Mémoire (y compris un séminaire de préparation au mémoire)[BR]- Mémoire :"The political representation of citizens of immigrant origin at the local level in Wallonia"[BR]- Séminaire de préparation au mémoire en sociologie

Abstract

Even though it is often considered that elected officials should reflect the society which they serve, citizens of immigrant origin often remain underrepresented in many countries across all levels of governance. This poses a problem for democratic legitimacy and there is a risk of interests not being represented. While the political representation of minority groups has been studied across many countries, the representation of citizens of immigrant origin has been explored in Belgium to a lesser extent. What is the level of descriptive representation citizens of immigrant origin achieve in Belgium at the local level and how do immigrant-origin councillors represent the interests of citizens of immigrant origin? The purpose of this study is to examine the descriptive and substantive representation of citizens of immigrant origin in the province of Liège. An original dataset of local councillors’ profiles in a selection of communes was analysed and interviews with immigrant-origin councillors were conducted. The findings demonstrate that there is an underrepresentation of citizens of immigrant origin in all local councils which suggests that they face challenges and important barriers to enter into political office. The demographic presence of specific migrant communities within a commune and the political party appear to have a significant influence on their chances of entering local politics. Further, the interviews show that immigrant-origin councillors consider themselves as representatives of the entire population rather than representatives of citizens of immigrant origin. Yet, an immigrant background and a sense of shared experience seem to lead to greater motivation to represent citizens of immigrant origin interests.