The book investigates the factors that influence the electoral choices of diasporas. Not all migrants are regularly connected to the media in their home country, and some may suffer the influence of opinions propagated in their host country. “If you are a Bolivian migrant in New York, you read the American press and what little news you get about your country is very unfavourable to President Morales, which will influence you in the long-run,” Jean-Michel Lafleur notes. “That said, the variables that influence electoral behaviour abroad are above all connected to the profile of the migrant before he or she left: Bolivians who vote in New York tend to vote more right than those living in Argentina because Bolivians who leave their home country for the US are more often from the wealthier classes, the other voters work more in agriculture or the textile industry with more of a left-leaning voter profile. Contact with the home country is equally important. Before they go to vote, many migrants talk with family members who have remained in the home country.”

And the Belgian diaspora?

The last State reform changed somewhat the situation for some 300,000 Belgians living abroad registered at diplomatic and consular posts. They are, as are all Belgians, obliged to vote as from the age of 18. “Before each election, they must send a form to the consular authorities to indicate in which commune they would like to vote. They do not have to demonstrate any attachment to this commune. This system has raised some controversy because some suspect French Belgians of registering in the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde constituency to influence the distribution of seats amongst Francophones and Flemish. The compromise negotiated during the last State reform provides that, from now on, Belgians living abroad must prove an objective attachment with the commune in which they register. It could be their last commune of residence, their commune of birth, that of their parents, etc.” Since Belgians living abroad are dispersed across a multitude of electoral constituencies in Belgium, the political parties are never strongly mobilised to approach them.

Jean-Michel Lafleur believes that Belgium could model itself on the examples of other countries to better connect with its own diaspora.  “Like Italy, Belgium is a country whose economy is very open, it depends to a great extent on its exports, and it doesn't really develop a strong policy as regards its emigrants. There are probably over a half-million Belgian passports spread out around the world. These emigrants have a wide variety of profiles, some may be very useful to Belgium. Flanders is increasing its efforts to capitalise on the Flemish living abroad, for economic reasons and to create an image abroad that is useful in its process of national affirmation.”

CEDEM's vice director moreover believes that some attitudes should evolve in Belgium to better grasp certain realities of migratory phenomena. “Belgium should understand that the links that connect migrants to their home countries are natural and can be seen the world over. The authorities' reactions during the demonstrations in Matonge were not necessarily the appropriate response. It would be preferable to anticipate and encourage dialogue rather than wait for each election and react with force. Not everything can be tolerated, but the appropriate responses should be found when there are messages that run counter to the democratic values advocated in Belgium. However, thinking that the only political frame of reference for immigrants is the Belgian context is an illusion.”

Could the Italian elections be played out in Belgium?
National elections being decided abroad? Using the example of Italy, Jean-Michel Lafleur, from the Centre for Ethnic and Migration Studies, notes the importance of the diaspora.