EUROPEAN DIARY:THE LIFE of Hugo Claus, one of Belgium's most renowned authors, was celebrated at a ceremony in Antwerp last Saturday following his death by euthanasia on March 19th.
Claus (78), who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, wrote more than 20 novels, at least 60 plays and countless poems. Often called the Lion of Flanders, the title of one of his films, Claus was best known for his 1983 seminal work The Sorrow of Belgium, which depicted how Belgians reacted to the Nazi occupation during the second World War. This controversial work drew on Claus's experience of growing up in Flanders and played a large part in undermining the myth of widespread resistance to Nazi occupation that was fostered after the war in Belgium.
Never one to shy away from difficult issues, he tackled the connection between the Belgian monarchy and its brutal colonial past in the Congo in his 1970s play The life and works of King Leopold II.
He also admitted his own ambivalence about his nationality, declaring in a magazine interview: "I insist on being Belgian . . . I want to be a member of the pariah nationality, the laughing stock of the French and an object of ridicule for the Dutch. It's the ideal situation for a writer."
But despite his scathing criticism of Belgium, Claus received warm tributes from both the Flemish and francophone communities following his death.
"In his works he gave us a mirror on our lives," said former prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, who was a close friend. "Certainly a hard image, often unpitying, which helped us understand who we really were."
Even in death Claus courted controversy by reopening a bitter debate about the practice of euthanasia in Belgium. Legalised in 2002 by the previous government led by Verhofstadt, euthanasia is chosen by 500 people every year as a means to end their lives.
"He himself picked the moment of his death and asked for euthanasia," not wanting to extend his suffering, his wife, Veerle De Wit, said in a statement to the media.
Verhofstadt also spoke of the "inevitable and unbearable torture" suffered by Claus, who for 60 years had no difficulty in finding the phrases to express himself. "I can live with the fact that he decided [ to end his life]. Because he left us as a great glowing star, right on time. Just before he collapsed into a black hole," he added.
Stung by positive media reaction to Claus's decision to practise euthanasia, the Catholic Church in Belgium hit back from the pulpit. Cardinal Godfried Danneels of Brussels denounced euthanasia during his homily on Easter Sunday. "Avoiding suffering is no act of bravery . . . Our society seems unable to cope with death and suffering."
Brother René Stockman of the Congregation of Brothers of Charity also criticised the media's coverage of Claus's decision to take his own life. "Only God can decide on matters of life and death," he wrote in an open letter.
The Flemish Alzheimer League said it respected Claus's decision but believed "the media coverage of his death neglects other options for Alzheimer patients".
Belgium became the second country - after the Netherlands - to legalise euthanasia in 2002 when its parliament endorsed a Bill by 86 votes in favour, 51 against, and with 10 abstentions, after two days of heated debate. The euthanasia law enables patients to end their own lives with medical assistance if they are under "constant and unbearable physical or psychological pain" resulting from an accident or incurable disease. They must be conscious when a demand for euthanasia is made and a second opinion from a doctor unconnected with the patient must be sought before it can go ahead.
Claus's death and the controversy created by the cardinal's comments on euthanasia have also prompted politicians to rethink the scope of the existing law. Bart Tommelein, leader of Belgium's Liberal Party, pledged last week to bring forward new legislation to allow children and teenagers to avail of euthanasia.
Under the current law, minors aged under 18 cannot request euthanasia. But the Liberals, who are members of the coalition, want this to change.
In the Netherlands the minimum age required to request euthanasia is 12 years, and teenagers aged between 12 and 16 must have the consent of their parents.
But amending the law will not be easy, according to Philippe Mahoux, a surgeon and leader of the Socialist Party in the Senate, who drafted Belgium's euthanasia law.
"This is a very difficult legal issue. It comes down to who has the legal right to decide on euthanasia for a minor, Would it be the parents? It is a very difficult problem to solve by law," said Mahoux, who insists that the 2002 law has gained widespread public support. "A case-by-case situation for minors may be preferable."
Such political controversies do not now concern Claus, whose ashes have been strewn into the North Sea off Belgium's coast. But it is perhaps apt that the enfant terrible of Flemish literature went out as he lived, provoking a vibrant debate in his home country.