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Belgians vote on future, united country in doubt
“The ballot box question is not whether but by how much the N-VA will win,” said Dutch-language newspaper De Morgen. N-VA leader Bart De Wever may be victorious, but he will not be able to start devolving powers to the regions immediately. The electoral system -- effectively two elections with separate parties seeking votes from French-speakers and the majority Dutch-speakers -- means at least four parties will be needed to form a governing coalition.
De Wever has said he is open to a French-speaker -- most likely socialist leader Elio Di Rupo -- becoming prime minister for the first time in 36 years if that would deliver greater autonomy for Flanders. This is the first federal election from which a party advocating the end of Belgium could emerge the winner, although the N-VA were allies of the Christian Democrats in 2007.
The party’s lead in opinion polls has triggered a nationwide debate about the possible break-up of the 180-year-old nation, with Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia going their separate ways.
“We are bilingual. Some of us even speak four languages. This is a real advantage,” said Pierre Essers, on his way to vote in Brussels. “A split is dangerous and would weaken the country and make us even smaller than we are.”
Draw-out talks
Analysts draw comparisons between De Wever and Yves Leterme, the Christian Democrat who won the 2007 election on a pledge to win more powers for Flanders. Leterme took nine months to form his five-party government and offered his resignation three times in as many years. He finally fell after a dispute between Dutch- and French-speakers over the arcane, but emotive issue, of the electoral boundaries around Brussels.
In the midst of a euro zone crisis, with financial speculators ready to attack budgetary laggards, Belgium, a country of 10.6 million people, can ill afford drawn-out coalition talks.
Belgium’s debt-to-GDP ratio, set to rise above 100 percent this year or next, is the third highest in the currency bloc after Greece and Italy. The debt has been a secondary issue to reform of the state in past weeks, although the N-VA’s opponents have said its success could unsettle financial markets.
Damien Thiery, the French-speaking mayor of Linkebeek, just outside Brussels, said he did not favor the country splitting but that he could envisage it happening in five to 10 years. Roland Decroix, an IT specialist from Dutch-speaking Sterrebeek, said he did not believe Belgium would break up. “But it’s necessary to make concessions and I think we will have more a federation, more like Switzerland,” he said.
Some 7.7 million Belgians are eligible to vote. Voting was compulsory, with first-time offenders risking a fine of up to 55 euros ($66).
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