Visitors to Brussels Grand Place today will be treated to a taste of proudly Flemish heritage, with the region's distinctive lion hanging on flags and printed on placards. With Flanders celebrating its regional day, its public institutions and many more besides enjoy a holiday.
And though Brussels might seem a strange location for specifically Flemish festivities, it should be remembered that the Belgian capital has also long been the capital of Flanders (whilst confusingly being a region by itself). Indeed, the inclusive merriment exhibited on today's sunny parades could be read as a tribute to Belgium's rich history, both ancient and modern.
But whilst the event could be seen as an innocuous display of Belgian peculiarity, the political undertones of the day's activities are rising to the surface as some Flemish officials take the opportunity to drum up support for regional separatism. As candidates line up ahead of next year's regional and national elections, the question of Belgium's federal structure is again being challenged. And not by agitators in Wallonia.
The topic of Flemish autonomy is growing ever more prominent as regional separatist parties N-VA and Vlaams Belgang assert the case in light of Belgium's deficit difficulties and an economic imbalance between regions that they argue is leaving Flanders out of pocket as State funds keep their francophone compatriots afloat.
Despite regional differences, Wallonia's Minister-President Elio Di Rupo was invited to speak alongside his Flemish counterpart Jan Jambon yesterday evening. In an effort to settle the separatist argument by responding to the financial disparity, Di Rupo painted Wallonia as fertile land for Flemish investment, asserting that a divided Belgium was in neither region's interest.
Eager to answer overstatement with pragmatism, Di Rupo argued that Flemish independence has been exaggerated and distracts from the real issues that touch all Belgians: healthcare, energy, climate planning – matters best dealt with united. Yet he also acknowledged that the nation's success depends on a political commitment to cooperation, stating that elected individuals should follow public sentiment rather than push their own agenda.
But with Flemish separatist parties honing their tools of persuasion, how distinct is the will of the people from political ideology? Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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1. A guide to Flanders Day: What it is and how it is celebrated in Brussels?
Today (11 July), the Flemish Community is celebrating its annual holiday on Brussels' Grand Place and various locations in Flanders with free performances, shows and other activities. Read more.
2. Vlaams Belang breaks political ad spending record ahead of Flanders Day
Vlaams Belang has dug deep to target voters in anticipation of Flanders Day on 11 July. Never before has a Belgian political party spent so much on Facebook advertisements as the party did between 30 June and 1 July, De Standaard reports. Read more.
3. Archaeologists and veterans unearth long-lost chapel on Waterloo battlefield
Archaeologists working on the battlefield of Waterloo have unearthed a long-lost woodland chapel near Hougoumont Farm, scene of fierce fighting between Napoleon’s infantry and Wellington’s Guards, together with their German allies, during the epochal 1815 clash. Read more.
4. Five Brussels youths suspected of rape, abduction and assault in Malta
Five young men from Brussels are on trial in Malta for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl from France as well as kidnapping, assaulting and robbing the girl’s 16-year-old male friend, reports the Maltese press. Read more.
5. New Belgian app WeScoop takes off 'better than Instagram'
The newly-launched Belgian social media app WeScoop saw 350,000 users sign up in its first three weeks, placing the app at the top of the social media charts in Europe, RTBF reports. Read more.
6. How Snooker Luca shook up the books
"Is there a single, official list of famous Belgians?" Read more.
7. Why Flemings know French better than Walloons know Dutch and why this will never change
The government in charge of Belgium’s French-medium schools decided to make Dutch obligatory in Walloon primary schools. Long overdue? Perhaps. Courageous? Definitely. But will it happen? And if it does, will it have any effect? Read more.
