Alas, poor Belgium, we hardly knew you

[Edric O]

For those who haven't been following the story, Belgium has been in political deadlock for over 175 days. They had elections last summer, but the results were such that a coalition government was necessary, but almost impossible to achieve. Negotiations have been going on for 175 days, and just recently the leader of the largest party, Yves Leterme, abandoned his attempt to form a government:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7122799.stm

The reason why Belgium looks ungovernable is because the country is split between two communities - a French-speaking one in the south and a Dutch-speaking one in the north - that refuse to work together. They each have their own political parties, which results in a 4-way split between left-wing French speakers, right-wing French speakers, left-wing Dutch speakers and right-wing Dutch speakers. To make matters worse, there is a powerful nationalist (and quasi-fascist) party in the Dutch-speaking area (Flanders) that wants independence.

In a nutshell, the federal government of Belgium is somewhere between paralysis and collapse, but life goes on as usual because lower-level governments and local authorities are unaffected. However, this is quite possibly the closest Belgium has ever come to splitting up in two separate countries.

[Mihail]

This is worrying. It just shows that the world we live in is not as stable as it seems - very little is all right, and even less is being done to make it better. But... I'm more worried about Putin and Russia, since... well, they're like the house, and Latvia is the doormat. And the house is not happy.

[Anathema]

This isn't the first political crisis that Belgium has been through, and I don't think it will be the last one. That said I have no idea how they're going to solve this one. The Walloon christian democrats have catagorically refused every proposal towards state reform (the Walloon liberal party is ready to accept in exchange for some concessions)

The situation is even more complicated because the Court of Arbitration has ruled that the current setup of the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde district is unconstitutional, and new elections are impossible until it has been adressed. When the coaltion negotations failed for the first time in november, the Flemish parties accepted a proposal for the district to be split. The Walloon parties however managed to stop this despite being a minority because of a special arrangement in the current constitution.

Overall, I'm more sympathetic towards the Flemish side than the Walloons.

@Edric: no, I don't watch Battlestar Galactica. Is it any good?

;)

[Egeides]

For many, it seems harder and harder to keep it run smoothly. France with riots, UK with some tensions, Netherlands, Belgium, not to mention questions of identity/else in Quebec and Canada.

Any pertinence of a modern "Roman fall", with messied provinces (= neighborhood) with people just wanting to be given a break now? You think of something common or a general situation to those cases?

I know that in Canada, I've read someone telling that generations increasingly identified themselves to national "brands" and exterior tags ("Canada = we go buy donuts", "= hockey on TV", etc) over whatever it was more before (what was it nationally? I don't feel much concerned).

[Caid Ivik]

EU doesn't promote regional stability much, their policy in Cyprus or Kosovo, as well as inactivity in Belgium, are only wilder exponents...Bosnia seems to be the only exception

[Egeides]

Europe or elsewhere, relations seem less stable than they should with a rise of various identities ("against generic globalization/integration", whoever's commercialism, etc.). In Belgium, the Walloons are poorer and the Flemish furnish funding, giving a look of bureaucratic permanence explaining the nationalist party's pull. I don't know the EU's position in front of this.

Edric:

These nationalist parties seem to get steam by opposing radical change (for their group) to radical entrenchment (of others). From your stand, how do you approach entrenchment, bureaucratic or else?

[Kokiri-Mentat]

Does this mean no more Stella or Fat Tire? :-[  Two of my favorite beverages. 

Sorry I'm really not that apathetic I just haven't been reading much world news covering the events in Belgium lately........*checks wikipedia*..........I do think it's pretty rad how they have the whole compulsory vote thing going on.  It probably helps that they host the poles on the weekend instead of on Tuesday.  I can't remember how many local elections I've missed because of teaching obligations.

I wonder if the compulsory voting system forces people to actually be well informed on politics or if the voting system is a byproduct of a desire to express their own voice.  Supposedly Belgium's voting turnout is one of the highest in the world.

[Khan]

Well since my stella is brewed in Luton I think the world lager production is going to be ok even if belgium is affected.

[Kokiri-Mentat]

*checks bottle*........ahha ha....ha.......ha.... :-[  silly me should've read the fine print.  but then again, that's usually futile after 4 or 5 stella's.  mmmmm,mmmmmm!  love stella.  well, at least the breweries are ok.......