Belgium: a Culturally Divided Land

Abstract

Since 1993, Belgium has been divided into three linguistic and cultural communities (Flemish-speaking, French-speaking and a very small German-speaking community) and into three geographical, political, administrative and economic regions (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels). The Belgian federalization project has transferred nearly all authority for economic development, education, transportation and social programmes to the regions, leaving the central government as a weak coordinator with limited revenue-raising powers (Witte, 1992; and Erk, 2003). The Flemish-speaking population is around 6 million, the French-speaking around 3.4 million, and the German-speaking around 70,000 people. Bilingual Brussels has around 1 million people. These communities have developed rather different kinds of belonging to Belgium as a result of historical, cultural, economic and political differences between the regions. The Flemish people generated the notion of a nation composed of ‘our people’ (ons volk) and an anti-Belgian attitude, which began and deepened during and between the two World Wars. This Flemish notion implies one nation (Flanders) within another nation (Belgium), rather than two distinct nations (Flanders and Wallonia). Wallonia, on the other hand, whilst it has not adopted the Flemish culturalist concept of belonging to a community of ‘our people’, has nevertheless developed an anti-Flemish political attitude, which is not anti-Belgian (Stengers, 2000; and Deprez and Vos, 1998).