Changes

====Greens====

====Greens====

The Flemish (Groen, previously AGALEV and later Groen!) and Francophone (ECOLO) ecologist parties made their Parliamentary breakthrough in 1981. Following significant gains in the 1999 general elections, the two Green parties joined a federal coalition cabinet for the first time in their history in Prime Minister Verhofstadt's first six-party coalition government. The parties experienced significant losses in the May 2003 election, however; with ECOLO winning only four seats in the House and AGALEV failing to win any seats. They were thus excluded from the new coalition formed by returning Liberal Prime Minister Verhofstadt in 2003.

The ecologist parties made their Parliamentary breakthrough in 1981. Following significant gains in the 1999 general elections, the two Green parties joined a federal coalition cabinet for the first time in their history in Prime Minister Verhofstadt's first six-party coalition government. The parties experienced significant losses in the May 2003 election, however; with the French party winning only four seats in the House and the Flemish one failing to win any seats. They were thus excluded from the new coalition formed by returning Liberal Prime Minister Verhofstadt in 2003.

 

The two parties are the Flemish Groen (English: Green, previously AGALEV and later Groen!) and Francophone (Ecolo, officially a backronym for "Écologistes Confédérés pour l'organisation de luttes originales" which translates in English as "Confederated ecologists for the organisation of original struggles", but unofficially is simply short for "ecologist", the French term for environmentalist).  There is no German-language counterpart to the Green parties.

In Brussels the parties have adopted a joint list to maximize votes.  Elsewhere they operate independently.

In Brussels the parties have adopted a joint list to maximize votes.  Elsewhere they operate independently.

====The Linguistic Parties====

====The Linguistic Parties====