Belgium?

I wrote a while ago about Beligum as an example of how Europe is fragmenting rather than becoming integrated. In today's election a party that is set out to divide Belgium into Flanders and Wallonia has gotten the most votes. Furthermore this divided spirit is now to lead the EU for then upcoming half year--probably with a caretaker government!? This is the chance of a lifetime for the Belgian Chairman van Rompuy.

The Localisation of Belgium?

At the same time as the government became more unpopular in the US, around 1970, the break-up of Belgium began. We can see the result of this in the current government coalition problem a couple of months before Belgium is to lead the EU for half a year under its old PM Herman van Rompuy. The Flemish Liberal Party left the coalition. There are speculations that this might depend on the anti-face cover of Muslim women vote.

In 1970, Belgium's first state reform took place. Three cultural communities were established: The Dutch Cultural Community, The French Cultural Community and the German Cultural Community.

In 1980, the second state reform was undertaken. The Cultural Communities became Communities. The Flemish Community, The French Community and The German-speaking Community. These communities took care of cultural matters as well as health and youth matters. Two Regions were also established: The Flemish Region and the Walloon Region.

The third state reform was undertaken in 1988 and 1989. The Brussels-Capital Region was established with its own regional institutions. Education matters were transferred to the Communities.

In 1993, during the fourth state reform, Belgium was turned into a fully-fledged federal state. More power was given to the Communities and the regions which now elected directly to their parliaments. There was also a reformation of the Federal Parliament's bicameral system and the relations between the federal parliament and federal government.

In 2001, the fifth state reform took place with more transfer of duties to the Communities and the Regions. There is now demands of a sixth reform after deliberations in 2007.

I wonder if the "Öresunds Region" in Denmark-Sweden is going to become independent? Like the Brussel's Capital Region. There are 3.7m people living there which is three times the population of Estonia. Maybe this is too large though? Olof Palme was the one that started out in Sweden around 1970. Was his death in 1986 related to the changes he brought?

The EU?

I have been reading up a little on the new EU president Herman van Rompuy and the High Representative Lady Catherine Ashton. People say they are unknown but that does not mean they where regionally unknown. They both seem much accomplished and reasonable people. It is good that one was British because that will make the Brits more interested in the EU. Mending the apart UK? And as Charlemagne points out in his blog today, there are only two and a half countries in the EU that really have a capacity to project power abroad, and the UK is one of them.

So, on December 1st the EU is taking another step forward. For me it is an important step. I might even celebrate a little. We are not so many years out of chaos and all these cultures. This is good achievement! The job descriptions for the two positions are apparently not that detailed and it is going to be interesting to see how they are received around the world. Something that will determine how the whole thing turns out. People complain about the legitimacy question but it is as good as it gets right now.

So what does it mean that the EU is going to have a Labour face. Well, what I learned from this charts at the EU parliament election is that they are placed approximately as the Swedish moderates. Politically then, since van Rompuy is a Christian Democrat, we are talking about a center-right approach. A guy from Brussels and a gal from London.

Excuse me for this little passus but I'm trying to get a feel for how Sweden is going to be represented in the world on global issues like Afghanistan, Russia and the Middle East. Personally, I am, like about 50% of the American public, against the Afghan mission but I think Sweden is going to play along with the European effort as long as it is on. Others, like the authors of the report yesterday, would argue that NATO is not really that important any longer and that the EU should act more independently. This has been argued earlier by for example Ove Bring, Professor in International Law, Sweden.