Merry Christmas...Belgium has a new Government!

For now that is.....in a few months we'll be right back where we started.

Belgium proves that we really don’t need government. It’s been six months since an inconclusive election, and only now have they finally cobbled together a government of sorts, but only an “interim” administration to be followed by another “interim” administration.

Nothing suggests that the two sides are ready to agree. Nothing suggests that Leterme – who has shown himself brutally insensitive to the concerns of the Francophone 40 per cent of the country – is the right man to lead Belgium towards a more trusting relationship between Flemings and Walloons.

Although I don't know if their is a "politician" alive who can do that.

STORY

Belgians are hugging in Leuven

On Wednesday some 400 Flemish and Francophone students hugged each other on the square in Leuven as a show of solidarity between the country's two main communities.

One of the organisers said that they didn't want to promote political ideas, just wanted to send a positive and warm signal in times of crisis. The hug-in was staged under the slogan "Belgians are hugging" and was organised to show support for solidarity between the majority Flemish and minority Francophone communities in Belgium.

The students also called on people to sign the trade union petition in favour of solidarity between Belgians.

Everybody taking part got a free pint of lager......ahhhh, the lengths college students will go to for some free beer. The more things change, the more they stay the same!

Even on the Kings Day, He gets a slap in the Face

When Crown Prince Philippe mounted the steps of St. Michael's Cathedral for a King's Day service, some Flemish separatists leapt close to him shouting in Dutch, "Belgium be damned" before police took them away, handcuffed.
"Long live Belgium" shouted other bystanders.

On Sunday, "Belgicistes" — those who favor holding the kingdom together despite its bitter division between Dutch-speakers and Francophones — will counterattack with a "March for Unity."
They hope to rally 30,000 to Brussels to support the black, yellow and red tricolor. At the end of the march Belgian beer and fries will be for sale.

Ahhhhh... the only two things holding Belgiam together at this point.

On Thursday, Francophone politicians were livid because Flanders had refused to confirm three French-speaking mayors who won elections in Flemish towns bordering the linguistic divide, because they made the horrid mistake of speaking FRENCH at a council meeting.

Last week, they were equally angry when Flemish politicians used their majority in a parliamentary committee to push through a preliminary vote seeking to break up a bilingual electoral district in their favor.

Meanwhile the Flemish antichrist (Madame Non), Christian Democrat counterpart Joelle Milquet, stepped up on her pulpit to utter "In one week, twice a slap in the face." HERALD TRIBUNE