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Belgians celebrate political paralysis
Source: Agencies |
February 18, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MANY would see it as a humiliation, but for Belgium it's an excuse for a party: the country's citizens marked 249 days without a government yesterday, a figure they consider a world record.
Day to day the crisis pits the leaders of 6 million Dutch-speaking Flemings against 4.5 million French speakers, but people nationwide are putting aside their differences to celebrate the occasion.
In Dutch-speaking Ghent, organizers hope 249 people will strip naked to mark the days of the crisis as part of a party expected to draw thousands. There will be free fries, Belgium's beloved national dish, in Leuven and lots of Belgian beer in the French-speaking student town of Louvain-la-Neuve.
"Finally world champion" the usually serious De Standaard headlined yesterday's edition.
"Of course it is serious that we have no federal government," said Kris Peeters, the minister president of Flanders. "But on the other hand, I appreciate very much the humor of certain actions."
It is arguable whether 249 really is the record. Iraq took 249 days to get the outlines of a government agreement last year, but the approval of that government took a further 40 days. Still, the way things are going, Belgium will have little problem claiming the record whichever standard is used.
After general elections on June 13, 2010, Belgium's major parties began talks to pass the biggest constitutional reform in decades to keep both linguistic groups happy. But they ran into one deadlock after another since their interests are often diametrically opposed.
King Albert had to appoint and accept the resignation of one go-between after another as the major parties refused to move far from their pre-election position. It is a process that continues to this day.
Day to day the crisis pits the leaders of 6 million Dutch-speaking Flemings against 4.5 million French speakers, but people nationwide are putting aside their differences to celebrate the occasion.
In Dutch-speaking Ghent, organizers hope 249 people will strip naked to mark the days of the crisis as part of a party expected to draw thousands. There will be free fries, Belgium's beloved national dish, in Leuven and lots of Belgian beer in the French-speaking student town of Louvain-la-Neuve.
"Finally world champion" the usually serious De Standaard headlined yesterday's edition.
"Of course it is serious that we have no federal government," said Kris Peeters, the minister president of Flanders. "But on the other hand, I appreciate very much the humor of certain actions."
It is arguable whether 249 really is the record. Iraq took 249 days to get the outlines of a government agreement last year, but the approval of that government took a further 40 days. Still, the way things are going, Belgium will have little problem claiming the record whichever standard is used.
After general elections on June 13, 2010, Belgium's major parties began talks to pass the biggest constitutional reform in decades to keep both linguistic groups happy. But they ran into one deadlock after another since their interests are often diametrically opposed.
King Albert had to appoint and accept the resignation of one go-between after another as the major parties refused to move far from their pre-election position. It is a process that continues to this day.
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