Belgium -- that land of chocolate and waffles (at least from an outsider's perspective) -- is certainly not the first country that would come to mind if we were to toss you the words "elections" and "turmoil" and "separatist movement" all in the same sentence.
But the New Flemish Alliance (NVA) is a separatist party whose platform calls for the gradual dissolution of the Belgian state. And it's been successful in recent elections, raising the notion of a Belgium divided and the creation of two new nations.
"Is this the beginning of the end for Belgium?" TIME's Leo Cendrowicz asked following last week's election results. And alas, it just might be.
Wait a minute. We're talking about Belgium here, not exactly the most aggressive, conflict-oriented folk on Earth. They've even actually been long been advocates of European unity following the numerous conflicts of the early to mid 20th century.
So what's happening? Why exactly can't Belgians just get along?
The most notable difference you'll find between the two largest factions in Belgium -- that's demographic, not political -- is language.
The Flemish, or Dutch-speaking, community occupies the northern region of Belgium known as Flanders. They have long squabbled with the French-speaking south, in Wallonia, since before Belgium became an independent state in 1830. (There is also a sizable German-speaking community in eastern Belgium, but we can ignore them for now.)
Although the capital, Brussels, is officially bilingual now, language borders between the Flemish and Walloons have been formally preserved.
As The Guardian's Gary Younge accurately observes:
Language ... all too often becomes the most intimate proxy for broader societal conflicts that have little to do with what people actually speak.
Younge's point here is spot on. The history of the language tension is actually a tale of class conflict within this small nation.
During the colonial era, the land currently occupied today by the Belgian state actually changed hands between the French and the Dutch.
French used to be the language of the aristocracy during the early 19th century, effectively excluding the Dutch half of the country. When the Dutch took over Belgium following Napoleon's defeat, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands turned the tables.
Even after the time Belgium became independent, following a revolution by the French-speaking south, language barriers remained.
Although during the late 19th/early 20th century the industrial south dwarfed its counterpart economically, that relationship has been reversed in the past 50 years following the decline of industries such as coal and steel in Wallonia and the simultaneous economic ascendancy of the Flemish.
More from BBC News' Dominic Hughes:
The southern region of Wallonia -- poorer, with higher than average unemployment -- is home to mostly French speakers, who make up about 40 percent of the population.
The other 60 percent are Dutch speakers who live in the more prosperous Flemish north.
Europeans have very long memories. While the Flemish may be thumbing their noses at their southern neighbors for the moment, current economic realities only serve to reinforce the divide and further accentuate political tensions between the two sides.
In other words, the same old economic barriers remain, leading both sides to dig in their heels politically.
And here's the rub: If a nation like Belgium -- again, one of the strongest proponents of European unity -- can be carved in half by old divisions, what does that say about the broader European coalition, particularly given the trials the euro has gone through since the beginning of 2010? What about other separatist movements in Europe and throughout the world?
As GlobalPost's Paul Ames notes:
Belgium's fate is being watched with interest and concern in many parts of Europe, not least in regions such as Scotland, Catalonia and Northern Italy, which have their own strong separatist tendencies. Others will mull the impact on the European Union if the country that hosts its headquarters cannot stay together.
At this point, if Belgium must split in two (something that admittedly wouldn't likely happen anytime soon given the sloth-like pace at which Belgium's multi-party parliament operates, among other factors), then at the very least we could try to suggest what exactly to call the new nations.
Flanders and Wallonia would be the two obvious choices, but we could certainly get more creative. What would you call them?
Tags: Current Events, Modern History
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