Partition of Belgium

The partition of Belgium, or the dissolution of the Belgian State through the separation of the Dutch-speaking peoples of the Flanders region from the French-speaking peoples of the Walloon Region, granting them either independence or respective accession to the Netherlands and France, is recurrently discussed in Belgian and international media.cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E06EFD91E3CE433A25751C2A9629C946197D6CF|title=Belgium faces a crisis |publisher=New York Times |date=1900-05-22 |accessdate=2008-06-12] [cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9B04E3DA113AE633A2575BC0A96F9C946396D6CF&oref=slogin|title=Belgium may separate |publisher=New York Times |date=1912-08-09 |accessdate=2008-06-11] cite web |url=http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/12/04/afx4401225.html|title=Belgium's 'AA+' rating, stable outlook unaffected by political stalemate - Fitch |publisher=Thomson Financial News |work=forbes.com |date=2007-04-12 |accessdate=2008-06-20 |quote=Fitch believes while the eventual partition of Belgium has always been a possibility, it is unlikely to happen over the medium-term. It added that the most likely scenario is that hard-fought negotiation will result in constitutional changes that further decentralise the Belgian state.] [cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/12/MNB6SEM9K.DTL |title=Divisions could lead to a partition in Belgium |author=Elizabeth Bryant |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=2008-05-28 |date=2007-10-12] [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7507506.stm
title=Analysis: Where now for Belgium?
author=Dominic Hughes
publisher=BBC
accessdate=2008-07-16
date=2008-07-15] The concept is rooted in the long-standing ethnic and socio-economic tensions between the two communities as well as the geographic and cultural continuity of Wallonia with France and that of Flanders with the Netherlands.

The territories corresponding to the modern Belgian, Dutch and Luxembourgian states are collectively called Low Countries. They emerged at the end of the Middle Ages as a set of more or less independent fiefdoms loosely linked to the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire. The southern part of this region, the Southern Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, was partitioned both politically, into many fiefdoms, and linguistically, into the Romanic and Germanic sprachraums. The feudal borders were not matching the language borders and some fiefdoms were divided into Francophone and Germanic regions. However the political class, the aristocracy, which usually spoke languages other than the population, did not much bother about these language-related disparities. After the secession in 1581 of the Dutch republic, in the Southern Netherlands, French emerged progressively, under the influence of the Habsbourgian nobility and, later, of the French invasions, as the upper class language, not only at the court but also in the administration and in the political circles.

Antagonism between the Francophone and the Dutch-speaking segments of the population increased after the independence of Belgium in 1830, when citizens of the southern Netherlands and their exclusively French-speaking political elite rebelled against the hegemony of the northern provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Major European powers were divided in opinion over the fallout of the revolution. Ultimately, the state of Belgium, composed of provinces of both French-speaking and Dutch-speaking people, gained independence as a buffer state between France and the Netherlands. French became the sole official language. Dutch-speakers demanded equal rights beginning in the late 19th century, but these were only introduced gradually throughout the 20th century. While postage stamps became bilingual in 1893, it was not until 1967 that an official Dutch version of the Constitution was accepted. [cite web
title=Ethnic structure, inequality and governance of the public sector in Belgium
author= [http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BC203/(httpPeople)/417C5EAAE7060027C1256F2000472415?OpenDocument Kris Deschouwer]
publisher=United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)
month=January
year=2004
url=http://www.unrisd.org/UNRISD/website/document.nsf/ab82a6805797760f80256b4f005da1ab/ec506a59176be044c1256e9e003077c3/$FILE/Deschou.pdf
format=pdf
accessdate=2007-05-22] Since independence, socio-economic imbalances have fueled resentment between the two communities.cite web
url=http://www.uclouvain.be/cps/ucl/doc/etes/documents/DOCH_053_(PVP).pdf
title=Just health care and the two solidarities
author=Philippe Van Parijs
date=1999
accessdate=2008-09-10
quote=statistical data revealed that the Walloon population had a per capita consumption of publicly funded health caresignificantly higher than the Flemish population. This could be attributed in part to its demographic structure (more elderly people) and to its economic situation (more unemployment). But it was also due in part to medical habits that turned out to be moreexpensive in Wallonia than in Flanders.. Since the publication of this book, there are other figures and the Flemish Daily News De Standaard wrote it in 2007 : Guy Tegenbos “Scheeftrekkingen in ziektekosten bijna weg” ("Imbalance almots vanished"). in " De Standaard", 10.04.2007.] cite web
title=The Dutch-French Language Border in Belgium
author=Roland Willemyns, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
publisher=Journal of multilingual and multicultural development
date=2002
url=http://www.multilingual-matters.net/jmmd/023/0036/jmmd0230036.pdf
quote=From the late 1950s onwards a dramatic industrial development was witnessed in Flanders, turning this formally agricultural territory into a highly industrialised region, largely dominating the domestic political, social and economic scene. At the same, time the outdated industrial equipment of Wallonia was slowly breaking down, giving way to a serious economic recession fromwhich it has not yet recovered. In 1996 74.5% of the industrial gross added value was generated in the Flemish region (58% of Belgium’s population). Consequently, the cultural and linguistic balance of power shifted towards Flanders (Willemyns, 1992). The present-day social and economic imbalance between Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia is to be considered potentially disruptive for the continuation of Belgium’s existence, since it requires a considerable amount of so-called ‘solidarity transfers’ from Flanders to Wallonia (for 80%) and from Flanders to Brussels (for 20%). Most of these transfers occur in the field of social security financing (De Boeck, 1999).
accessdate=2008-07-23]

Since the 1960s, separate regions have been gradually created, based on the linguistic division. As a result, minorities in certain areas (in and around Brussels and along the language border) claim to be disenfranchised in local government and services. Along with the usual left-right political division, there is also a linguistic division, causing a double party system which complicates coalition creation on the national level. The recent crisis over the formation of a coalition government in the aftermath of the 2007 elections, coupled with the unsolved problem of the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde electoral district and the rise of extremist political parties, has given a fresh impetus to the issue, with recent opinion polls showing sizable support for a partition. However, support for a unified state remains among the majority of Belgium's people. cite news|url=http://destandaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF09112007_060|title=België moet blijven, maar niet zoals nu|publisher=De Standaard Online|date=2007-11-09|accessdate=2007-11-28|language=Dutch] Pro-Belgians will claim that the monarchy, strong national institutions and the geopolitical importance of the linguistically and ethnically mixed Brussels serve as unifying elements, while anti-Belgians will rather claim these factors (and the considerable state debt) serve merely as obstacles to an inevitable partition.

Regional demographics

The parties with long lasting participation to the Belgian governments, that is the Christian Democrats, the Liberals and the Socialists, as well as the Green parties usually refuse to speak openly about a possible partitioning of Belgium. This question seems to be taboo on the Belgian political scene and is only discussed from time to time by main stream politicians in order to menace the other community, a bit like the atomic bomb in the cold war context. [cite web |url=http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/monde/298173.FR.php |title=L’appel à une «Belgique française» [Call for a "French Belgium"] |language=French |publisher=Libération |author=Jean Quatremer |date=2007-12-15 |accessdate=2008-05-20 |quote= [...] Daniel Ducarme [...] propose [...] que les francophones créent une «Belgique française», réunissant les régions de Bruxelles et de Wallonie, qui serait «associée» à la France ! [Daniel Ducarme proposes that the francophones create a "French Belgium", unifying the Brussels and Walloon regions, which would be "associated" to France] ] The heart of the problem is not the partition of Belgium but its federalization also called regionalization or communitarization. This process of devolution which began in the 1960s due to the pressure of the Flemish movement and, to a lesser extent, of the Walloon movement is called in the Belgian context the "state reform". While most Francophones argue that the state reform is unnecessary, virtually all Flemish political parties demand a severe reform of the Belgian state.

Socialist Party – Different (SP.A), the Flemish socialist party, states on its website that it believes an independent Flanders is not necessary. It does support the devolution of a number of additional responsibilities, such as the railways or the policy of employment. Open VLD, the Flemish liberals, wants more socio-economic and financial autonomy for Flanders, a homogenous division of responsibilities, more cooperation between the communities and regions and a strong federal state. Green!, the Flemish green party, wants another round in the state reform, but only if it leads to more solidarity, a better functioning of the institutions and more democracy. It states on its website that it doesn’t want to reform for the purpose of reforming. Green! wants Belgium to remain a federal state and considers the cooperation between different communities within one state to be a challenge rather than a problem. It also pleads for federal loyalty and respect for the rulings of the Constitutional Court and wants to see a more homogenous division of responsibilities.

The Francophone Socialist (PS) and Christian Democratic parties (CDH) promote the conservation of the current welfare state and are therefore opposed to any further regionalization of the federal social policies. [cite web
quote=Il faudra notamment répéter ensemble, entre francophones, que nous sommes opposés à toute scission de la sécurité sociale dans toutes ses branches (soins de santé, allocations familiales, etc.). Il faudra aussi répéter notre volonté d’élargir la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale afin notamment de donner un territoire qui relie directement la Wallonie à Bruxelles. [Transl:We, the Francophones, will all together have to insist on the fact that we are opposed to any regionalization of the welfare state in all of its components (healthcare, child benefit, etc.). We will also have to reiterate our will to expand the territory of the Brussels-Capital Region, in order to obtain among other things a territorial link between Walonia and Brussels.]
url=http://www.ps.be/Source/PageContent.aspx?ParentID=1282&MenID=4833&EntID=1
title=Communiqué de presse - 26.11.2007
publisher=Parti Socialist
accessdate=2007-11-28] [cite web
quote= [...] nous sommes [...] contre la régionalisation de la sécuritésociale, contre toute avancée de l'autonomie fiscale et contre la régionalisation de la politique de l'emploi. Nous sommes opposés à la régionalisation de la politique de l’emploi etde la concertation sociale au niveau fédéral car elle signera la fin de notre modèle de sécurité sociale basé sur la solidarité interpersonnelle. [Transl.: We are opposed to the regonalization of the social safety net, to any progression of the fiscal autonomy and, to the regionalization of the employement policies. We are opposed to the regionalization of the employement policies and the social dialogue at the federal level for it would put an end to our social safety net model based on the interpersonal solidarity]
url=http://www.lecdh.be/media/nahilovigowa.pdf
title=Colloque du Cepess : « La Belgique à tout prix ? » [Transl: Cepess Symposium: "Belgium at all costs?"]
author=Joëlle Milquet
publisher=Humanist Democratic Centre
date=2006-11-12
accessdate=2007-12-7] The Reformist Movement, the Francophone Liberal party, stresses in its manifesto that the Flemings are intending to split most of the solidarity mechanisms between the Belgians. They also state that they minimize the importance of the Brussels-Capital Region as a constitutional component of the federal state. Their approach is to build strong links between the different components of the French-speaking part of Belgium, including Brussels and Wallonnia as well as the municipalities with a French-speaking presence around Brussels and in Voeren. The aim of this approach is to create a strong autonomous Francophone component within the federal state. [cite web
url=http://www.mr.be/Le-Mouvement/Nos-Valeurs/LE-MANIFESTE/manifeste.pdf
title=Le manifeste des réformateurs
publisher=Mouvement Réformateur
date=2002-09-01
accessdate=2007-03-12
quote=La volonté de rupture des solidarités économiques et sociales entre le Nordet le Sud du pays, l’ambition d’affaiblir Bruxelles dans sa réalité de région àpart entière et de grande ville francophone, les initiatives répétées visant àmettre à néant les droits culturels et linguistiques des francophones de lapériphérie de Bruxelles et des Wallons des Fourons, l’ambition de créer unEtat flamand qui ait de moins en moins de comptes à rendre à l’Etat belge,tel est le projet nationaliste de la Flandre.Seul le projet de construire l’unité de la Wallonie et de Bruxelles au seind’une Communauté française [...] permettra de rééquilibrer les rapports de forceentre Communautés au sein de l’Etat belge.Quelles que soient les visées institutionnelles de la Flandre, l’avenir deBruxelles et celui de la Wallonie sont indissociablement liés. A cet avenircommun, les Réformateurs associent pleinement les Francophones de lapériphérie bruxelloise et les Wallons des Fourons. [Transl.: The will to break the economic and social solidarities between the North and the South of the country, the ambition to weaken Brussels as a federal state and a big French-speaking city, the repeated threats to reduce to nothing the cultural and linguistic rights of the Francophones of the suburbs of Brussels and the Walloons of Voeren, the ambition to buils a Flemish state that would have less and less obligations with respect to the Belgian state, such is Flanders' nationalist project. Sole the project to build a unitity out of Brussels and Wallonia within the French Community [of Belgium] shall enable to reequilibrate the balance of forces between the Communities within the Belgian state. Whatever the institutional reforms promoted by Flanders, Brussels' and Wallonia's future are undissociably linked. To this common future, the Réformateurs plainly associate the Francophones of Brussels' periphery and the Walloons of Voeren] ] Ecolo, the Francophone Green party, supports an improvement of the political links between the communities. They suggest among other things the creation of a national electoral arrondissement for the election of a part of the federal parliament. [cite web
url=http://web4.ecolo.be/spip.php?article479
title=Une circonscription unique pour élire des parlementaires à l’échelle de la Belgique
publisher=ECOLO
accessdate=2007-12-07
quote=ECOLO estime qu’il convient de moderniser les institutions de la Belgique, afin de renforcer le système fédéral. ECOLO propose notamment l’élection d’une partie des parlementaires fédéraux sur base d’une circonscription électorale nationale.]

In Flanders, several parties whose electoral success cannot be neglected [Footnote: 30% of the Dutch-speaking members of the federal parliament and 17% of the federal parliament.] are openly for a partition of the country. The largest is the far right Vlaams Belang party (Flemish Interest). [cite web
title=The Manifesto of the Vlaams Belang
url=http://flemishrepublic.org/manifesto.htm
quote=The Vlaams Belang strives for the secession of Flanders from the artificial Belgian state. Our aim is to dissolve Belgium and establish an independent Flemish state. This state will be sovereign over the Dutch-speaking territory of Belgium and will include Brussels, which is the capital of Flanders but will have a separate linguistic status.accessmonthday= October 17| accessyear=2007] Other openly separatist but more mainstream parties emerged recently: New-Flemish Alliance , List Dedecker. [cite web |url=http://www.lijstdedecker.com/docs/PROGRAMMA.PDF
title=Programma
publisher=Lijst Dedecker] In Walonnia and Brussels, only the Wallonia-France Rally [cite web
title=Manifesto of the Rassemblement Walonie-France (2002)
url=http://www.rwf.be/pages/Manifeste_anglais.html
accessmonthday= October 22
accessyear=2007
quote=The necessary alliance of our two regions, Wallonia and Brussels, with France would [...] have to be organised in line with that concept of our national identity. That would entail negotiations sanctioned by a referendum. Some form of special status may be envisaged for Brussels. As for the population of Fourons, the six Brussels outlying communes and the German-speaking communes, they would of course be consulted on their status by means of a referendum under international control.] party is openly separatist. This party, which has no elected representative at neither the national and regional level, promotes the partition of Belgium and a union of Wallonia and Brussels with France.

Several small parties with no or very few seats at the parliament campaign explicitly for the unity of the Belgian state. The conservative Belgian Union [
*nlcite web
url=http://www.belgischeunie.be/nl/programma.php
title=Volledige programma van B.U.B. in PDF
accessmonthday= November 6
accessyear=2007
quote=De Belgische Unie – Union belge (B.U.B.) is een centrumpartij, opgericht in 2002, die als einddoel heeft de creatie van een nieuw unitair België, d.w.z. met één regering en één parlement, zonder gewesten en gemeenschappen, met provinciale decentralisatie op basis van 9 provincies (wat de hereniging van Brabant inhoudt), behoud van de taalwetten en een actieve politiek van tweetaligheid.
*frcite web
url=http://www.belgischeunie.be/fr/programme.php
title=Le programme complet du B.U.B. en pdf
accessmonthday= November 6
accessyear=2007
quote=L’Union belge (Belgische Unie – B.U.B.) est un parti centriste, créé en 2002, qui a pour but final la création d'une nouvelle Belgique unitaire, c’est-à-dire avec un seul gouvernement, un seul parlement sans communautés ni régions, avec une décentralisation sur la base de 9 provinces (ce qui implique la réunification du Brabant) avec le maintien des lois linguistiques et une politique active de bilinguisme. [Transl.: The Belgian Union is a centrist party, founded in 2002, which has as final aim the building of a new unitary Belgium, i.e. with a single government, a single parliament without communities nor regions, with a decentralization on the basis of the 9 provinces (which implies the reunification of the province of Brabant) maintaining the linguistic laws and with an active politic promoting bilingualism] ] promotes a stronger federal government and a return to the Belgian unitary state which used to exist in the 1960s. The far leftist Workers Party of Belgium also support the unity a Belgium for the reason that it considers the federalization of the country as an attack at the employers against the welfare state and the union of the labour unions. The francophone far right Front National [frcite web
url=http://www.frontnational.be/programmeLegislatives2007.htm
title=Programme du Front National
accessmonthday= November 6
accessyear=2007
quote=7. Maintenir l’unité de la Belgique dans le cadre fédéral actuel. Le Front National propose à tous les Belges une paix communautaire. Il souligne les liens culturels et historiques qui, depuis des siècles, unissent nos populations de langues germanique et romane. L’unité de la Belgique lui assure, au niveau international, un poids politique et économique que nous entendons préserver. [Transl.: 7. Maintaining the Unity of Belgium within the current federal system. The National Front offers all Belgians a communitary peace. It underlines the cultural and historical links which, for centuries, unify our folks of Germanic and Roman languages. The unity of Belgium provide, at international level, a political and economic weight that we intend to preserve.] ] is also explicitly opposed to the partition of the country.

References