Belgium and The Netherlands joined under the dutch flag?

Question

Well, on the telly (dutch channel) I just noticed that Flanders (dutch-speaking community of Belgium) and Wallonia (french-speaking community of Belgium) are in one big struggle with each other and that many of the Belgian politicians are actually talking about a break-up between the two communities. If this would happen would the Netherlands and Belgium fuse and become united under one flag (ofcourse as far as that's possible) or would Wallonia and Flanders become two seperate countries? What is youre opinion?

**Mark your words: its not HOLLAND but the Netherlands (Holland are just two of the provinces!).

Answer 1

First of all a little bit history :
Under Napoleon the Belgians were completly under French occupation. The Netherlands were then under a puppet gouverment like the Warchaupact countries under the cold war period.
The United Netherlands were a restauration of the old Low Countries in the 1500 under Emperor Karel V. In 1815 it was ment as a buffer state against the French.
Due to political stupidities and arrogance of the Dutch, the Belgian provinces revolted in 1830 to form the state Belgium.

If we Belgian have some arguments between each other (I will tell more next chapter), there exists also a Belgian identity, when other countries come in we become united (ask the Germans or the Dutch).
Honestly I doubt if Belgium will be splitted. We have some problems between each other but our mentality and way of living resembles more to each other than with our neighbour countries that just speak the same language (Nederland and France).
Purely demografically we would loose some advantages. Now the Flemish people have the majority in Belgium, if we unite with the Dutch, we become a minority. Even worse for the French speaking Walloons, it they should unite with the French they would not even be heard between the millions of French.
So a unification is not the most likely. If Belgium will be splitted each will most likely go on its own. But what about Brussels that lies completly in Flanders but has a majority of french speaking ?

About the struggle between Dutch speaking Flemish people and French speaking Walloons (and the majority of the people of Brussels).
This is not easy to explain. Simplified there are two big point of struggle :
- many French speaking do not try to integrate with the Flemish people when they are going to live in Flanders. After many years they do not speak a word of Dutch. They find this quite ok (why should you learn a language that is only spooken by 18 millions people (Dutch and Flemish) if almost all Flemish can speak French. This colonisator mentality ennerves terribly the Flemish people.
This struggle for respect and equal rights is already going on since the creation of Belgium.
Before a Flemish had to be perfect french speaking to get promotion but the French speaking must not know a word of dutch. In WW1 a lot of (less educated) Flemish soldiers died because their officers would not speak one word of dutch.
Today the problem is that around Brussels a lot of french speaking live in Flanders but want to vote for french speaking Brussels politicians and would like to annex part of Flanders to Brussels. Integration, c'est quoi (whats that) ?
An actual example of this mentality is that there are a lot of jobs free in Flanders and a lot of unemployed in Brussels/Wallonia but since they can not speak Dutch they can/will not take the jobs offered.

- Since their are differences between the 3 regions (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels), the Flemish people would like to get more power to the regio so that the problems can better be dealed more efficiently. The Walloons are against it.
Why ? Because they think that they will loose power and that in the end Belgium will be splitted with as an effect that the transfert of money from the richer Flemish regio will come to an end.
I think this is not going to happen. The majority of Flemish are not for a separation and to end solidarity.
But problems must be open to discussion and the unconditional NON (no) of the french speaking to any further federalisation is not a good thing.
Unhappily, by blocking every negociating about modification in the structure of the Belgian gouvernment the Walloons are making every day more Flemish people favorite for separation.

Beware this is in a nutshell the Belgian linguistic problem. It is much more complicated than that.

To mr. Zwink : please check your national history : the Netherlands and Belgium separated in 1830 under King Willem I.

Answer 2

Brussels could be the capital of Belgium and may be the key seat of the Belgian Royal Family and, also the capital of the European Union and if you wish to know after that it this is actually the place hotelbye . Brussels is an incredibly little, easy-going, and human-sized city for many its importance. Unlike anthers city with their hordes of tourists, Brussels is Belgium's major economic and academic centre, gives the town a far more workaday feel than different towns. Here, in Brussels, if you'd choose to see, you will get a proper feel for Belgian living, particularly their wonderful restaurant and café culture. Although Brussels might not need the celebrity attractions of different Belgian areas, the capital has more than enough to keep readers entertained for a couple of days with a clutch of world-class museums and artwork galleries, in addition to quirkier views including the Atomium, and some great remnants of previous architecture in the previous area quarter.

Answer 3

belgium is not going to seperate as a state, what is currently happening, is that flanders and wallonia, are increasingly getting more otonomy in their own states. even if flanders is to seperate from walonia, its unlikely that it will integrate into the netherlands.

in history belgium was part of the netherlands, aswell as luxemburg, Queen wilhelmina rising to the throne changed that. as belgium and luxemburg did not allow a woman to rise to the throne.

and when you say 'belgian politicians' do you perhaps mean vlaams blok, the most racist and spererative party in belgium, thats actually never going to get enough seats in parliament to do anything?

Answer 4

I know a dutch guy and am only starting to get the fact that it's not Holland :) we all call it that here but I know not to now. I don't think Belgium and the Netherlands would become one. Perhaps these two areas in Belgium could split, one becoming part of Belgium and the dutch speaking community become part of the Netherlands. That sounds like the best solution.

Answer 5

Hahahah - never going to happen! Why do I know? I lived in the Netherlands for 6 years, and the Belgians were the 'Kerrymen' and the butt of all jokes!

No offence to any real Kerrymen intended, by the way ....

Answer 6

Very unlikely, I would say, I have worked in Belgium many times and they are fiercely proud of their identity, the north and south would probably side together if what you say is suggested. The struggle that you refer to has been going on for yonks, it's not serious, and hardly a struggle.

Answer 7

Oh my... Belgium is a country. The French have gastly jokes about it and now, the Flamish want to be Dutch. There is a small German speaking community too. Pfff hope it solves itself. I'm having frites with mayo in the mean time.

Answer 8

What`s the problem ? They used to be under one rule many years ago anyway!Belgium only became it`s own country again just before Waterloo in 1815 ,before that it was ruled by the Dutch (under Napoleon admittedly LOL)

Answer 9

Nobody knows what gone happen right now. Its a little to soon to speak about a flag . That is the next struggle or not .?

Answer 10

if this happens it ll be the end of europe dream.Belgium is already Europe itself.
But i prefer yes Vlanders join Netherlands .power to power.soil to soil.cheese to cheese.