retired_heather

it's not that simple. and even if it was, the negatives far outweigh the positives.

to start with, the economic balance would go down the drain. we would experience a general fall of prosperity, as there is a strong reciprocal dependence in place between the two regions, which people tend to forget. if belgium were to be separated, the general economic result would be negative. however, the subject that angers the flemish - the transfers and the high health care costs - would not be solved by the independence of flandres. the european union have certain rules in place about social contributions: they have to be paid to the country in which one works.

now, of 653,000 people working in brussels, 359,000 are from walloon and flandres. if brussels were to be independant aswell (which is about the only option if we decide to split belgium up), these 359,000 working men would be encouraged to pay their contributions to the social security of brussels - not flanders, not walloon.

add to that the subject of financial tax competition between flanders, walloon and brussels, with a pretty obvious winner, as brussels would be able to uphold a corporation tax of 10%. brussels would turn into a new luxemburg.
result: brussels, the new luxemburg.

you can read about it in the cost of non-belgium, a book about a study made by the coudenberg-group, a couple of yearsz ago. now I know coudenberg isn't really an objective group when it comes to making a rapport about the seggregation of belgium, but their facts seem to be right, and their numbers are correct. I believe their/this reasoning.

retired_heather

and flanders can and will never ever join holland, the flemish would never agree to this because of history, lacking health care, lower school levels, etc.

retired_jabda

What will happen to your monarchy? They will have no state.

retired_rukia-chan

and because of the dutch ofcourse.

retired_annmariealexander

No use crying over spilt milk or anything spilt for that matter. And The King died in 1977. Get to grips with it and move on. We still have the records.

retired_annmariealexander

no worries, we'll have you guys up to our standards in no time!

retired_zersmiller

Meh, you don't even have proper roads.
Anyway, I saw that in a Belgian poll about 40% was willing to join the Netherlands, is that correct?

retired_heather

haha, not a chance. very subjective poll if that was the case. more likely that 40% of the dutch wouldn't mind flanders joining them - ofcourse they wouldn't. the place is crawling with them already.

but what sano said really, westflemish folk generally dislike the dutch. we find you obnoxious, annoying, etc. if you were to conduct such a poll in bruges for example, you'd have a negative outcome. and for what it's worth, if we're not able to form coalitions within our own country, how on earth do you expect us to form any political structure with the existing dutch parties? it'd be an ever bigger joke.

just keep belgium the way it is, it was fine before the right came into the frame. inevitable, yet very annoying. the only positive fact from flandres joining holland would be that I no longer have to travel 50 miles to get marihuana.

retired_zersmiller

Harsh... we actually like those crazy Flemish, but it seems the love is not returned.

retired_annmariealexander

I think it's the same relationship we have with Germans. I blame the Belgian inferiority complex.