Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Israel to U.S. : Now Deal with Syria and Iran -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Elroy who wrote (16174)	8/26/2007 6:09:34 AM
From: GUSTAVE JAEGER	Respond to of 22250

That's too bad... It might have been your last, unique chance to visit Belgium before it splits up, with Flanders merging with the Netherlands, and Wallonia with France --clue: Split down the middle by Bram Posthumus 24-08-2007 More than ten weeks after the Belgian elections and there is still no government in sight. On 23 August, Mr Yves Leterme, the Christian Democrat who won last June's parliamentary elections and was subsequently charged with forming a new Belgian government, gave his job back. His job was in essence: looking for a workable coalition. Any government in Belgium needs to be a coalition, as no single party is large enough to rule on its own. Mr Leterme was banking on a coalition between two parties from the Dutch speaking north, known as Flanders - and the French speaking south, known as Wallonia. But political, ideological or even personal hurdles did not floor Mr Leterme. What has put an end to his efforts was Flemish insistence on and Wallonian resistance to what the Belgians call 'institutional reform'. As Belgian political journalist Peter de Backer of the Dutch language daily Het Nieuwsblad explains: "The Flemish want and need reforms because that is what they promised their electorate. The French, on the other hand, promised that there would be no reform, because they fear that this will be the end of Belgium." The end of Belgium? Basically, the Flemish, who inhabit the richer and more populous parts of Belgium, want to have a bigger say in running their own affairs, without being encumbered too much by their poorer cousins in the southern, French-speaking part of the country. Peter de Backer says: "The Wallonians believe that this means that they will get a lot less money from the federal government. That is irrational, because for the Flemish money is clearly not the issue. Reform is." Still, fear of a breakup is not completely unfounded. In December 2006, a French-speaking television station ran a special news broadcast, in which Flanders allegedly declared its independence. It was clearly a hoax, but for some it was enough to make their hair stand on end. So could the current government crisis get to this dramatic stage? Peter de Backer does not think so. "We've had similar problems before and at the moment things are quite difficult. But in the end there will have to be a government and it's probably a matter of weeks before we will have enough goodwill from both sides. The end of Belgium is not the issue." Muddling through as usual King Albert II will appoint another politician, who will have to succeed where Mr Leterme has failed. It is most likely to be a French[-Dutch duo, quite possibly Messrs. Herman De Croo and Raymond Langendries, a liberal and a "humanist"]. De Backer thinks that whoever succeeds Mr Leterme will have to muddle through as usual. "Mr Leterme blames the French speakers for his failure, so now it's their turn. I would not be so sure that they'll succeed, simply because the situation has not changed since the day after the elections. So I'll be curious to see the kind of mystery solution Mr Leterme's successor comes up with." Meanwhile, the Belgian press is counting days. It will still be some time before the current crop of politicians will surpass the record for forming a government, which stands at 126 days. And, by the way, that remains 82 days short of the Dutch record, which dates back to 1977, when the first cabinet of ministers under Mr Dries van Agt was formed in The Hague. radionetherlands.nl [] actu24.be