 King Albert II of Belgium called Monday on Belgians to overcome their differences that plunged the country into a deep political crisis for the last six months.| Pretty please with waffles and frites on top? |
"I firmly believe in the future of our country because I have faith in the abilities of the Belgians when they have their backs against the wall," King Albert said in his annual Christmas speech. He said it was essential that contacts between the different language communities be strengthened. "The first condition is that we fully understand one another." | Perhaps His Majesty should initiate a Dialogue, maybe even a Road Map. Time tested and proven results! |
| Maybe some confidence-building measures? |
| Call a donors' conference and beg for money ... |
Meanwhile, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, or parliament, Sunday gave its support to the new interim government led by ex-Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, six months after elections were held in the country. Deep differences between Belgium's Dutch-speaking politicians and their French-speaking counterparts have hindered the formation of a long-term government. The country which hosts the European Union is deeply divided on linguistic lines between the Dutch-speaking northern region of Flanders and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. |