Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (Chamber of Representatives constituency)

Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (often abbreviated as BHV) was a former electoral constituency in Belgium for the Chamber of Representatives. It encompassed the Brussels-Capital Region and the surrounding Flemish municipalities of the Halle-Vilvoorde district.

The constituency was controversial due to the inclusion of Dutch-speaking municipalities within the Brussels-Capital Region, which is officially bilingual (French and Dutch). This arrangement allowed French-speaking voters residing in these Flemish municipalities to vote for French-speaking parties on Brussels-based lists, a situation which many Flemish politicians and parties viewed as a violation of territoriality principles and a distortion of the electoral process. They argued it allowed French-speaking parties disproportionate influence in a Flemish electoral district.

For many years, the issue of splitting Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde was a major point of contention in Belgian politics. Various governments fell or were nearly brought down over the issue. The French-speaking community generally resisted the split, while the Flemish community largely supported it.

After prolonged negotiations, the constituency was finally split in 2012 as part of a broader package of state reforms. The Halle-Vilvoorde district was then incorporated into the Flemish Brabant constituency, while the Brussels-Capital Region became its own separate constituency. This separation eliminated the perceived advantage for French-speaking parties in Flemish areas and removed a significant source of political tension within Belgium. The split involved complex agreements regarding linguistic facilities in the peripheral Flemish municipalities around Brussels, further defining the rights of French-speaking residents.