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The Flemish Republic Takes Shape
11/01/2007 :: The Vlaams Belang strives for an independent Flemish Republic. This republic will comprise the territory of the present-day Belgian region of Flanders (6 million inhabitants) as well as the Belgian capital region of Brussels (1 million inhabitants), a historically Dutch-speaking city which is a territorial enclave within the Belgian region of Flanders.
The Flemish Republic guarantees that the existing bilingual status of Brussels will be preserved. The same applies to all the existing linguistic rights that French-speaking citizens currently enjoy in the Flemish region.
The Flemish Republic will take over its share of the Belgian state debt.
Obligations
The Belgian divorce will not affect third nations. The Flemish Republic will dutifully fulfill all its international obligations. It will remain a member of NATO, the EU and other organizations that Belgium currently belongs to.
Three years ago Romano Prodi, the President of the European Commission, stated that if Scotland were to break away from the United Kingdom it would have to reapply for membership of the EU. “A newly-independent region would, by the fact of its independence, become a third country with respect to the [European] Union and the treaties would not apply any more in its territory,” Mr. Prodi said.
The Vlaams Belang considers it highly unlikely that Flanders will be ousted from the EU. Flanders belongs to the eurozone. Moreover, unlike Scotland (and Wallonia), it is a nett contributor to the EU. Though the EU costs the Flemish Republic money, the Republic accepts all its obligations under the current treaties.
Boundaries
The Flemish Republic accepts all existing international boundaries within Europe. It accepts the internal boundaries of the present-day Belgian regions, thereby abiding by the international principle, applied during the break-up of the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, that the internal boundaries of the regions will not be altered when they become new international boundaries.
Unless its own borders are questioned the Flemish Republic will not claim territory belonging to the present-day Belgian region of Wallonia. The Republic will respect the decisions of the Walloon citizens regarding their future territorial status, whether that be an independent Walloon Republic (or Kingdom), a union with France, or the division of the Belgian region of Wallonia between France, the Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg and/or the Federal Republic of Germany.
Article in issue nº 20
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