Belgium is supposed to be the country of compromise, with a constitution so arcane that radical thinking is either sidelined from the mainstream or must be tempered to gain an executive foothold.
Add into the mix the cordon sanitaire, which cuts the second-largest party out of government formations, and you've got a formula that gives no option but to set differences aside if there's to be any chance of forming a coalition. It's a system that would reduce political groups to a homogenous mass, forced to soften the hard edges that define them in order to occupy the safe zone at the heart of the Venn diagram.
But it would be wrong to assume that such an arrangement blocks out bold ideas entirely. Whilst a party might add their MPs to a governing majority, certain individuals in Belgium's political firmament are determined to cut through the constraints of compromise.
Of these, none are as outspoken as Georges-Louis Bouchez, leader of the francophone liberals MR. After support for his party swelled in the June elections, Bouchez has become a voice that cannot be ignored, much to the displeasure of both opponents and coalition partners. Keenly aware of his platform, the rambunctious liberal chose not to take a formal role in national government, preferring to broadcast undiluted opinions from the sidelines.
Few are the debates where he hasn't weighed in, never missing a chance to snark the socialists he has knocked out of power. Unrestrained by the workload of a minister or state secretary, Bouchez is at liberty to intervene where he likes, inevitably riling up whoever is bound by the necessity of realpolitik to take a more diplomatic tack.
In a conversation with The Brussels Times last week, Bouchez was unapologetic about his modus operandi, championing a populism that draws legitimacy from its large voter support rather than the finer art of gently manoeuvring partners towards his position. Pushed on whether his conception of a politician is compatible with the Belgian model, he conceded that he would prefer a presidential system.
However he maintained that a different mode of politics is possible in Belgium, assured that his voice can have a greater influence than the positions his party is bound to accept. He touted a "performative speech", where his words can literally change society.
But though impressive, Bouchez' impulse to alienate rather than reconcile is not an approach that would work for anyone else. And his conviction that things can be done differently at some point must collide with the practicalities of law-making in Belgium. He alone can't override the imperative to make concessions, tedious as that may be.
The future of Brussels: as world affairs develop at lightning speed, Belgium's capital still has no government nine months after elections. As debts rise and the public services struggle to meet growing insecurity, negotiations remain paralysed. To understand the implications of the deadlock and what chance there is of a way out, The Brussels Times is hosting an after-work panel from 18:30 to 20:30 on Tuesday 25 March at the Cardo Hotel. Speaking will be philosopher Philippe Van Parijs, Vista party president Jan Wostyn, and Professor of Constitutional Law Céline Romainville. Registration is free, please RSVP to: info@brusselstimes.com.
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