"Suddenly, and shockingly, Belgium came to an end late Wednesday." (RTBF, public broadcaster)


The public Belgian TV station interrupted its program:

The Flandern region one of the very autonome regions beneath Valony and Brussels, has declared today independance. To be exact the Flemish Parliament did so unilateral. The King left the country towards the former colony Congo, he could not prevent the failing of his nation. As the Prime Minister seems to have not succeeded in resolving the tensions in the last seconds.

Uproar in what was once Belgium, Flandern celebrates, Valony mournes. In Brussels there is a huge traffic jam towards the airport. Worried ambassadors have already called and asked what they shall tell their capitals according to the senate chair Ms Lizin. Journalists seem to be in uproar.

More details will be known tomorrow morning.

Split 'news' shocks nation: World: News: News24

More news.
In Belgium the uproar continues after the breaking news. People from both regions flooded the phone lines from the public TV station. If you have read that far, or read the link you might have already realized, that Belgium still exists, Flandern did not declare independance. But what is true is, that the public television did interrupt its program for the very news from my first post. It was an Orson Wells like program, and it was so authentic that really embassies called the Belgium officials. Not before 30 minutes of breaking news coverage with reports showing pictures of the king fleeing, Flemish people celebrating in masses with flemish flags and other pictures and news.
The whole country is now in uproar due to this "news" in the public TV. I dont know how authentic the whole story appeared to you here, it might be interesting to see if Americans know enough about Belgium to buy the story. But Belgians did so as it seems and many were very worried or enchanted. The station itself has come into severe criticism but it reached that the issue of a potential split up is now in the midth of public discussion all over the country.

Thats all for now.

The francophone public broadcaster, really brought that breaking news. Thats no hoax, he really did. But what it said is a hoax.

Belgium really is in uproar, and worried ambassadors really have called the Belgium officials. But Belgium still exists like yesterday

Lol.

That would be Flanders of Simpsons fame.

Exactly what I was thinking, super Flanders declared independence?

__________________
Politics Forum

I think that this shows how believable it is. If any EU country breaks up, it will be the UK or Belgium.

__________________
... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

Indeed. Thats what it showed quite impressively.

And from the two countries you've listed, I would say Belgium is even considerably more probably to brake apart as its already today a far looser entity than the UK.

Hmm. I know some Scots that might disagree- anti-British sentiment is alive and well, and there are some who'd love to split. But, with all being members of the EU, dosen't it become something of a non-issue, or at least a lesser issue. I realise I don't understand all of the implications of the EU, but isn't it sort of like the panhandle seceeding from Oklahoma?

__________________
And I shall go as an Otter lank
and harry thee close from bank to bank
And I shall go in the Lady's name
all to bring thee home again

Thats the question which implications the EU has on secession movements within member states.

There exist theories that through transferring competences from national to EU level, the nation states also lose power to the inside. Leaving a member state suddenly looses the largest parts of disadvantages it had before, if only the secessing part could attain EU member status. That fuels existing independence movements.

Every somewhat realistic independence movement does not want to be in the end outside of the EU, but independent inside of the EU. Often it is about economic tensions within nation states, for example in Belgium beneath cultural borders you have a rich north financing a poorer south. As solidarity within a nation state is significantly larger than between EU member states.

There lacks however precedence for that, even though in Belgium and the UK one could observe an ongoing "devolution" of the federal state with certain regions getting more and more autonome.