Ethnic discord, cultural and linguistic divisions, monarchy, site of the longest political crisis ever recorded; no, I am not talking about Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, or Tunisia, but Belgium, one of the founding countries of the EU, a signatory of the Treaties of Rome in 1957, the heart of the European Union, and home of the EU and NATO institutions. Belgium returned to the spotlight in February of this year, when it beat the record for the world’s longest political crisis in recent times, previously held by Iraq. Studying the EU as an international actor does not always consist of monitoring and analyzing the EU’s actions abroad, but also its soft power within. In these past couple of years, European media has largely studied Belgian politics. However, one variable was always missing: the EU.
For over a year now, Belgian politics have been plagued by political crises and the inability to form a lasting government. Only the Prime Minister, Yves Leterme, has assumed the responsibility of leading the government in taking care of urgent day-to-day matters. This question of short-term politics has been well studied in an article entitled, “Le Premier Ministre gère les seules ‘affaires courantes’,” in Le Monde of June 14, 2011. Even in the absence of a full government, Belgium has managed to function. The kingdom of Belgium is divided over two ideas, on one side, the French speaking Walloons of the South and on the other side, the Dutch speaking Flemings of the North. The lack of a national vision is clearly affecting the construction of a government. As simply explained by the US Ambassador to the EU, William Kennard, “What I find somewhat amusing about this, is that the whole world is riveted to countries primarily in the Middle East where people are in the streets demanding that their governments leave, while in Belgium, we have people in the streets saying ‘Just give us a government’.”
Interestingly enough, how has Belgium been able to sustain itself economically and without falling into deeper ethnic and cultural crises? The answer is simple: its membership in the EU. As illustrated by the rejection of the Constitutional Treaty in 2005 by the citizens of France and the Netherlands, the EU has been perceived by Europeans as a useless, incompetent, remote, misunderstood political entity. The latest and upcoming elections within EU Member States have illustrated this malaise with the raising of particular questions on the EU such as: What is the purpose of the EU? Why is the EU involved in Europeans’ daily lives? A growing discontented group has denounced the EU, especially the Euro, for they are perceived to be the main agents causing the slow recovery of Member States. Extreme right wing parties, jumping on the train of this rising euro-skepticism, have become more and more popular throughout Europe, like the National Front in France led by Marine Le Pen, the Freedom Party in the Netherlands led by Geert Wilders, the Sweden Democrats in Sweden and so forth. However, the emergence of xenophobic parties in times of crises is not surprising, and as proven historically, should be seen as a cyclical phenomenon. The difference between Europe post-1929 and Europe post-2007 is the European Union.
However, in times of crises, many have forgotten the centrality of the EU as an agent of stability at every level – domestic, regional, international – and in economic, political, and even social matters. The Belgian case is a perfect example. Because of its membership in the Union, Belgium has been able to sustain its standards of living without falling into deeper recession and crisis. The institutions of the EU, as well as the economic stability provided by the Euro, even in this tumultuous time, have offered a splendid umbrella. The case of Belgium is a fantastic way to remind those abroad and within that the European project provides a guarantee of stability and peace even in times of crisis. Belgium is often described as the ‘sick man of Europe,’ and can afford to remain sick thanks to the economic and political blanket provided by the EU. Belgium exemplifies the importance of institutions – domestic and regional – for lasting stability, especially in stormy time.
