For the first time since the beginning of European integration, Europe can be said to be at war. Is this to be cheered by anyone pleading for a more unified Europe?
How successful are European countries at unifying their populations linguistically? Europe’s rapid linguistic transformation can now be answered in a few clicks.
The principle of self-determination is strongly supported by Flemish nationalist party N-VA. But does the principle require that Belgium should become a confederation?
The Brussels model has been rendered dysfunctional by Brussels’ demographic metamorphosis. But what system could fairly distribute power in such a diverse city?
The history of Belgium’s higher education is also the history of the hostilities between catholics and liberals, between Flemings and Francophones.
Jacques Drèze metamorphosed the discipline of economics. But despite receiving 19 honorary doctorates, he was never awarded the Nobel Prize.
English has been deeply contaminated by French but this is how languages help each other. Why complain?
“You might find the Belgian model very complicated. But these arrangements have worked well so far.”
On 1 January 1958, when the new institutions are supposed to start operating, the first fonctionnaires have been hired, but they don’t know in which country their offices will be.
How did the Aula Magna and the Berlaymont building transform Brussels from a struggling Duchy of Brabant town to a major European capital?
Flemish parties garnered significant votes in Wallonia when Belgians went to the polls on 9 June. Is the country's political process undergoing a major paradigm shift?
How many languages are spoken by Brussels residents today? No one can tell. Belgium’s latest linguistic census was held in 1947. It was scrapped due to Flemish fears that the Francophone “oil stain” would spread from Brussels into Flanders.
In an ideal democracy, the electorate includes all adult members of the political community. Brussels’ upcoming regional elections will be dramatically far from this ideal. And there seems to be no way of preventing this democratic deficit from getting even worse.
The names given to two parks in Brussels’ European Quarter remind us of two ways in which a war can end, 2000 and 200 years ago but also today.
Belgium's unlikely journey into becoming the defacto EU capital proves that sometimes, power does not necessarily come from plot, but from the lack of consensus.
Messages in English in Brussels public transportation. Convenient, you may say. Yes, but illegal. Multilingual communication came when Covid hit. A no-brainer, you might say. But no less illegal.
The Netherlands proposed hosting the institution in Brussels, with the support of Germany and Luxembourg. But late in the night of 24 to 25 July 1952, Belgium suddenly unexpectedly vetoed and expressed total opposition to this idea.
It does not require much courage on the part of European philosophers to plead for compromise. But it often requires considerable courage for political leaders to accept.
Few non-politicians have had as great an impact on the course of history as Jean Monnet. How did he manage that? By concocting and helping to build clever institutions.
When I discovered Beijing in 1993, I was impressed by the massive waves of cyclists, often pulling heavy burdens and occupying the larger share of public space. I borrowed a bike and joined the moving crowd. I loved it. What exhilarating contrast that was with our car-dominated Brussels.
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