BELGIUM’S PROTRACTED political stalemate reaches a dubious new milestone today when the country’s leaders equal Iraq’s 249-day record for failing to form a government after an election.
With no sign of any imminent deal to break the deadlock, local analysts say only an upsurge of pressure from financial markets would prevent a return to the polls in the coming months.
Students plan a fresh wave of protests against the deadlock this afternoon in six Belgian cities, but the country’s linguistically divided politicians remain as far apart as ever.
Hardline Flemish nationalists prevailed in the election last June in the Dutch-speaking Flanders region but months of talks with the French-speaking Socialists who took the spoils in the Walloon region have proved fruitless.
A five-party coalition government led by caretaker prime minister Yves Leterme collapsed last April and close observers of Belgian politics say it is unlikely a new administration will form by the anniversary of its demise.
The political breakdown has its roots in long-running disputes over the reform of the Belgian state, as Walloons resist moves to reduce large fiscal transfers they receive from Flemings.
A succession of talks chairmen have been unable to extract concessions from Flemish nationalist leader Bart De Wever, while Socialist leader Elio di Rupo remains implacably opposed to Mr De Wever’s separatist agenda.
The impasse has been greeted with contempt by internet commentators, worry on the markets about the fiscal position of the heavily indebted country, hand-wringing among its political classes and renewed speculation in diplomatic circles that Belgium will ultimately fall apart.
Although pollsters frequently report that most Belgians do not want the country to break up, some diplomats believe the schism has become so severe that a break-up some time in the next decade is now distinctly possible.
At issue in the dissolution debate is whether an independent state is formed in Flanders, whether the Walloon region is subsumed by France and whether a tiny German-speaking province is subsumed by Germany or Luxembourg. Also in question is the destiny of the capital Brussels, officially bilingual, mostly French-speaking and home to many EU institutions. French officials are widely reputed have held discreet talks last year with senior Walloons and the French foreign ministry is known to have set up a unit to assess the implications of any break-up of the state.
Such talks caused anxiety in Berlin, amid concern that France had designs on Brussels.
In a break-up scenario, however, many analysts say Brussels could become a self-governing city-state to function as capital of the EU.
As public frustration with the logjam grows, the tone of the online debate goes from the derisive to the humorous.
Two comedians are refusing to shave until a government is formed and their website claims another 769 men have joined them.
On another website, campaigners are seeking to withhold public funding from political parties if they fail to form a government in the next 62 days. The protest is being organised as a virtual campsite outside the front door of the prime minister’s office. Some 151,977 people have joined up.
“Why should we pay all these people all this money while they’re refusing to do the job we asked them to do?” asks the Camping 16 website, named after the street number of the premier’s office.
