Peoples and Cultures of Europe

On 14 December 2006 it was announced by Belgian public television (RTBF) that the country had split in two, "... saying the Dutch-speaking half of the nation had declared independence" <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6178671.stm>.

It was a joke.

But no joke is the fact that Belgium has been without a government since elections in June. On Thursday 20 March 2008 a new Belgian government was finally sworn in, but with talk of "devolution." To date, in the United Kingdom Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved, and folks in Cornwall want to devolve, and in Spain the Catalans and Basques hope to do likewise.

King Albert II of Belgium

"New Belgian cabinet ends crisis:
A new Belgian government has been sworn in, ending months of political deadlock which threatened to split the country"

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7306180.stm>
Thursday, 20 March 2008 -- BBC News

Related Sites:

Belgium class WebPage

Country Profile: Belgium -- BBC News

• Nine-month crisis over in Belgium -- BBC News (18 Mar 08)
• Belgians stage big protest rally -- BBC News (15 Dec 07)
• Nation or state? -- (07 Dec 07)
• Crisis mission for Belgian leader -- BBC News (04 Dec 07)
• Viewers fooled by 'Belgium split' -- BBC News (14 Dec 06)
• Viewpoints: Belgian crisis -- BBC News (17 Sep 07)
• Mardell's Euroblog: Belgian crisis -- BBC News
  
  
• Devolution -- Wikipedia

Questions:

1. What do you think is the overall importance of these current events in Belgium?

Why?

2. How do you expect the question of devolution to eventually play out in Belgium?

Why?