Belgian split to be a test case for the European Union

Nationalistic fervor usually indicates a desire for self-determination. The current Belgian case is a perfect example, even though Scotland's is also brooding.

Apparently, Belgium, made up of two halves, is under political pressure. It is ruled by a king who neither half respects any more. Either half can send a representative to the EU on behalf of the entire country, and both claim the capital city, Brussels, as of right.

Historically, the Flemish and the Walloon halves have never really lived together. The roughly 60% Flemish, of Dutch origin, are Catholic, wealthier, and are subjugated by the Walloons, who are Francophone.

The relatively autonomous Flemish want to pull away to full independence but France, ever supportive of Francophone relationships, has succeeded in passing an EU membership amendment which requires an EU-wide referendum for each new membership application.

The Flemish cannot join with their kith and kin in the Netherlands/Holland because these became avid Protestants over the years.

The dilemma for Belgium and Scotland is highlighted below:

[....

Many Flemish complain their wealthier, service-based economy subsidises Wallonia. Dutch speakers view the Francophones' dilapidated cities and 14% unemployment - double their rate - as the legacy of hard-line Socialist rule.

Dutch speakers are demanding autonomy in health care, justice and transport, some of the last bastions of control from Brussels. Many feel the next logical step would be full independence.

"Living together in one country is impossible if year after year the minority prevents the majority from realising its most important desires," Het Laatste Nieuws, Belgium's largest daily, argued recently.

Chris Peeters, an Antwerp resident, sees widespread support for Flemish independence "because all the difficulties we have had over the last 10 years in Belgium . . . are coming from the French part. So it would be a solution for Belgium to split apart."

A TV poll found 46% of Flemings favouring independence, the highest in years.....

The reason the Dutch speaking north eastern parts of Belgium are not part of the Netherlands is religion - protestantism, under the House of Orange, triumphed in the Netherlands, while Flanders stayed very Catholic.

Notice that the Flemish Nationalists are NOT demanding union with their fellow Dutch speakers in the Netherlands. That is because there is a very strong element of Catholic sectarianism amongst Flemish Nationalists.

In the early 19th Century, a decision was taken, with the backing of that great European power, Great Britain, the victors of the Napoleonic Wars, to lump Flanders together with Wallonia and call it "Belgium".

But there is really no such thing as "Belgian History" before that, just a confused mixture of histories for the low countries to the north of France. In contrast, Scotland certainly DOES have such a thing as "Scottish History", the history of an independent kingdom which lasted a thousand years.

Another obvious difference with Scotland is that in the Scottish case, we have a very clear Border with England. In the case of Flanders, it would be down to arguing about which side of which street in Brussels should be the border.]