Future of Belgium
- Thread starter madviking
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Witproduct
Chieftain
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2009
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- 25
As a Belgian (Flemish) I don't care if I'd remain Belgian, wake up in a Flemish state or become Dutch. Yet, I think Belgium will remain, though decentralized even further. The country would continue existing on paper, while de facto the regions would behave like separate states.
Be aware that our politicians might be passionate, we remain among the least revolutionary people existent in Europe. Very still, even I voted for the N-VA, because they were the most credible until recently and because their programme is liberal-conservative (most people who voted for them didn't do so out of romantic nationalism, but because other parties are either too divided, too corrupt or too spineless).
Be aware that our politicians might be passionate, we remain among the least revolutionary people existent in Europe. Very still, even I voted for the N-VA, because they were the most credible until recently and because their programme is liberal-conservative (most people who voted for them didn't do so out of romantic nationalism, but because other parties are either too divided, too corrupt or too spineless).
Tycho Brahe
Emperor
Coalition governments work fine here in Denmark.
I know it sounds exotic to brits and americans. (allthough I don't know if you're from one og those places, Lillefix?)
regarding belgium: Du what you find is the best.
I just hope that small, ethnic homogenius countries doesn't lead to national chauvinism. (Yes we do have more than our share in DK)
Lillefix
I'm serious. You can.
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We actually have a three party coalition here in Norway at the moment(and this one has a majority of votes for a change). But seven parties!!!
Anyway, previous posters explained quite well why it works(or sort of works).
ArneHD
Just a little bit mad
Belgium will be divided, but will be united in a personal union under the Belgian royal line. They will share common foreign relations and monarch, but will otherwise be entirely divided.
Actually, no. It has survived for 180 years give or take 5, so I don't think that the next five are going to introduce any major changes.
Actually, no. It has survived for 180 years give or take 5, so I don't think that the next five are going to introduce any major changes.
Jan H
Prince
Elio Di Rupo, who is leading the preliminary negotiations, regularly reports to the king. When Di Rupo thinks he's ready to start the final negotiations, Albert will appoint him as "formateur". If Di Rupo would somehow fail, the king gets to decide who becomes the next negotiator.
It's similar to the Netherlands, where queen Beatrix now already has appointed 4 or 5 different "informateurs" to try and find a possible coalition. No luck so far...
About the seven parties: To form a simple majority in parliament, "only" four or five parties would be sufficient. The two green parties are needed for a a 2/3 majority, which is necesary to make changes to the constitution. It is not certain yet that they are going to be a part of the actual government.
onedreamer
Dragon
In Italy the secessionists have been in the governing coalition for most of the last 15 years, yet to this day Italy isn't "only a geographical expression". I foresee the same future for Belgium... with better luck in the brain capacity of the people that compose their governing coalition 
Godwynn
March to the Sea
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In Italy the secessionists have been in the governing coalition for most of the last 15 years, yet to this day Italy isn't "only a geographical expression". I foresee the same future for Belgium... with better luck in the brain capacity of the people that compose their governing coalition
Give Südtirol back!
onedreamer
Dragon
the idependence of Tirol is next in the European agenda, after Kosovo.
Oh wait, only if the USA supports it.
Oh wait, only if the USA supports it.
Mad Man
Your lord and master
Split along linguistic lines.
Brussels as the capital of the EU!
If the German part of Belgium actualy gained Independence what would it be called? It's called the German Community now but I don't see them naming there country that.
Jan H
Prince
They would probably stay a part of Wallonia.
They are sometimes called the "Eastern Cantons" (a "canton" is something like a county in the US) or also "Eupen-Malmédy" after the two biggest towns there.
teh federal house of represantatives is elected in 11 electoral districts. Except for Flemish Brabant and Brussels, these districts coincide with the provinces (5 flemish and 5 wallonian + Brussels). the number of seats in each district are determined by its population and they are divided according to proportional representation. For the senate, there are only two districts: Flanders and Wallonia. The people living in Brussels can vote for any of the two districts (but not both of course).
Since the 1970's or so, all political parties are split along linguistic lines: 2 social democrat parties, 2 christian democrat parties, 2 liberal democrat parties and 2 green parties. on top if that, there are two flemish nationalist parties (a moderate one and an extreme one). The German speaking Belgians also have their own local parties I think, but for the federal electionsthey are allied with the French speaking parties. I am not sure if there are any German speakers in the parliament...
This all means that in the wallonian electoral dustricts, there will be only french-speaking parties on the ballot, and in the flemish districts only dutch-speaking parties. Therefore flemish voters have no "democratic control" over french politicians and vice-versa. this leads to a situation where politicians from one language group really don't care about what the voters from the other group want, which in its turn has lead to voter radicalization.
The only exception to the single-language electoral districts is the "Brussel-Halle-Vilvoorde" districts, with consists of the city of Brussels (the "capital region") and the surrounding countryside, which actually is part of the province of Flemish Brabant. Now, the fact that the in habitants of Brussels Capital Region can vote for all language parties isn't abnormal: the city is officially bilingual (although majority French-speaking). But the area surrounding Brussels is officially dutch-speaking (with a growing french-speaking minority), so some people (especially the dutch-speaking inhabitants) argue that this area should form a single (flemish) election district together with the rest of the province of Flemish-Brabant.
A couple of years ago, the people that want to separate the B-H-V where supported by the supreme court, who decided that it was unlawfull that all other electoral districts were organized along provincial borders, except for Flemish-Brabant and Brussels. That court ruling has lead to most of the political problems of the last couple of years, and it still hasn't been settled, because the french-speaking parties want all kind of compensations if the electoral district is split (on their own, they probaly aren't big enough to gain seats in Flemish-Brabant, so they could loose votes and a couple of seats in parliament). Some compensations they have asked are extending the "facilities" for french-speaking inhabitants of Flanders, giving French-speaking inhabitants of Flanders the right to vote in Wallonia or even to change the language border, and transfer a couple of (majority French) towns from Flanders to Brussels. But most of these are almost unacceptable to the Flemish-speaking parties...
I hope this clears it up a little bit
tl,dr: political parties are split along luinguistic lines, and so are the electoral districts (except one). leads to chaos
ParkCungHee
Deity
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Bah. I'm sure we have a claimant to one of the thrones. We'll have 13.
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