Unity in apathy

Published on 17 May 2010 at 12:31

Cover

"Black-yellow-blue campaign for Belgium is a flop," headlines Le Soir, reporting on the Brussels 16 May march in support of national unity held that attracted only 2,000 people — a far cry from a similar demonstration in 2007, which brought 35,000 onto the streets. Although the slogans were tri-lingual, the vast majority of marchers were French. "The people are no longer inspired by Belgium," complains the daily, which notes that Belgian nationalism is "scorned in Flanders, where it has become an object of hatred for some. The Francophone community is powerless to counter the collapse of the state, which has now become the object of regret and nostalgia." For De Standaard, the issue of national unity is the least of Belgium's worries in the run-up to general elections on 13 June. "When you read election slogans, the crisis in Europe and its impact on Belgium is no more than a side-issue,"complains the Flemish daily, which claims that the country's politicians have learned nothing from recent economic upheavals. While Spain and Portugal have introduced further cuts, Belgium is set to increase its debt by 17 billion euros this year, the daily concludes.

Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic