Article

2007-12-02 Europe

Belgium's survival in question as 'next PM' quits the battle

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Posted by lotp 2007-12-02 00:00|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top

#1 Buh-bye.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2007-12-02 00:10|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2007-12-02 00:10|| Front Page Top

#2 Dutch and French speakers do not communicate with one another. They watch different TV stations, read different newspapers and send their children to different schools and universities. There are no national political parties. Leterme is a Christian Democrat but his proposals were rejected by Christian Democrats from the other side of the linguistic divide.

Through almost six months of negotiations, the Flemish side has insisted on further concessions to ethnic and linguistic autonomy as the price for forming a common government, concessions that further down the road will hasten the break-up of the country

You like multi-culti, you got it.

Posted by Mike N. 2007-12-02 01:20|| 2007-12-02 01:20|| Front Page Top

#3 Rename it the European Disunion, or ED for short.

And we can think of something else known by the letters E.D., can't we?

Posted by Eohippus Flaviger5399 2007-12-02 03:10|| 2007-12-02 03:10|| Front Page Top

#4 How will the break up affect Belgian (to my taste, best in the World) beer prices?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2007-12-02 08:50|| 2007-12-02 08:50|| Front Page Top

#5 Whither Canada? Same basic problem.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-12-02 09:45|| 2007-12-02 09:45|| Front Page Top

#6 Words cannot begin to express the degree to which I simply don't care.

Posted by DMFD 2007-12-02 14:35|| 2007-12-02 14:35|| Front Page Top

#7 Does anybody have a good sense of whether this conflict is worse than similar ones have been in the past? This has been a long-running quarrel, and newspapers like to make the "same-old same-old" sound like the end of the world. Is it really worse this time?

Posted by James">James 2007-12-02 18:08|| http://idontknowbut.blogspot.com]">[http://idontknowbut.blogspot.com] 2007-12-02 18:08|| Front Page Top

#8 Never before have they been unable to put together a government, James. Even if it is the same old conflicts. Were I the king I'd call for new elections, and hope a new lot of politicians would work things out. If not, his income may be in jeopardy along with his country; I don't know how willing the Flems would be to finance a French-speaking king, and Wallonia certainly can't afford him. His other option, I suppose, would be to take over direct rule with appointed ministers, which certainly would be amusing to watch from a distance.

I don't think beer production will be affected. Four star restaurants, on the other hand...

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2007-12-02 22:40|| 2007-12-02 22:40|| Front Page Top

23:12 Verlaine
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22:40 trailing wife
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