The Belgian split

Belgium still doesn't have a new government following the June 10 elections. And it doesn't look like there will be in the near future. The gap between Flemish and French-speaking parties is too wide to reconcile. Ever more people are now contemplating the split of Belgium. If a Belgian government cannot be formed, Flanders will go its own way. Discussions of outright independence were usually confined to right-wing parties. But now for the first time the daily De Standaard publishes an extensive series of articles exploring how an independent Flanders could come about and what its place in Europe and the world would be.

Some argue that Belgium is already a small country and to split it up further would diminish its place in the world. But having six million inhabitants, Flanders has more people and is certainly more prosperous than many other countries. Even an independent Flanders would still be on a par with Denmark and be much larger than Luxembourg.

Many people who were not in favor of independence in the past are now changing their views because they become aware that Belgium is simply ungovernable. The two communities don't read each others newspapers or watch each others TV programs. Both vote for other parties and if people from the two communities do meet, they speak English, like they do with foreigners.

In 1830, Belgium split off from Holland. Perhaps in the coming years Flanders will split from Belgium and a proud new republic will be born.