and quality in the practice of constitutional prerogatives.

In a statement upon the delegation's meeting with the Speaker of the Belgian House of Representatives, Hon. Éliane Tillieux, the First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Head of the delegation, Rep. Mohamed Sabbari, noted that this official visit is part of the agreement uniting the Moroccan and Belgian legislative institutions.

Besides, Rep. Sabbari noted that given the diversity characterizing it and its adoption of two official languages, the Belgian Parliament “represents a rich experience that the Kingdom of Morocco should draw from, particularly following the ratification of the 2011 Constitution and the adoption of Tamazight as an official language in the country.”

The First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives also underscored that the Moroccan legislative institution aspires to benefit from the adoption of bilingualism in the Belgian Parliament, particularly as “this experience is currently being implemented in plenary sittings, on the horizon of advancing it to cover the proceedings of committees and documentation.”

According to Rep. Sabbari, the discussion between the Moroccan delegation and the Speaker of the Belgian House of Representatives was also an opportunity to talk extensively about several themes of mutual concern, such as migration, climate change, and the amendment of the Criminal and Family Codes.

It should be noted that the visit of the delegation of the House of Representatives to the Belgian Parliament will include several meetings and a visit to the various facilities in both Houses of the Belgian Federal Parliament.

Besides the First Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Mohamed Sabbari, the delegation also comprises Rep. Hassan Benomar, Rep. Zaina Idhali (Group of the National Rally of Independents), and Rep. Ilham Saki (Group of Authenticity and Modernity).