Editing History of Belgium (section)

=== Internal politics ===
In the [[Belgian federal election, 1999|1999 Belgian federal election]], the traditional government parties suffered a significant defeat due to the so-called "[[Dioxin Affair]]", leading to the fall of [[Jean-Luc Dehaene]]'s government after eight years in office. [[Guy Verhofstadt]] formed a government of [[Liberalism in Belgium|Liberals]], [[Belgian Socialist Party|Socialists]] and [[Green movement|Greens]].

In July 1999, a government of [[Groen!|Greens]] and [[Flemish Liberals and Democrats]] announced a gradual phase-out of [[Nuclear reactors in Belgium|Belgium's seven nuclear reactors]] after 40 years of operation. Though it was speculated that the next government without Greens would immediately revoke this legislation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Essential Programme to Underpin Government Policy on Nuclear Power |url=http://www.scientific-alliance.org/pdf/essential_programme_to_underpin_government_policy_on_nuclear_power.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050905210619/http://www.scientific-alliance.org/pdf/essential_programme_to_underpin_government_policy_on_nuclear_power.pdf |archive-date=2005-09-05 |publisher=Scientific Alliance}}</ref> after the 2003 elections there was still no sign of a policy reversal,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Status of nuclear in current member states |url=http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/index.html?http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/596-8/h3.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304183027/http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/index.html?http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/596-8/h3.php |archive-date=4 March 2012 |access-date=25 November 2012 |publisher=World Information Service on Energy}}</ref> particularly in the aftermath of the incident at [[Tihange Nuclear Power Station|Tihange reactor]] in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Serious incident vindicates Belgian nuclear phaseout |url=http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/index.html?http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/582/5485.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304181614/http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/index.html?http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/582/5485.html |archive-date=4 March 2012 |access-date=25 November 2012 |publisher=World Information Service on Energy}}</ref>

The Belgian government was strongly opposed to the [[Iraq War]] during the [[Iraq crisis of 2003]]. The [[Guy Verhofstadt|Verhofstadt government]] proposed a diplomatic solution regarding [[Weapon of mass destruction|WMD]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Irak |url=http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-i/irak/23.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030804193910/http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-i/irak/23.asp |archive-date=2003-08-04 |access-date=2006-12-03 |website=Dossier |publisher=GVA}}</ref>

On January 30, 2003, Belgium became the second country in the world to legally recognize [[same-sex marriage]]. A 2005 proposal allowed [[Gay adoption|adoption by same-sex partners]].