Belgium, the EU’s Destiny. The End of Nothingness By Paul Belien

Upon approaching its 175th anniversary, Belgium was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the image of a normal liberal democratic nation-state, governed by consent of the people. At the heart of its hybrid, unrepresentative and largely unaccountable regime is a democracy deficit that is there for the whole world to see. The Belgian politicians do not seem to care, however. Despite its failings, the authorities in Brussels continue to propagate the ‘Belgian federal model,’ which, according to Crown Prince Philippe, ‘can be an inspiration for the European Union.’ [Crown Prince Philippe in De Standaard, 19 May 2001] The heir to the Belgian throne perceived the striking parallels between Belgium and Europe as an artificial state in the making. Like him, many members of the Belgian political class feel perfectly at home in the European institutions. Familiar with Belgium, the ‘discontinuity perpetuating itself in a permanent state of constitutional reform,’ [Prof. Roger Lallemand, La Belgique, pays d’incertitude, Brussels, 1998] they function better than anyone else in a scenario that is constantly changing. ‘There are all kinds of interesting parallels between Belgium and Europe,’ Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said: ‘Belgium is the laboratory of European unification. Foreign politicians watch our country with particular interest because it can teach them something about the feasibility of the European project.’ [Verhofstadt in Humo, 29 July 2003]

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