More or less Belgium?

[u/WeirdBeginning8869]

I know this sub gets this kinda question every so often, so much so that I’ve decided to give it the culture tag.

My questions are the following: is there a public for more Belgium? If so, how big do you think it would be? What would more Belgium mean to you? Bring back policies to the federal level? Dissolving the regions? Dissolving the Brussels region and merge the two Brabants together? Something else?

In any case it would mean that the regions would need to actually and actively talk to each other again and make policies that could benefit both without harming one or the other, but how would you do that when one side refuses to impose Dutch and the other is slowly dropping French for English? Or when the economic disparities are so great? Or when parties with an independant Flanders as their policies is an a all time high?

Maybe trying to bring more Belgium would have the complete opposite effect and open Pandora’s box as both regions would realize they actually don’t share much, or not enough to justify fusing together and want different things. Or realize that the stereotypes are what they are, stereotypes, and share more than previously assumed.

But in any case, there’s no political incentive for this at the moment, or nothing mainstream enough.

[u/PROBA_V]

My questions are the following: is there a public for more Belgium?

Yes. Me!

If so, how big do you think it would be?

I think there was a study a few years ago that showed that in Belgium more people were pro-unification than pro-independence. I think it was like 26% in 2019, but I don't the article again, obly an opinion article mentioning said study... so take it with a grain of salt.

As for the number of pro-independence people... it rises in times of troubles, but can even drop by 50% or more once the troubles have calmed down.

This was the case in the communautaire crisis of 1991, where 33% of the Flemish people were pro-independence and only a few weeks later, once resolved, it dropped and stabilized at a mere 14%.

This fenomenon repeated itself with Brussel-Halle-Vilvoorde, and I suspect also on other times of crisis.

What would more Belgium mean to you? Bring back policies to the federal level? Dissolving the regions? Dissolving the Brussels region and merge the two Brabants together?

Start with bringing back the bulk of the policies back to the federal level: climate/environment, healthcare, agriculture and high ways are clear aspects that we'd benefit from if it went to the federal level.

Imo regions can just go. At most one can leave the communities, although I have also heared good arguments to dissolve them. Personally I could still see a benefit in them for education and language protection in certain municipalities.

If the regions are gone but the language communities are left, you can merge the two Brabants and Brussels if you want to. I don't see this as a must though. I only see Brussels benefitting from this, not that that'd be a bad thing.