Staying Together for the Kids

Coming from Canada, home of Quebec separatism and Western alienation, I always lamented the fragmentation of our country and bemoaned our de-centralized ways. Then I arrived in Belgium and things started looking up. Belgium is one of the most de-centralized countries in the EU, dare I say the world. It is divided into two regions, the poorer and French-speaking Wallonia (with about 30% of the population) to the west and the wealthier and Flemish-speaking Flanders to the east (with about 60% of the population). Each state is pretty autonomous with control over areas such as education and language. Then there’s Brussels, the seat of government, geographically in the middle and officially bilingual and saved from relying on either by being the home of the European Union (as well as 10% of the population). But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t had to blow the whistle on the constantly bickering siblings. Brussels acts very much like the parent in the driver seat of a car telling their misbehaving children that if they have to pull this car over, both will be sorry.

This dynamic has apparently suited (or minimized the constant grumbling of both sides to a minor annoying buzz) for quite a while, until it reached breaking point. Belgian politicians have been unable to form a government since last summer. And the most recent attempt resulted in a Prime Minister elected in the spring handing in his resignation to the King three weeks ago, saying he couldn’t achieve the reforms he’d pledged by his own deadline. The King, realizing a weenie when he saw one, refused the resignation and told them to go back to the drawing board. Meanwhile citizens in Flanders were angry at Wallonians claiming they sucked the prosperity from the country and threatened to separate if nothing was done. You can read more about this crisis here, here and here.

So it was against this backdrop of tension and uncertainty that the Belgian national holiday was celebrated on July 21st. Now I set the bar pretty low for this one. The country’s falling apart, I didn’t really expect fireworks and flag waving. Well, shows how much I know, because fireworks and flag waving were exactly what I got.

(Please excuse the horrific pictures. My camera is not made for night shooting, I have no tripod and a completly unsteady hand).

There were posters advertising the festivities for a few weeks and I like a good fireworks display as much as the next guy, so Cassandra and I trekked out to the Royal Palace (about a fifteen minute walk from our house) to see Belgians celebrate the greatness of their country.

And do you know, you wouldn’t have even known they were facing constitutional crisis. There were hundreds, if not thousands of people crowding the streets, waving Belgian flags, blowing on noise makers and hoisting children on their shoulders. It was really heartwarming. And the fireworks were spectacular. The soundtrack was peculiar (everything from the 1812 overture to 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Indiana Jones theme), but they were impressive.


And the fact that you’re witnessing them in a public square in front of a European palace makes it all the more special.