Dear David, I have just left Brussels after having lived there for 40 years. In the 1970s a close friend who later became a senior Belgian minister told me the following story. After each election the members of the richest families who had financed the political parties met the newly-appointed ministers and told them what they wanted in return for their financial support. In particular, the families who owned the iron and steel industry demanded subsidies to enable their unprofitable investments to continue existing. The main party concerned was the Christian Democratic Party.

David Fuller's view

Well, Belgium is far from being the most corrupt democracy but this is not an edifying story. 

Good luck in your new home.