Europe diary: The great re-entry

7 September 2006

BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell discusses his relief to be back at work, his regret at missing out on the UK party conference season, and sees quarrels ahead for Europe over Cyprus and Turkey.

The diary is published every Thursday.

MOVING UP A GEAR

This is the great "rentree". That's what Francophones call the return to work after the long summer holidays. The weekend before it is like a slightly less joyous Christmas Eve, everybody doing a frantic shop, re-stocking the larder, buying protractors and pencil cases for the children and generally moving up a gear from shorts and sandals.

Royal rentree: Belgium's Prince Gabriel and Princess Elisabeth

The contrast is stark. About two weeks earlier I was in my normal supermarket and I felt almost spooked by the lack of people - I tried not to look as though I was following the only other customer, a rather frail old lady, around the aisles. This weekend hordes of families bickered, shouted and jostled at the checkout.

My re-entry was sharply angled. Not to work, but back from the pool to move house. Having spent the last week of my "holiday" surrounded by packing cases and fractious children, work seems a doddle. After a week wondering why we always keep those fish knives we have never used, puzzling where the other boot might be, explaining to the telecom gods that I need both ISDN and broadband, it's sheer relief to sit at my desk and read and write.

And just occasionally stare into space as though I might be thinking.

GOSSIP NOSTALGIA

I may never see Blackpool again. Why worry? Well, the start of autumn means it's the season of party conferences - the Westminster village's very own "re-entry" to work.

Brighton 2005: A living organism dedicated to intrigue

It is total immersion treatment. A thorough dunking in policy, plots and above all, pulsating personalities, before the more mundane business of parliament itself. After all, it is well acknowledged that the people in the other party are merely your opponents. Your enemies are those on your own side. And each party conference is a living organism, dedicated to intrigue.

For two decades of my life, this time of year meant party conference season: Blackpool, Brighton and Bournemouth. It evokes a certain nostalgia. After all, it was 19 years ago that I met my wife on our shared birthday at a TUC conference in Blackpool.

And this year, yes, I would love to catch up on gossip. Muttering, "When will he go? And how's Gordon feeling?" in the swish parties and fondant arm chairs of hotel bars, long after good hacks and pols have gone to bed.

But it's no longer my manor and I've got my eye on another autumn conference. The European Parliament's greens are having their conference - or retreat as they call it, hinting at yoga and massages - in the Canaries. Knowing how concerned the group is about the effects of air traffic on global warming, I trust they will be having paddles attached to their bicycles and will set off across the Atlantic early.

LOSING TURKEY?

I arrive back at work to an e-mail telling me that I am, in fact, off to the Canaries. But I'm not. As I write, I'm not quite sure whether I'm heading for Prague or Bucharest tomorrow. That's the nature of news.

Turkey refuses to open its ports and airports to Cypriot traffic

So I certainly can't predict what will dominate the headlines during the back half of the year. But I am sure one of the most important decisions will be about Turkey's relationship with Europe. If Turkey's plans to join the EU start to unravel and it becomes more nationalist, more focused on Russia and the Muslim world, it will be of critical strategic importance for decades to come.

The problem is that Turkey won't fulfil its promise to open its ports and airport to traffic from Cyprus, and that could tip talks on EU membership into crisis. An interesting new pamphlet for "Friends of Europe" by Kirsty Hughes argues for a number of measures to ease the problem. Most strikingly, she writes it is "indefensible" not allowing Northern Cyprus representation within the EU.

She says that it is like allowing the English to speak for the Scots or the Flemish for the whole of Belgium.

NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE

Speaking of which, the next most interesting booklet to plonk on my desk is a manifesto for an independent Flanders by a Flemish think tank, (Reflection Group "In de Warande"). Its basic argument is that the Flemish part of Belgium and the French-speaking part have grown further apart, not closer together, since the nation was formed in 1830.

No gene problem: Walloon Justine Henin-Hardenne beats Flemish Kim Clijsters at Wimbledon 2006

Although it leans on statistics rather than abuse, the basic argument is that French-speaking Wallonia is pretty much an economic basket case, pulling Flanders down. The writers do at least conclude: "There is, as far as we know, no 'genetic' physical or other hard reason why the economic performance of Wallonia should persistently lag behind other regions of Europe."

But the recommendation is that Belgium needs to be split into two independent nations within the EU, with Brussels jointly run by the new countries and the European Union itself. I look forward to discussing this with my Belgian friends.

Please use the postform below to comment on any of the issues raised in the diary.

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It seems that many people do not realise that "northern Cyprus" is not a country, but an illegally occupied piece of land not recognised by any country other than Turkey. The fact that the area was invaded and occupied illegally by Turkey, a country supposed to be a protecting power of Cyprus, along with Britain I might add, goes against the constitution of the EU, so how can it then be a part of the EU? That would be deeply hypocritical, wouldn't it? And as for Turkey supposedly wanting to find a "solution" to the problem..THEY are the ones who created the problem, and there is no way that they want to give up their position in Cyprus, however much propaganda they try to enforce. They are not the victims here, the Greek Cypriots are. I don't really know much about the situation in Belgium, but the situation in Cyprus seems rather incomparable to me.
Kat , UK

I am Armenian-American. My family (both sides hail from Istanbul) I think that Turkey shold be admitted to the EU. I believe the EU should set aside it's demand to formally call the massacres of Armenian a genocide. The reason I say this is that within the Turkish intellectual community there has been a series of people who have recognized that the collective propoganda of the Turkish state is harmful to their society. It is always better to have intellectual freedom and debate. These will lead to the solution. I think there can be a balancing act. Recognize Cyprus and shelve the Genocide recognition.
gh hovagimyan, New York City, USA

Saying that there is a chance Turkey might become "more focused on Russia and the Muslim world" is pure rubbish, as any well-informed person knows. Turkey's big dream since the Ataturk revolution has been to integrate with the West. Only EU can mess that up if they keep pressing for ridiculous demands like recognizing the massacres during World War I as a 'genocide'. Turkey is clearly committed to finding a solution on Cyprus, but EU messed that up by allowing the Greek Cypriots to join before a fair solution had been found. You must also know that the Turkish government said yes to sending soldiers to Lebanon to ensure that EU will not block Turkey's way to membership. There won't be a train crash this autumn.
Jorgen Hansen, Brussels, Belgium

I found your mention of the comment by Kirsty Hughes interesting - quite often the English do speak for the Scots in Brussels and more often than not it's to our detriment (particularly in fishing negotiations)! Scottish Ministers have to be granted permission to speak by their Westminster counterparts in the Council, and there is only very limited representation in the Parliament, and, of course, there is no Commissioner appointed by Scotland.
Alison, Glasgow

Having lived in belgium for much of the last 25 years, with homes in both Brussels and Flanders, I can attest to the increasing divide between North & South. The French speaking South is mired in corruption; hardly a week passes without another political and money scandal, while the North seems to becoming economically stronger and less interested in supporting a "d^pendence culture in Wallonie. Most French speaking citizens of Brussels would probably prefer to be atached to a rich and open Flemish state, provided, and this is the crux, that the perceived language pressure is removed. If Flanders would ensure a mainly French speaking Brussels linguistic rights and extend those to Francophones living in the surrounding and mainly Flemish suburbs and villages, there would probably be little hesitation in accepting a separation, to leave Wallonie to flounder on its own Marie
M. A. Smith, Brussels, Belgium

I think Belgium is by no means unique in having a North-South divide - look at the UK. But I think Wallonia's situation is a bit disgraceful Look at the regeneration efforts in the Northern English cities, Newcastle and Manchester are excellent examples. Flanders needs to remember who funded its rise to economic success and pull its finger out to help Wallonia! When I look at Belgium now I think it suffers from a lack of strong leadership: many leading politicians (excluding the Prime Minister I'd say) are very young and relatively inexperienced and seemingly elected for their performance in popular talkshows than real proven leadership. There is incredible voter apathy (always bad news when voting is compulsory!) and far right is doing very well out of that. In the 80s and 90s politicians like Martens and Dehaene were very strong, well-respected characters, who spoke both languages well and had a very inclusive approach. Now it seems to be more about cheap points-scoring against the other side.
Sarah, Belgian (Flemish) in Germany

Slovakia separated from the Czechs in a nice Velvet Divorce. If there is no fear of being militarily conquered, there is no need for different "people" to be "stuck" together. Wallonia would be better off as a recognized poor place, with less subsidies, and try policies to increase peace based growth: low taxes, less red tape, fewer regulations (usual free market - high growth prescription). Another model is Switzerland -- strong local cantons (and half cantons), with a weak central government (who is the Swiss president? who cares?). The Swiss model might be good for Spain, and possibly the UK as well. Without war, no "state" is too small.
Tom Grey, Bratislava, Slovakia

'Flanders' is as artificial an entity as ¿Belgium' is. There is a larger difference, in terms of culture and background, between me and a West-Fleming, than there is between me and a French-speaking student at Brussels's ULB. Is there a transfer of money from Flanders to Wallonia? Yes. Could it be used better? Yes. However, I for one would love to see how much money flows from Brussels and Antwerp to the hinterlands of, say, Limburg and Bruges. If Flanders should secede from Belgium, why shouldn't Brabant secede from Flanders?
Filip Van Roosbroeck, Brussels, Belgium

Coming from a country which had restored independence just in 1990, I fully understand and support Flemish will to be independent. Why not let Flanders, Scotland, Wales, Catalonia, Kurdistan, Quebec and other nations be independent? Why Scotland and Catalonia have less formal power in EU than Luxembourg? Imperial thinking is an anachronism, which is unproductive in the 21st century.
Ramunas Povilanskas, Klaipeda, Lithuania

The problem, or one them, with dividing Belgium into three, is that there are sizeable minorities who are neither Flemish nor Walloon. The German speaking regions for one. French speaking enclaves on the franco-Flemish border near Ieper, the Luxembourgers in the province (as opposed to the Duchy) of Luxembourg. Even among the principal communities, there are the Fleish who want to remain Belgian, the Flemish who want to be Flemish, and those that wold rather their counties returned to the Netherlands. Similarly with the Walloons. In the end reason, and compromise, will reign.
Robert, Brussel, Belgie

Belgium is artificial, it has never worked and it will never work. There are no Belgians, there are only Flemish people and Walloons. And they are different in SO MANY WAYS! Let's end this forced co-habitation so that we can all get on with our lives and concentrate on the furure of our children!
Cis, Kortrijk, Flanders, Europe

I am Flemish and I live and work in Brussels for two years now. It is true there are some problems that need to be solved in our small country and I understand some things leed to frustrations. But I don't see why Belgium should be split up - in three! It is already such a small country, and I really don't get what should happen to Brussels. Why can't we all just try to live together and share, and each part (and everyone) of the country takes up its responsibility. Make our diversity into a strenght and try to be more tolerant. The fact that there is a language border is no excuse to split up. At work, I work with Flemish, Walloons and people with other nationalities all together. I would find it strange if some people would suddenly become foreigners, while we are not that different. It can't be that hard to live and work together in a country. The world is already too devided!
Annelies, Brussels, Belgium

I think too many people have an 1930's concept of a nation state and its importance. Flanders is not a special case. There are very few truly centralised nations in Europe. Just one example is Italy. In some parts they speak German, and in the majority of regions people speak quite different dialects of Italian. The reality today is that with the Single(-ish) Market and Schengen, it makes little economic difference if you live in Flanders, Belgium or the Grand Duchy of Moelenbeek. Politically speaking it is possible in some areas to by-pass a national government today and use the EU as a way of improving social conditions, development, education, etc. The Catalans have done this in an intelligent way, thus avoiding total dependence on Madrid. Flanders can do what it wants; it won't make much difference at all. Being Flemish does not depend on legal status as a country. It depends on people being secure enough with their own identity, so as not to be paranoid about your neighbour. On this point the Flemish government has fallen short, time and time again.
Simon, St Germain-en-Laye, France

Perhaps the necessary integratino could be achieved by making English the primary language in Belgium, with the local patois the secondary (regional) language. Leave Dutch to the Dutch, Français to the French, and the Belgians can concentrate on running "Brussels" in a language everybody can understand...
Menno Aartsen, Washington, D.C.

It's extremely sad that Flanders feels it should not have to economically 'support' a poorer region of Belgium. It's interesting that the SE of England has never proposed independence, and is happy to support (via paying tax) less economically succesful areas of the UK. I think being in society means that those who do well have to support those who are less well off. Imagine the future when Antwerp loses economic power as the gem industry moves to developing countries. Would Antwerp be unceremoniously dumped in the same way as they propose to split from Wallonia? I suspect much of this ill will is more to do with historical issues of mutual distrust between Flanders and Wallonia, while the economic situation is just an excuse.
Alexa, Bangkok, Thailand

When we lived in Mons in Wallonia, you could tell when we had entered the Flemish area, it was cleaner, neater and the roads were better. And the people were irritated by our attempts to speak French, "We do speak English you know!!". They spoke Flemish first English 2nd some German 3rd, most put speaking French way down on their list. I think the Flemish sneered the Wallonians who were poorer and the local econony of the area reliant on Nato and the wealth that brought. That said the locals in Mons were friendly, willing to put up with bad French and would repeat slowly what they had said. I liked Belgium, it was quirky and so were the people so beaurocratic that the EU with its red tape is definitely in the right place.
Liz Langley, UK

Having travelled around Belgium myself it is very apparant to see such a divide between the French and Dutch speaking parts. It is extraordinary that most that i have spoken to do consider themselves to be Belgian but just with a multiple pool of languages and interests and i admit this makes Belgium a VERY attractive place to bring your children up in (a multilingual, relatively unbias state where due to the multilingual status and appearance there is little discrimination ONLY embracing of each other). I find Belgium in its current state to be a shining example to the rest of the Europe which is becoming increasingly multi-lingual/multi ethical state and should stay united as one.
Amelie, London, Uk

Perhaps, (not only) the economic performance of Wallonia could best be explained by the fact that one single political party has run the show there ever since Sir Winston Churchill stepped down as prime minister. Neither was the Spanish civil war caused by any genetic differences (not that we would ever be capable of such passion!) It would seem to me that separating our cosy kingdom into two independent nations (within the inexistent EU framework in matters of regional entities) could all too easily prove to be a case of botched surgery, especially if seen in light of the opportunities for reasoned divorce within the bounds of the federal state we constitute, the federal aspects of which need to be further refined and extended (towards the various regions and/or entities). If that sounds difficult to understand, it is (it always is difficult to understand).
Paul Franssen, (Near) Brussels (but) in Flanders...

Oh dear, you see -artificially created "Belgium" still doesn't work -after more than one and half centuries (including encapsulation and regurgitation by Holland). So what chance is there of quick fix in other places artifically created by the "international community" -places like Irak or Palestine? Makes one wonder if the British labour party wasn't created by the international community too....
trevor batten, manila, ph

There is an economic reason why Wallonia lags; it is the rustbelt phenomenon. People forget however that Flanders outpaced Wallonia only in 1970. The worm turns.
Robert Scott Gassler, Brussels, Belgium

I think the country should be split into two seperate entities with Brussels becoming an autonomous city state. The less the Flemish and Wallooon Governments meddle in Brussels politics the better it would be for Brussels. Wallonia and Flanders have very little in common these days, they feel like two different countries when you spend time there. Brussels on the other hand has a good mix of both cultures and many people are proud to speak both Flemish and French, indeed the Brussels dialect is a mixture of both languages.
Jesper, Brussels

This is just another regurgitation of the Secessionist argument which was vocal especially in the early 1990s after years of political instability and linguistic strife, particularly stirred by the Vlaamsblok during the 1980s. Then when King Baudoin died unexpectedly in 1993, the country underwent a palpable step back from the breach in a resurgence of "Belgian" national identity (trilingual bumper stickers pronouncing "we are Belgians" being highly visible for years afterwards). It seems a shame that the separatist movement is rising again - there are (as other correspondents have mentioned) so many good things about growing up and living in Belgium, irrespective of which side of the linguistic border you find yourself living on.
Robin, Dundee, Scotland

A second "argument" concerns the inefficiency and bureaucracy of belgium's governement model. To minimalise nationalist tensions a system of checks and balances has been created between frnch speeking minority and dutch speaking majority. The systems definitely has succeeded in Belgium being an example on different cultures living together peacefully in one country. But is has also created growing difficulties in governing the country. Several key issues (for example the future of the national airport) have been blocked for years bij the different governements creating their own laws of using their veto right to block other governements laws. In Flanders their is a growing frustration that Wallonia is using this system of checks and balances to its own advantage, asking a "price" for every new reform, or otherwise continuing to block key issues. In a good marriage, both partners have to do their best to keep the marriage going. I think ist time for Wallonia to show some goodwill and not keep on "demanding" respect from their flemish counterparts.
peter van mullem, gent, belgium

The reason why many Flemish Belgians deem it necessary to split up Belgium is because there is a historically grown demeaning of the Dutch language by the Walloons, most consider it a waste of time to learn Dutch, even when moving to the Flemish part of Belgium. "Why learn Dutch, when they already learned French"
Bert Pevernagie, Halle, Belgium

I am not in favour of splitting the country, but it has to be pointed out that the current state of affairs is bad for Wallonia as well. Ever since the creation of Belgium, money has flowed from Flanders to Wallonia, but this has been of no real benefit to the Walloons. All it has achieved is turning Wallonia into a financially dependent, unproductive and corrupt single-party welfare state. Walloon politicians know that it cannot and should not continue like this, but somehow they cannot shake off the addiction. It is actually a clear lesson of the dangers of misguided financial aid.
Manu, Mechelen, Belgium

I think it would be quite perfect if it was to be that they split up and shared Brussels with the European Union. As it is now, Belgium is the highest taxed country in Europe, with average between 50-60%.. Why do you think that is? Because GDP in Brussel is average over 50.000$, that of Vlanderen over 40.000$, making them two of the richest regions in the world, WHILE they have to pay 50% taxes to support Wallonia whom have a GDP of measly 18.000$. Remind you that the population of Wallonia is about the same as in Vlanderen.
kfa, Dublin formerly Brussels

Correct me if I'm wrong - but I seem to have a vague memory that there was a British aristo involved in the creation of Belgium in the 1830's since it seemed to benefit British foreign policy at the time - i.e. the creation of a buffer state between warring France and Germany. Belgium is an artificial nation created by meddling foreigners a long time ago. It is an excellent example, however, of how communities can live together in a civilised way - and an excellent example of how to divorce amicablly and reasonable over time without the need to resort to arms. By the way summer holidays in Belgium last two months! Far too long for any sane parent. I relished going round the supermarkets getting the children all their gear knowing that we would soon be back to our normal routine.
Kathleen Garnett, Leuven, Belgium

Why all the fuss over splitting Belgium or keeping it together ? Let's try to define a country: a monetary policy, an army, a foreign policy, a common history, a common culture and a feeling of identity (maybe I forgot a number or criteria) Now let's look at Belgium with these criteria in mind: - a monetary policy: both Flanders, Brussels and Walloon country use the Euro, but so do France, Holland, Spain, Italy ... - an army: the Belgian army on its own can hardly follow with all the humanitarian missions it's doing now, it is part of the Nato and the Eurocorps, only within those organisations it has a real added value. - a foreign policy: let's compare the role of the Belgian foreign minister (Mr De Gucht) with the role of Mr Solana. I think the latter has much more weight, Belgian foreign policy is not the kind of things which are taken seriously worldwide. - a common history: only common since the last 175 years, with two major events being both world wars. Again, Belgians share those world wars with a number of surrounding countries, they hardly make Belgium unique. - a common culture: no, there are two cultures (or three if we include the the German speaking people in the east of the country) - a common identity: for the majority of the Walloons, being Belgian is an important part of their identity, but this is not the case for the majority of the Flemish. To my feeling (I agree, this is subjective, but it has its value anyway), Belgium is becoming an empty shell within Europe, wasting time about discussing over a split or not is absolutely counter-productive, there are far more important things to do (economy, climate change, immigration ...)
Evert Spillier, St Pieters Leeuw (near Brussels), Belgium

It seems that - if you don't live in Belgium or have lived here - it's very hard to understand the politics of this little country. I see one comment comparing us with Irak or Palestine but leaving out 1 important thing : Walloons and Flemings have never taken up arms against each other. We have our differences but we always manage to find a comprimise. It's no wonder that the EU looked to the Belgian model to try and find a solution for Cyprus. Another thing that comes back quite regulary is the economic situation. Yes, the worm turns and what is now thriving can be an economic wasteland in 30+ years. The real problem lies in the fact that Wallonia has been an economic wasteland since the sixties, that massive amounts of money have not been used to invest in new technologies or projects but in simply trying to maintain the status quo. The result is that they have done just that : while Wallonia has been maintaining the status quo, Flanders has moved foward, making the economic divide even bigger. It's no coincidence that the major Walloon party leaders are now calling for a "Marshal" plan for their region. I myself agree most with what one of them said : Flemings don't mind that money is flowing from the North to the South. However they do object to the way it is being used.
Kris Imants, Hasselt, Belgium

Flemish politicians are caught at their own game. They are now speaking of separation outside Belgium to be heard inside. The press and parties always have defended the catholic flemish working masses against the french speaking bourgeoisie, (that would not be credible now). But they still need an enemy, so it became retarded Wallonia (whose rust belt paid for social progress in the north). In the south the socialists have always defended the working class against the catholic bourgeoisie (ah, yes, the Flemish are mainly catholic) but there is much less hostility here. Were it not for the regular relay by the press of a renewed attack against Belgium by a Flemish politician, people react only in defense of Belgium or the Monarchy, which the flemish are now starting to attack. This is the main cultural difference. All Belgians,(there are Vansteenkistes in the south and Martins or Dumortier in the north)are pro european, have no outside enemy, and just like in the Labour conference, they search for one inside. Brittish politicians did not dare to support Europe (they needed an enemy) now even if they wanted, none of them would dare support joining the euro for instance: they have been caught at their own game. Brussels red tape? What about UK's using the metric system it adopted 20 years ago?
simon pierre, Chaudfontaine Belgium

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