Tomorrow our political heroes - or are they dwarfs ? - will have negotiated for 150 days, trying to set up a federal government. Setting up a government never took so long : our heroes just broke the previous record.
One hundred and fifty days after the start of the "talks" they are as close to their objective as they were on the first day - if their objective is the formation of a government that is. I have the distinct impression that some of them are rather aiming at short term death for Belgium.
Former "statesmen" regret the present gridlock, but they forget that in creating a "federal" state they sowed the seeds of the present blockage : politicians are elected on a regional base, and by their voters only. So they represent their regional interests in the first place. That may be all right with a significant number of regions, but not with two or three, where politicans and media have done all that is in their power to smother whatever remained of "belgian-hood" in the population.
The fact that there is not a single statesman of stature to be found amongst the negotiators does not help.
Not one politician is elected by the whole of the Belgian population : so the other part of the country is considered foreign territory. Look at the papers and you will understand. In "normal" circumstances, there is more interest for marginal showbizz creatures than for fundamental trends in the other part of the country.
I hope I am totally wrong, I hope that our negotiators will soon form a government, although, with present tensions, it very probably will be a lame duck from the start. But better a lame duck than no duck at all, or than more regional experimenting.
If not, they will become the gravediggers of a tiny, but great country.
One hundred and fifty days after the start of the "talks" they are as close to their objective as they were on the first day - if their objective is the formation of a government that is. I have the distinct impression that some of them are rather aiming at short term death for Belgium.
Former "statesmen" regret the present gridlock, but they forget that in creating a "federal" state they sowed the seeds of the present blockage : politicians are elected on a regional base, and by their voters only. So they represent their regional interests in the first place. That may be all right with a significant number of regions, but not with two or three, where politicans and media have done all that is in their power to smother whatever remained of "belgian-hood" in the population.
The fact that there is not a single statesman of stature to be found amongst the negotiators does not help.
Not one politician is elected by the whole of the Belgian population : so the other part of the country is considered foreign territory. Look at the papers and you will understand. In "normal" circumstances, there is more interest for marginal showbizz creatures than for fundamental trends in the other part of the country.
I hope I am totally wrong, I hope that our negotiators will soon form a government, although, with present tensions, it very probably will be a lame duck from the start. But better a lame duck than no duck at all, or than more regional experimenting.
If not, they will become the gravediggers of a tiny, but great country.
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