Mayors

1. Belgium is a democracy

2. The mayors of Linkebeek, Wezembeek-Oppem and Kraainem - not my personal favorites at all - have been democratically elected. They have been suspended by the Flemish government for purely linguistic (legal) reasons.

3. Those mayors should be reinstated. No ifs, no whats, no negotiation.

As from today, a mission of the Council of Europe is going to look into the problem. The Flemish government will do whatever it can to avoid a negative report (it wouldn't be the first one).

As for the heart of the matter : it is highly regrettable indeed that the Flemish environment of Brussels has been "gallicized" by the refusal of its French speaking immigrants to integrate, and by the historic leniency of, and lack of political support for, the native Flemish population. The French speaking Belgians are our brothers indeed, but even brothers differ from one another. I do not have to like whatever my brother has done. I know how it feels to be ignored or treated like dirt in your own native village by "intruders" who consider themselves better because they speak another language : half a century ago that might have been called colonialism. It is not a nice feeling.

But bygones are bygones. Now it is too late : too late to bolt the stable door after the horse has bolted. One can not rewrite history. But cutting one's losses to build on what remains - and avoid similar errors in the future - is not an easy option.