Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme resigned on Thursday after a key Flemish party withdrew its support and toppled his coalition government, a senior minister announced.
"There was no other choice but for the government to resign," Finance Minister Didier Reynders told reporters after the Flemish liberal Open VLD party pulled out of the five-party coalition.
Open VLD were frustrated by the failure to solve a long-running dispute over the division of 54 communes in the bilingual constituency of Brussel-Halle-Vilvoorde (BHV).
The dispute morphed into a bitter and complex language-based conflict that seemed incomprehensible to many Belgians.
"It's the most absurd crisis. It's a stupid ego and power battle and we Belgians can't make head nor tail of it," said Etienne Decie, a Brussels-based lawyer.
Suzanne, a teacher, said the crisis was an "old story between the Flemish and the Walloons" but that "it does not come from us the people but from the politicians. We ought to find a solution once and for all to live together."
Belgian apartheid
The row centred on a contested area known as Brussel-Halle-Vilvoorde (BHV), which has been a seeping wound ever since Belgium was messily carved up along language lines in 1963. It triggered half a dozen crises in the past three years as politicians locked horns over reforms to carve up the area into distinct Flemish and French voting districts.
The issue became a springboard for some local politicians to promote de facto apartheid in some communes. Some French-speakers were even barred from buying property in Flemish towns in the latest chapter of this turf war.
"I will fight this until the bitter end," vowed Alexia Philippart de Foy, who had her offer on a house in Rhodes-Saint-Genèse turned down by Flemish authorities. "It cannot be the case that someone who is 100 per cent Belgian is barred from buying a house in her own country."
The conflict even trickled down to the picturesque, sleepy village of Gooik, just south of the bilingual capital Brussels. Flemish residents there spoke of an 'invasion' of French-speakers which must be stopped. "We want to preserve the Flemish character of this beautiful town," says Gooik's Mayor, Michel Doomst.
The jovial Mr Doomst counts on the support of Gooik's 11,000 residents, many of who resent the influx of French-speakers. One elderly man walking his dog explained: "The Flemish here feel squeezed out. The people who come from Brussels to live here don't always want to adapt by learning Flemish." Standing outside a café, one woman fumed: "Why can't the French-speakers just leave us alone? This here is a Flemish area that should be kept Flemish."
Deterrents
Mayor Doomst has now taken matters into his own hands and has imposed his own informal mechanism to deter French-speakers from moving in. "We have a system of offer incentives in order to give precedence to people who have a clear link with this commune. And yes, that means Flemish people." Even residents who put their houses on the market are "encouraged" to sell to Flemish people, he said, though did not specify what this meant.
Down the road in Flemish Rhodes-Saint-Genèse, the deterrents are more formal. Authorities have imposed a decree called "Wonen in eigen streek" ('Live in Your Own Area') which sets out clear conditions for would-be property buyers. Alexia Philippart de Foy explains: "The decree says you can't buy a house unless you've lived or worked in that commune for six years or have a clear link with it. I work all over the country but I've lived here for two years with my partner, who also works here. Our daughter goes to school here. But that's not enough for them."
"Absurdistan"
Belgians have grown weary of this undercurrent of tension that nearly provoked a definitive split between the six million Flemish and four million Walloons three years ago. They refer to their country as "Absurdistan" and increasingly wonder if the matter will ever be resolved.
Echoing a common sentiment, one French-speaking man shrugged and said: "Most of us still get along with each other perfectly well on a personal level. But it's very sad that it's gone this far. What chance is there of creating a united Europe when we can't even get on in Belgium?"
Echoing a common sentiment, one French-speaking man shrugged and said: "Most of us still get along with each other perfectly well on a personal level. But it's very sad that it's gone this far. What chance is there of creating a united Europe when we can't even get on in Belgium?"
Partly based on an AFP report
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When people say that they dont care about the problem of BHV then they should think ahead a bit.WHEN yes WHEN ,because it will happen in my lifetime,begium is finish and it breaks in to 3 parts,Flanders,Wallonia and the german areas then the arrogant franchoponen can not demand the area around brussels and so brussels will be an island in flandres and then they can never have it,The arrogant brussel population are really french speaking flemish ,look in the brussels phone book and see howmany dutch family names are there.Wat we need is an old fashion cival war in belgium and soon please..
Lots of riducule online already on the topic. It's the third time in three years, so people are getting "used" to it :D
http://www.belgian-government.be
This is what happens when opportunistic politicians play a language, colour, ethnicity or a religion card. It should be a lesson for all countries...
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