Willem Brauers
Doctor honoris causa, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Doctor Economic Sciences, University of Leuven
Master of Arts (in economics) Columbia University
Doctor Economic Sciences, University of Leuven
Master of Arts (in economics) Columbia University
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priority to Dutch or French. Moreover, we may assume
that English, is understood both by Flemish and
Walloons. In addition the study is readable by foreigners.
For instance, we were always amazed that so many
foreign journalists have a wrong idea of Flanders due to
the fact that they are mainly informed by French
newspapers from Belgium.
We realized that not so many scenarios exist to move
in an effective way from a centralized or federal state to
a confederate state or even to secession.
Belgium is a federal state composed of three regions:
Flanders, Wallonia and the mini region of Brussels-
Capital. The operation of the Federation does not run
smoothly and changes are made regularly, due to
different aspirations of the regions. In addition the richer
Flemish side with a population of 6.6 million is
financing continuously the poorer Walloon side for at
least 5.7 billion € a year with a new obligation to finance
Brussels-Capital for another 0.5 billion € a year (cf.
Bayern with a population of 12.5 million financing the
other German Länder for 3.7 billion € per year).
Some members of the Flemish Nationalistic Party
(NVA) are aiming for independence for Flanders but in
the Walloon part much more is spoken of secession as it
fears Flemish independence. The largest Flemish party
(NVA) aiming for a Belgian Confederation, tries to
define the contents of this institutional change. The
second next, the Christian Party, and the Liberal Party
and even the Flemish Parliament itself ask for
confederation, but none of these institutions have a text
describing the functioning of a Belgian Confederation.
Therefore, a text which will provide a proposition for a
Belgian Confederation with a juridical, social, political
and economic content is important.
In Belgium a “Unionistic Federalism” was
formulated based on partial reforms but leading from one
disequilibrium to another and with uncertainty for the
population but also for foreign investors. It would be
better to make a complete "tabula rasa" of the state
organization in order to start as new from the beginning.
Such policy would satisfy everybody. The secessionists
will see it as a first step to secession. The unionists will
see it as a new beginning of a strong centralized state and
the more moderate people will see as a new start with a
stabilizing effect on society: "Welcome Belgium".
The necessity to have different states coming
together to share some common interests is not the only
definition of confederation. That some regions of a
country reconsider the links which bind them can be
another form of confederation.
For Belgium, at that moment, conversations have
to take place between Wallonia and Flanders in order to
see what can still be done together, but with a Win-Win
Outcome for both parties
priority to Dutch or French. Moreover, we may assume
that English, is understood both by Flemish and
Walloons. In addition the study is readable by foreigners.
For instance, we were always amazed that so many
foreign journalists have a wrong idea of Flanders due to
the fact that they are mainly informed by French
newspapers from Belgium.
We realized that not so many scenarios exist to move
in an effective way from a centralized or federal state to
a confederate state or even to secession.
Belgium is a federal state composed of three regions:
Flanders, Wallonia and the mini region of Brussels-
Capital. The operation of the Federation does not run
smoothly and changes are made regularly, due to
different aspirations of the regions. In addition the richer
Flemish side with a population of 6.6 million is
financing continuously the poorer Walloon side for at
least 5.7 billion € a year with a new obligation to finance
Brussels-Capital for another 0.5 billion € a year (cf.
Bayern with a population of 12.5 million financing the
other German Länder for 3.7 billion € per year).
Some members of the Flemish Nationalistic Party
(NVA) are aiming for independence for Flanders but in
the Walloon part much more is spoken of secession as it
fears Flemish independence. The largest Flemish party
(NVA) aiming for a Belgian Confederation, tries to
define the contents of this institutional change. The
second next, the Christian Party, and the Liberal Party
and even the Flemish Parliament itself ask for
confederation, but none of these institutions have a text
describing the functioning of a Belgian Confederation.
Therefore, a text which will provide a proposition for a
Belgian Confederation with a juridical, social, political
and economic content is important.
In Belgium a “Unionistic Federalism” was
formulated based on partial reforms but leading from one
disequilibrium to another and with uncertainty for the
population but also for foreign investors. It would be
better to make a complete "tabula rasa" of the state
organization in order to start as new from the beginning.
Such policy would satisfy everybody. The secessionists
will see it as a first step to secession. The unionists will
see it as a new beginning of a strong centralized state and
the more moderate people will see as a new start with a
stabilizing effect on society: "Welcome Belgium".
The necessity to have different states coming
together to share some common interests is not the only
definition of confederation. That some regions of a
country reconsider the links which bind them can be
another form of confederation.
For Belgium, at that moment, conversations have
to take place between Wallonia and Flanders in order to
see what can still be done together, but with a Win-Win
Outcome for both parties