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The Belgian Stalemate
11/01/2007 :: Belgium, the last artificial state in Europe, has begun to unravel. For months after the elections of 10 June 2007 its politicians were unable to form a government.
Belgium consists of 6 million Dutch-speakers in Flanders, its northern half, and 4 million French-speakers in Wallonia. While Flanders is free-market oriented, Wallonia is predominantly socialist. An ever increasing amount of Flemish subsidies (currently some 10 billion euros per year) is flowing to the south. Flanders has been funding Wallonia since Belgium’s establishment in 1830-31. The Flemings have had enough.
Arrogance
40% of the Walloons are civil servants, compared to only 20% of the Flemings; almost 20% of the Walloons are unemployed, compared to only 8% of the Flemings. However, the Walloons refuse to pull their act together because the Flemings pay for their welfare schemes. They consistently refuse to reform social security. The Walloon arrogance has backfired in a growing appeal of the Vlaams Belang (VB) party, the most outspoken Flemish-secessionist party.
Pressured by the VB, all the Flemish parties have radicalized, demanding larger autonomy over welfare issues. Last June’s general elections were won by Yves Leterme, the leader of the Flemish Christian-Democrats. Mr. Leterme, who is the son of a Walloon father and a Flemish mother, hopes to save Belgium by enlarging Flemish autonomy within Belgium.
The Walloon politicians, however, refuse to join a government led by Yves Leterme if he insists on granting the Flemings a greater say over their own money.
Democracy
The Walloons are backed by Belgium’s very powerful trade unions. Even Mr. Leterme’s own Christian-Democrat trade union backs the “Save the Solidarity” petition launched to oppose the splitting up of Belgium’s welfare system along linguistic lines and to keep Flanders paying for Wallonia’s welfare.
Walloon politicians warn that if the welfare system is split this will be the end of Belgium. In a recent interview Elio Di Rupo, the leader of the Walloon Socialists, was asked “What will happen if the Flemings use their majority in Parliament?” He answered: “That would be the end of Belgium.” The journalist objected: “That would be democratic rule, a majority in Parliament.” Whereupon Mr. Di Rupo said: “Then democracy will be the end of Belgium.”
The Flemings insist that, like other free nations, they are entitled to live in a democracy. Belgium should be abolished exactly because it cannot be a democracy.
Article in issue nº 20
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