Financialization within the contemporary economic geography of Belgium

Abstract

A quantitative screening shows that since the 1990s the financial assets and liabilities of important actors of the Belgian political economy have grown considerably. Whereas in other countries this growth of the financial sphere has been related to a transformation in capitalism in which 'finance' becomes dominant - i.e., the rise of financialized capitalism - Belgian scholarship on 'financialization' is scarce. Therefore, this paper offers a first exploration on the ways in which financialization could be observable in Belgium and consequently could be reshaping its economic geography. Accordingly, the paper offers both an introduction on financialization in Belgium and inspiration for debate and further research for geographers studying (elements of) the contemporary economic geography of Belgium.