Vive la Belgique!

[Cato the Elder]

So, apparently here in Belgium, we decided to recently do the Zimbabwe and the government interfered in the court proceedings surrounding the possible nationalisation and/or bailout of the Fortis bank group. When this came out, there was of course general outrage going about, but apparently the government wasn't going to fall just yet due to the crisis.

Wrong, apparently. Yves Leterme and his government resigned today, and we are, once again, in a state of pseudo-political anarchy.

English article published, but rather short and insufficient. Dutch article readable below, for those of you who understand our silly moon language.

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redactie.english/news/1.438581

Fri 19/12/08 17:28 - Prime Minister Yves Leterme has offered the resignation of his government. The news has been confirmed by the VRT (Flemish public broadcaster). Earlier Justice Minister Jo Vandeurzen announced his resignation. According to a report by Ghislain Londers the chairman of Belgium's highest court, the justice minister tried to influence the working of the judiciary in connection with court rulings on Fortis.

Back story:

(by the way, the Court of Cassation is comparable to the SCOTUS, more or less)

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redactie.english/news/081217_fortis

Wed 17/12/08 13:33 (UPDATE video) - Belgium's Court of Cassation has thrown out a complaint filed by one of the appeal court judges against her colleagues. The appeal court judge had claimed that she had been pressurised by her colleagues during a period when she was off sick.
The Brussels appeal court last week suspended the sale of Fortis Bank to France's BNP Paribas. When the ruling was issued one of the judges was off sick. She did not sign the ruling that bears the signature of the court clerk as the law requires.

The sick judge, Christine Schurmans, filed a complaint against the first president of the court, Guy Delvoie, and her colleague Paul Blondeel. She claimed that she had been pressurised while she was off sick.

Ms Schurmans says she received telephone calls and was visited at home on the day the ruling was issued.

Mischaël Modrikamen, a lawyer who represents a group of small shareholders, claims that the government also exerted pressure in this case.

Mr Modrikamen, who managed to get the sale suspended last week, has promised further action.

The Belgian government is taking last week's ruling by the appeal court up with the court of cassation that checks procedural issues.

Opposition calls for PM’s resignation
The entire opposition on Wednesday called for the resignation of Federal Prime Minister Yves Leterme (Flemish Christian democrat - photo). Opposition parties claim the Premier failed to respect the separation of powers.

On Wednesday Mr Leterme addressed Parliament to clarify his position.

Earlier in a letter to Justice Minister Vandeurzen (Flemish Christian democrat) Mr Leterme insisted that he had not exerted any pressure on magistrates involved in the Fortis dossier.

The PM’s policy unit did contact the office of the public prosecutor’s assistant, Mr Dhaeyer, involved with this case.

On 6 November the assistant advised the Brussels commercial court to suspend the sale of Fortis bank to BNP Paribas.

The prosecutor’s assistant refused to discuss his recommendation ahead of time with a representative of Premier Leterme.

Further contacts followed. At one point Mr Dhaeyer proposed that he would provide clarification and recommend that the government’s lawyers follow his advice.

On Wednesday government parties agreed to set up a parliamentary commission of enquiry to look into the entire Fortis dossier.

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redactie/politiek/081219_crisis_verhaalvddag

vr 19/12/08 17:22 (UPDATE) - Premier Yves Leterme stelt het ontslag van de hele regering voor. Dat is bevestigd aan de VRT-redactie. Eerder had minister van Justitie Jo Vandeurzen (CD&V) zelf ontslag genomen. Volgens het verslag van de voorzitter van het Hof van Cassatie zou hij actief zijn tussengekomen bij het gerecht in verband met het Fortis-arrest.
Volgens het rapport van de voorzitter van het Hof van Cassatie zou Vandeurzen actief de uitkomst van het Fortis-arrest hebben proberen te beïnvloeden. Hij noemt dat "hoogst ongewoon".

Vandeurzen heeft daarmee volgens Cassatie de indruk gewekt dat hij druk wilde uitoefenen op de magistraten. Met andere woorden is er wel degelijk sprake van een schending van de scheiding der machten.

"Een minister van Justitie die een grondige en broodnodige hervorming van justitie wil doorvoeren, moet daarvoor het gezag en de geloofwaardigheid hebben", zegt Vandeurzen in zijn ontslagbrief. "De schijn van betrokkenheid bij ontoelaatbare praktijken - als die er al zouden zijn - zou dit verhinderen."

De regering heeft de hele dag samengezeten om te bekijken hoe ze zou reageren op de huidige politieke crisis. Vanmorgen had vicepremier Laurette Onkelinx (PS) duidelijk gezegd dat er koppen moesten rollen mocht blijken dat er inderdaad politieke beïnvloeding is geweest.

Kamerfractieleider Bart Tommelein (Open VLD) houdt vol dat het rapport van Cassatie "ernstige aanwijzingen" bevat van politieke inmenging.

Leterme zou nu het ontslag van de hele regering voorstellen. Dat is bevestigd aan de VRT-redactie.

 

[emzie]

Might you explain a bit of the back story? Was the population outraged at a proposed nationalization of the bank, or by government interference? I couldn't spot a distinction in your summary, and... seeing Dutch is so frustrating. I feel like I've forgotten how to read.

 

[Cato the Elder]

Might you explain a bit of the back story? Was the population outraged at a proposed nationalization of the bank, or by government interference? I couldn't spot a distinction in your summary, and... seeing Dutch is so frustrating. I feel like I've forgotten how to read.

I didn't get the feeling the Belgian populace is against the general notion of nationalising and/or bailouts, which makes the situation all the more odd. Quite frankly I don't completely understand why the government interfered, but I think I've found a proper back story.

In the meantime, you've got yourself a short English summary, will update once they complete the article.

 

[J-man]

So, Leterme resigns. Not for the first time but I think he won't come back now. Will there be new elections held in Belgium?

 

[philippe]

I would say dupe thread, I made one yesterday, well, this OP is better though.

This is just great. I really don't know what to think of this anymore.

 

[kronic]

Belgium should be ruled by foreign powers.

 

[Godwynn]

Belgium should be ruled by foreign powers.

Wer?

Ich weiß...

Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft to Germany!

 

[Zarn]

Might you explain a bit of the back story? Was the population outraged at a proposed nationalization of the bank, or by government interference? I couldn't spot a distinction in your summary, and... seeing Dutch is so frustrating. I feel like I've forgotten how to read.

Back Story:

Belgium is being run as if Belgians populate the country.

 

[luiz]

Belgium should be ruled by foreign powers.

Split Belgium, and give the Netherlands to Flanders

 

[Cato the Elder]

Split Belgium, and give the Netherlands to Flanders

I still think it's a better idea that we're annexed by Luxembourg.

Oooh, and about the elections, we'd better damned right have them soon, I don't think anyone trusts this government anymore in any shape or form.

 

[emzie]

Too bad Bill's little script was banned from #fiftychat

 

[philippe]

yeah, and the most famous quote of Leterme is "wie gelooft die man nog?", great backlash there. it sucks the political debate I saw recently was before this, now the CD&V senator got away easy. Well, normally i'll be going to a reding by Leterme, I so want to go now.

 

[amadeus]

Good job, EC picking Brussels as your center of power. Maybe even Athens would be a step up.

 

[BirraImperial]

Just give up and join the Dutch already

 

[Zarn]

Just give up and join the Dutch already

They probably would give up, but then they would have to decide between France, the Netherlands, or a split between the two. This would give Belgian politicians headaches, and they would then resign.

 

[Jan H]

This is just great. I really don't know what to think of this anymore.

Me neither. I was one day abroad on a business trip, and I didn't understand the situation any more at all. Apparently someone (a cabinet worker) tried to influence the decision by the supreme court, but he didn't succeed. And now the entire government has to resign?
It looks to me like they we're just looking for a reason to pull the plug, becasue it was quite clear that this 5-party coalition (without even a majority on the Flemish side) wasn't doing a great job.

Was the population outraged at a proposed nationalization of the bank, or by government interference?

On the contrary, the common people were quite pleased with this, because it saved of lot of people's life savings...
But the former shareholders were not so happy about, and they sued the governement. In a first trial the shareholders' claims were refused, but they appealed and in the second trial, the judges ruled in favour of the shareholders. it was this second trial that the government tried to influence (by pressuring one of the judges and by trying to have the court case move to another court which was expected to be more favorable to the government)
At least that's how I understand it right now...

 

[Jan H]

Just give up and join the Dutch already

We would be perfectly capable of ruling ourselves.

 

[J-man]

I heard it several times: "Flanders and the Netherlans should join!", not a good idea imo, to much cultural differences. Even though of all foreign cultures the Flemish culture is probably the most similar to the Dutch.

 

[Zarn]

Yes, the Flemish have a culture centered around failing government. It is something they have in common with the Walloons.

The Dutch culture involves an ideology where the government remembers that it actually has to do something.

Sorry, but you walked into that one.

 

[J-man]

Yes, the Flemish have a culture centered around failing government. It is something they have in common with the Walloons.

The Dutch culture involves an ideology where the government remembers that it actually has to do something.

Sorry, but you walked into that one.

You don't have to apologize: I'm Dutch