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Title: No Government, No Problem - Belgium Celebrates 450 Days Without Government But With Growth
Source:
DailyBail
URL Source: http://dailybail.com/home/no-govern ... lebrates-450-days-without.html
Published: Sep 10, 2011
Author: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/ROBERT
Post Date: 2011-09-10 17:49:46 by Hondo68
Keywords: economy outperformed UK German, 450 days without a government, 45 governments in 67 years
Views: 2077
Comments: 6
Belgium has not had a government in over 15 months, a record for modern economies. Yet their economy somehow managed to outperform those of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Finland, and Switzerland in the most recent quarter. -- It has been 15 months since Belgium last had a government. More than 450 days later, Belgian politics remain stuck in a gridlock after election results meant that no single party received more than 17.4 percent of seats in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and 19.61 percent in the Belgian Senate. "Technically this can last until the next federal election has to be called in 2014," said political scientist Dave Sinardet to the BBC. "Let's say we have elections in 2014 and we have some problem forming a coalition, this caretaker government could still go on after that. As long as it commands a majority in parliament, the only obstacle to it continuing would be the fear of absurdity.” Belgian officials however appear to care less. Since the elections, 10 politicians have tried to negotiate a new government and none have succeeded. Francophone socialist Elio Di Rupo is the latest to give it a go, though the negotiations have reached another standstill. BRUSSELS — Belgium hit a new milestone Monday — 450 days without a government — but still no one appears to be in any big hurry to resolve the situation. Europe's financial crisis and feeble economic growth may scare governments from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean Sea, but in Belgium it is a sideshow. Talks on a new Belgian government, which have been going on since the June 13, 2010 election, were at a standstill Monday for a third day running. Why? Because Green Party negotiator Jean-Michel Javaux — also the mayor of Amay, a small eastern town — had to attend a town meeting to vote on, among other things, a new police car and a computer. Prime Minister Yves Leterme, meanwhile, was on a visit Sunday to Israel, assuring its leaders that all's well in Belgium. But that's not really true — intractable divisions between Belgium's Dutch and French-speaking camps are looming over the nation. And because anything can become a linguistic spat, Belgium has had 45 governments in 67 years. Francophone Socialist Elio di Rupo is the latest politician trying to form a new government — and he has had 10 predecessors since the 2010 election. After 15 months of impasse, most Belgians seem resigned to Leterme's government of Christian Democrats, Liberals and Socialists staying on as a "caretaker" cabinet handling routine business. But others are stirring. Last week, judges and prosecutors in Antwerp scolded politicians for their inaction at a conference in Belgium's second city. "Political parties are leading us to the demise of our democracy," said Public Prosecutor Yves Liegeois. Piet Van den Bon, a Labor Court justice, claimed that illegal immigrants were pocketing undeserved handouts — a situation that "feeds a growing sense of injustice. The population expects from a government, especially in times of crisis, a readiness to act." Just three subway stops from Brussels' idle government complex, the headquarters of the European Union watches Belgium with unease but says publicly it retains "full confidence" in the nation's ability to enact finance reforms. However, already a Sept. 10 deadline for government negotiators to set a draft budget for 2012 has slipped to Sept. 30. Rooted in history and economic disparities, language spats have long dominated politics in this country of 6.6 million Dutch-speakers and 4.1 million Francophones. Everything — from political parties to broadcasters to boy scouts and voting ballots — comes in Dutch- and French-speaking versions. Dutch-speaking Flanders, Belgium's northern half, and French-speaking Wallonia in the south already have achieved self-rule in the past 30 years in urban development, environment, agriculture, employment, energy, culture, sports and other areas. Carving up Belgium is a cherished dream of many in Flanders but a nightmare for poorer Francophone Wallonia. Flanders has half the unemployment of Wallonia and a 25 percent higher per capita income. Some in Flanders are pushing for self-rule in justice, health and social security — but Walloon politicians fear that ending social security as a federal responsibility will be the end of the nation. The most accute problem in the government talks is the fate of a bilingual Brussels-area voting district that spills into Dutch-speaking Flanders. It was ruled illegal by a court in 2003 as only the city of Brussels is officially bilingual. Francophones oppose a breakup so as not to lose Francophone voters who have moved to Brussels' Dutch-speaking suburbs. Watching the fray is Bart de Wever. His New Flemish Alliance party, the biggest winner in the 2010 vote, seeks an "orderly breakup" of Belgium and is watching with relish as the Socialist, Christian Democrat and Green parties founder in the government talks. "The worse things are in those talks, the better it is for the New Flemish Alliance," he told the RTBf public broadcaster.
Poster Comment: It it's even better than Somalia... No government!
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#1. To: hondo68 (#0)
Not having a government is a European euphemism for the politicians not being able to put together a governing coalition in the Parliament. The bureaucracy is still there, enforcing existing laws. The point is still valid -- the politicians haven't been able to screw things up with new laws and regulations for over a year. As a result, they are doing better than other countries with busybody politicians.
#2. To: jwpegler, hondo68 (#1)
How do they manage without bailouts or stimulus?
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestBelgium has not had a government in over 15 months, a record for modern economies. Yet their economy somehow managed to outperform those of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Finland, and Switzerland in the most recent quarter.
Replies to Comment # 1. The point is still valid -- the politicians haven't been able to screw things up with new laws and regulations for over a year.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 1.
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