New Policies with Old Instruments? Financing Religious and Philosophical Communities in Belgium

After a brief introduction on the proposed policy instruments approach, the main funding mechanisms used in Belgium are identified, with the corresponding amounts (most of which are not publicised and have been obtained through our researches). Then, using (mainly financial) policy instruments as indicators, this paper tries to reconstruct some policies and to changes taking place. Three main questions will be considered. Focusing on the links that are (re)established between financing and security/law and order policies, can we consider that security, as under Napoleonic times, is ranking high among political priorities and, if so, how is this implemented through policy instruments and more particularly financial ones? The question on ‘how to finance a humanist (i.e. free thinker) organisation in a scheme devised for religious communities?’ is then tackled. Eventually, a possible change from an “offer” to a “demand” policy is discussed