Belgium Question

[Report Line]

From Al Jazeera today:

The country marked 149 days without a new administration on Tuesday, nearly five months after elections on June 10 and surpassing a record set in 1988.


Belgium is suffering from a potentially catastrophic rift within the nation. How does this effect their position within the European Parliament or the North Atlantic Council. Do their representatives still have voting rights or is it all on hold - just a thought:bored:

[Spurlash2]

Random Belgium fact.
Some 95% of Belgians are hooked-up to cable TV; one of the highest take-up rates in the world. Cable services offer dozens of domestic and foreign channels, including Dutch and French TV stations.
Sorry. Won't do it again. Sorry.
But briefly; The Flemish parties want greater regional control while the Francophone parties want more rights for French speakers living in Flemish areas.
What are the chances of a resolution?

[aluminium persuader]

Is this anything to do with the "Conceptual Art" TV programme and newspaper articles earlier this year? It started with a fictional (but realistic) newsflash on Belgian TV that the Flemish areas were moving towards independence or something IIRC. I can't remember the exact concept - something about using a small comment to spark a huge debate? Again IIRC!

ap:oh:

[Top Right]

AP, you do recall correctly, it was reported at the time as a well orchestrated spoof that got the Belgians all quite excited for a few hours.

Mark Mardell (BBC European correspondent) ran a piece recently on the issue of no government being in place despite the June elections, he offered that:

- the Flemish part is economically robust, profitable and could exist as an independent state.
- the Brussels area including EU, NATO, diplomats for both as well as national embassies (ie some countries have 3 separate delegations there), and European hubs/HQs for industry, could exist as a city state - cf Vatican.
- the Walloons (Frenchies in the south) have no economic potential and although they see themselves as French, the inhabitants of northern France can't stand them, so the Walloons need Belgium else they have nothing.

[diginagain]

1, Eddie Merckx; cyclist.
2, King Albert of the Belgiums; er King.
3, erm, ahh, oh yes, Hergé, author of the Tintin books.

Oh the joys of Belgian motorway journeys.

[Two's in]

Aaaah Belgium and the Koksijde Airshow - some professional pi$$ artists there. Shame it was the dog$hit capital of Europe.

[B Fraser]

Belgium. Not quite Holland, not quite France. It's a bit like Luxembourg with more parking but less potential for points in Scrabble.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Good place for a pint and a plate of chips.:ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

1, Eddie Merckx; cyclist.
2, King Albert of the Belgiums; er King.
3, erm, ahh, oh yes, Hergé, author of the Tintin books.
Oh the joys of Belgian motorway journeys.

Diginagain, the usual question also disallows the king. How about Stella? Cousin of Rene who ran a cafe in Neuvion, a short roller skate ride from Abbeville?

[Pontius Navigator]

Koksijde . . . the dog$hit capital of Europe.
With a name like that you are surprised?

[skippedonce]

Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone
Justine Henin and Kim Klistjers, tennis players
Jackie Ickx, 1960-70s F1 driver

[GPMG]

Belgium, the most vile and horrific swear word in the universe.

[27mm]

Don't forget Jacques Brel

[airborne_artist]

Brussels - the only capital city smaller than Carterton, but with much better restaurants.

[Old Ned]

I always understood that Belgium was the antonym of charisma!

[DarkBlueLoggie]

Got to agree with SRT - great beer (over 650 varieties including stuff that was brewed in the UK prior to it being watered down in WW1 - the 'Tommy's' brought the recipes over with them - Stella and Jupiler are by far the weakest and are the kind of nats piss you drink when you're 15).

Great chips - and great restaurants - as with most continentals the Belgians love to eat out and have a fantastic late night bar culture, all ages from youngsters to retired people, with live bands etc. Brew the best Geneva - even the Dutch admit it.

Very cosmopolitan too - not many places where the check-out girls in the Supermarket will speak 4 languages as a matter of course.

[charliegolf]

Spent 4 days there with Brewerton on the Puma display crew in '84. What a great time. Dirt poor, but the aircrew fed us each day from barbies.

CG's 'Wish I hadn't said....' at the same place;

Had a sit in a CF 104, and remarked that the throttle lever was not falling very naturally to hand. Canuck pilot (says he was a canuck) groans quietly, and says in a pat on the head way; "It's not really in that position very often". Doh.

CG

[haltonapp]

Having worked here for over five years, and my Flemish goes no further than asking for two beers, it is not that bad! I now enjoy mayonaise with my frits and I don't have to cross the road when I see a group of youths coming towards me! Without a government for nearly 150 days things still run, G Brown take note. The trains are scruffy but cheap and run on time, they have more public holidays than us. Get caught speeding, pay your dues endex! Count the number of speed cameras on your fingers. High tax, good hospitals. BBC1 and 2 on cable, sorry no "corrie".

And I am sorry but Liege is the dog**** capital of Europe, you can smell it when it rains.

[Exnomad]

Belgium has been without a government for 5 months and seems to be managing OK. Do you think Brown could follow example.

[ORAC]

Belgium has been without a government for 5 months and seems to be managing OK. Do you think Brown could follow example. With the current shambles I thought he had been. :hmm:

[ArthurR]

Been there once, thought it was closed

[Green Flash]

Andre Malherbe, World motocross champion
J-C Van Damme, the muscles from Brussels

Chips and Chimay, way hey!!:ok::ok:

[CrabInCab]

Leuven - hoofing night out especially if you find the Trappist Rochfort 10 (11.9%)!

[The SSK]

Well I live there, and if my fellow Brits think the place is crap and want to avoid it, that's just fine by me.

I live in one of the 'communes' that all the fuss is about, on the linguistic fault line. Life goes on exactly as normal for us taxpayers.

[sled dog]

Why is all this on the Military Aircrew thread ? :confused: :p

[Green Flash]

Cos it's Friday night?

[kbrockman]

We are now the ultimate proof (after almost 6 MONTHS) that politicians and government are not needed to have a well working society.
Having lived in Switzerland and US (Chicago) I must say that for me, nothing beats Belgium.
It's
-an anonymous country which I think is just fine.
-no such filty things like patriotism exist here (there is no such thing as proud to be Belgian).
-Best healthcare system in the world (or close to it).
-fantastic nightlife and food culture.
-You can build and live whichever way you want which makes for an ugly and unorganized look but at least its free and nobody cares if you decide to build your spanish hacienda next too someones iglu or threehut or former easternblock style building.
-not too effective police and judiciary system .
-the list is endless.....

[Green Flash]

a tool to make everybody fat
It gets worse!:eek: Trapiste Ale!:ok::E And Chips! My God, they are damn cunning. How did we not see this coming? We've been duped. All is lost.
Mind you, this bottle of St Peters is just fine