Belgium Unity ‘Close to the Abyss’
Electoral victories for Dutch-speaking separatists in Belgium have further shaken the fragile unity of the European country. Nationalist movements there continue to gain momentum, and this, analysts say, has pushed Belgium "close to the abyss" of permanent national division.
Electoral victories for Dutch-speaking separatists in Belgium have further shaken the fragile unity of the European country. Nationalist movements there continue to gain momentum, and this, analysts say, has pushed Belgium “close to the abyss” of permanent national division.
“Belgians are at a crossroads where they are making a choice on whether they want to live together or not,” a professor of politics said as politicians openly discuss the possibility of independent states for Flemish separatists. –JCL
Your support is crucial…The New York Times:
The move to break up Belgium gathered momentum Sunday as separatists won an emphatic election victory in Flanders, the prosperous Dutch-speaking half of the fiercely divided nation.
A stunning electoral success for Bart de Wever’s Flemish nationalist party marks a significant new challenge to the fragile unity of a country where tensions between French and Dutch speakers run deep.
Scheduled to take over the rotating presidency of the European Union in less than three weeks, Belgium will now do so with a caretaker administration and facing months of tortuous negotiations to put together a coalition government.
“We are close to the abyss,” said Lieven De Winter, professor of politics at the Université Catholique de Louvain, who described Mr. De Wever’s win as a landslide. “Whether we are five meters or five centimeters away is difficult to say. But Belgians are at a crossroads where they are making a choice on whether they want to live together or not.”
With an uncertain future and a new administration casting doubt on press freedoms, the danger is clear: The truth is at risk.
Now is the time to give. Your tax-deductible support allows us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes what’s really happening — without compromise.
During this holiday season, stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and ensure the stories that matter are told.
Both the Amazon and the Congo have helped mitigate the effects of global warming. That may no longer be the case, a new study reveals.
The famed sociologist saw what most white intellectuals could not: the savage nature of an American empire intent on suppressing and exploiting people of color in the U.S. and across the world.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.