Brussels-Halle-Vilvorde...party does not follow Leterme; talks are fruitless

Premier Yves Leterme gave the impression that he would agree to a compromise proposal to play for time on the Brussel-Halle-Vilvoorde issue, but his party did not follow him. The proposal that the Flemish should approve an extension of the vote on BHV until 15 July came from VLD chairman Bart Somers.

The French-speaking would then invoke a new conflict of interests to allow a 120-day respite from BHV issue in order to focus on more pressing items on the agenda. However, the CD&V cartel did not accept this compromise.

Leterme now intends to make one last effort to find a solution, but it seems highly unlikely that its cartel partner N-VA will accept any proposal to circumvent voting in parliament.

The atmosphere between the Flemish and French-speaking politicians continues to deteriorate, De Standaard has established. Yet they are in agreement that today’s planned parliamentary session would be cancelled. However, the French-speakers seem to assume that the BHV split will appear on the parliamentary agenda. This morning Laurette Onkelinx (PS), vice prime minister announced that all French speaking parties wlll do all they can to prevent a vote in the parliament.

Belgium Politics on Display

A sketch with comedian Francis Pirette satirizing the Belgian Politicians has become a comedy hit on Youtube. Although I find most French comedy about as funny as Jerry Lewis, this comes through as funny, even if you don't understand French. Watching politics in Belgium is like an episode of the Three Stooges anyway, you don't need words, just watch the action! LESOIR
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Belgium Will Survive for Now, but Not for Long

A poll published yesterday in Het Laatste Nieuws, the largest newspaper in Flanders, shows that the Flemings do not expect Belgium to survive. 63% of the Flemish people think that Belgium’s end is near. 87% answered no when asked whether compromises should be made with the Walloon parties in order to save Belgium. 84% said that a reform of the State which grants greater autonomy to Flanders, should be the government’s absolute priority.

The socialist mayor of Brussels, Freddy Thielmans, had this reaction to the result of the ballot: "I think this declaration is very nationalistic. It's very close to what the Flemish far right movement demands and I'm surprised that democratic parties follow that demand. I also think it's the the defacto end of a shared living arrangement."Thielmans has also called for legal protection for Francophones living in Flanders, similar to the protection given to Dutch-speakers living in the Brussels region.

Flemings vote for Split

A proposal to split the electoral constituency of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde has been passed by the Home Affairs Select Committee of the Chamber of Representatives, the lower house of the Belgian Federal Parliament.
The proposal was supported by all Flemish MPs present except Tinne van der Straeten of the Flemish ecologists of Groen! French-speaking MPs walked out before the vote could take place. The vote does not mean that the constituency is now split.
The proposal first needs the support of a majority of MPs in a plenary session of the Chamber of Representatives.
The vote has upset Yves Leterme's efforts to form a new Belgian government.

Mr Leterme had hoped to reach agreement between Flemish and Francophone liberals and Christian democrats on this issue ahead of the vote, but no such accord materialised.
Ahead of the vote the Francophone liberals said that they would leave the formation talks if the issue came to a vote, now they are suggesting the formation of a new government with a limited mandate: to address social economic issues.

What happens to Belgium?

If Flanders declares independence, Beglium basically ceases to exist. What happens to the bi-lingual Brussels? Does it become another Luxemburg or Liechtenstein? Belgium was established by its neighbours and if it no more, that means that there are also no more guarantees to its independence, which in turn means that both Walloons and Flemish can seek protection of their “mother-state”, perhaps leaving Brussels to continue as a small enclave, a no man’s land.
Ah yes, but then there’s the small matter of some 70.000 strong German minority in Belgium. What happens if they call to their Vaterland for help? The last time that happened, all hell broke loose.

Some comments:

I strongly believe that there is no force in the world that will stop the big European powers from trying to re-draw their borders in case Belgium is no more. That’s the whole point of Belgium. Perhaps this article by the NYT from 1918 (!) tells a bit more clearly what happens if an attempt is made at redrawing the map of that part of the world.

We’ve had a ‘Royal Scout’ in the form of veteran politician Eric Van Rompuy, a man, sorry, politician I dislike intensely because he once said that he opposes binding referenda because the electorate can’t handle the democracy they experience. Which means he says : “You’re too stupid to handle your own freedoms; we’ll decide them for you”. Then teach us how to handle them instead of treating us like unruly children, asshole!

Not even a week has gone by and it’s the same old story, with the Wallonians saying ‘Non’ and the Flemish pushing for the BHV split and a large state reform. Oh, and the VB, of course, assembled the international press and prematurely declared the Independent Flemish State as fact. In the Flemish parliament, no less. No wonder The Economist says a praline divorce is in order. But then, what do the international media know about Belgium and why should they care? The only thing that matters to the outside world is where Brussel is going to be after the country splits.

As for the German minority : they are the quinessential Belgian model citizens, believe it or not, because they speak the three national languages (yes, this is a trilingual country, which is often forgotten, even by my compatriots both in North and South) and they are the most opposed about a possible Belgian secession because they don’t want to be reunited with Germany.