1. Belgian political situation
CERAN, the 16th of November 2016
Pierre Verjans
University of Liège

3. Agenda Introduction Body Summary Q&A session Linguistic situation
Religious behaviour
Economic disparity
Political forces
Summary
Q&A session

4. Introduction Purpose: Show that Belgium is both Ordinary and
Extraordinary at the same time
A microcosm of Europe

5. Linguistic situation From VII th century..: stable!
North: germanic language, dialects
South: latin dialects
East: german-speaking community (1919…)
Brussels: “frenchilasation” since 1830…

6. Gysseling Maurits, Herbillon Jules
Gysseling Maurits, Herbillon Jules. « La genèse de la frontière linguistique dans le
Nord de la Gaule ». in: Revue du Nord, tome 44, n°173, Janvier-mars pp. 5-37;

7. Linguistic situation North: South: germanic romantism XIXth:
language rooted in peasant and catholic life;
mistrust of « franskilioenen » snobbery
South:
Attraction of an international & prestigious language
Even in the social struggles

9. Religious behaviour North: 1798: peasants’war against France
1839: flemish petition: demanding the recognition of the language (administration [1878], laws [1899] university [1930],… )… constitution?
with the help of lower ranking members of the clergy (against language of Voltaire…)

10. Religious behaviour South: Liberal party (1846)
anticlerical but not antireligious
Industrial revolution: less religious working class: Parti ouvrier belge (1885)

12. Economic disaprity Industrial revolution
From 1780… in the South
Migration of flemish peasants to Wallonia
Post-industrial revolution ( …)
GDP/capita Flanders higher than Wallonia
Coal mining stopped
Steel industry faced competition (ECSC 1951)
SME’s in Flanders, VEV 1927: minimalism…
Since 1981: costs of post-industrial transition!

15. Political forces Demographic evolution Federal institutions
Classic electoral behaviour
Latest news

16. Demographic evolution

17. Electoral behaviour

18. Federal system Communities: culture (demand of Flemish movment)
Regions: economy (demand of Walloon movment)

19. Federal units

20. Minorities in Belgium 2014 Flemish voters in Brussels:
voix = 9,14% of the voters
53.379/ = 1,11% of voters in Flanders
17/89= 19,1% of the seats in PRB-C
French-speaking party voters in Flanders:
UF: / = 0,73% voters in Flanders
French-speaking parties in Brussel/ FWB:
/ = 17% of the voters in FWB

21. From christian domination to new-flemish alliance
Last news
From christian domination to new-flemish alliance

22. HPB mai 2015

24. HPB mai 2015

25. Federal elections 2014 Majorité: 76/150 N-VA 33 +6 PS 23 -3 MR 20 +2
CD&V   18 +1
OpenVld   14 +1
sp.a   13 0
cdH   9 0
Groen   6 +1
Ecolo   6 -2
Vlaams B  3 -9
PTB-GO !   2 -
FDF   2 -  
Parti Popu  1 0  
Gouvernement: = 85

26. Current gouvernment No institutional reform Neo-liberal reforms:
Less social security (65->67, index)
More openess foreign investors
Less means for the State
« Law and order »

27. Summary Double frustration Common sense of international environment
Majority non recognized and then instrumentalised
Minority now despised by the majority
Common sense of international environment
Compromises from the necessity
Hate for violence

28. Thank you for your attention
Now, I’m sure you have some questions, remarks, objections, interjections…