The end of the ‘consociational mood’? Generational differences in sense-making of regionalization among Belgian Dutch-speakers

Sautter, A. M. (2025). The end of the ‘consociational mood’? Generational differences in sense-making of regionalization among Belgian Dutch-speakers. Regional & Federal Studies, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/13597566.2025.2548495

Abstract

This article takes a fresh look at how citizens think about regionalization. Instead of treating preferences as fixed or uniform, it explores how people make sense of regionalization differently depending on when they came of age. Citizens internalize distinct ideas about what regionalization is supposed to achieve. For instance, older Dutch-speaking participants, shaped by the historic struggles between French- and Dutch-speakers, tend to defend group autonomy. Younger participants, by contrast, see things through a different lens: for them, the priority is an efficient federal state that serves all Belgians equally, regardless of language.