Belgium: four months later and still nothing?
Nearly 120 days after the elections and still no government in the flat country. Why ?
Who negotiates? For the moment, no coalition agreement has been reached. The King therefore charged the leader of the N-VA, the Flemish nationalist party which won the elections, with a “mission of clarification”. The republican Bart de Wever, thus finds himself in charge of consolidating Belgian royalty. Rather comical!
What is blocking? Two subjects are under discussion. The first concerns the Belgian institutions. What powers will go from the center - the federal state - to the regions? The Flemings campaign for a very large tax autonomy. Francophones are not determined to transfer everything. An agreement could be reached however. The second fight is socio-economic and far from being resolved. This is actually where the main pitfall lies. Between Bart de Wever, at least a supporter of the state, and the socialists, supporters of a regulatory state, there is more than a chasm, an abyss.
Two states? The idea is not ripe. But it is making its way, on the French-speaking side. Elio di Rupo, the socialist leader, has already drawn a line. The new Belgium would include: Wallonia, Brussels, as well as the Flemish municipalities of the periphery. Unacceptable for the Flemings, very quiet, all of a sudden.
Who governs the country? The former government led by Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme is still in charge. In "current affairs", he cannot initiate new projects, in particular a new budget. To get out of the impasse, some constitutional scholars propose expanding the notion of “routine business”. Basically, temporary permanent. Long live surrealism!
And the Belgian on the street? Exasperated, disillusioned, tired… there aren't enough synonyms. He's not even laughing at this anymore. A sign…
Nicolas GROS-VERHEYDE.
Published in Ouest-France, October 2010
