The Guardian, which occasionally has its uses, is telling us that Belgium could soon lay claim to being the holder of an award with the unwieldy name of "World Champion in Not Forming a Government". Actually, the story was run on 26 January by Euronews, the same day as Deutsche Welle, but five days behind the curve on European matters is not bad for a British newspaper, and the rest don't seem to have done the story, except the Economist which doesn't really matter.

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Good job The EU does not have significant buildings, politicians, staff or personnel in Belgium or we could be in trouble.
Ironically for once good job the msm have so few journalists there.

Wot, no gumment?...Glück im Unglück?...We should be so lucky!

Dr. N. says: "Ratings agencies have warned they could downgrade Belgium's credit rating if it continues is this state." So Cupidity doesn't begin at home then, for Sproutland's "elite"?

Never thought I would see the day, revolution in Belgium.

Their politicians have totally lost it, corruption is wide spread and so is petty politics.
The people are fed up with the entire situation.
I'm with the people.

If the people build a government from the bottom up, it'll serve as a potent example to other corrupt elites.

I saw a report on RT by Webster Tarpley talking about Egypt, but in which he mentioned that Iraq's government is not favourable to US interests. They fought the war to get the oil, he says, which Saddam wouldn't sign away voluntarily, and when they couldn't find a way to assassinate him as he had so many doubles. Since the war, they tried to set up a democracy which they feel they can rig (as they do across the world) by selecting party leaders and controlling the media, but, according to Tarpley, in Iraq, the wrong party and leader have won power. So the Iraq War was fought for nothing. In addition to that Iran has stepped up without Saddam in place to keep them down. Overall, not a great success politically.

Belgium also looks like a big problem. The Walloons don't want to deal with the Flemish, and vice versa. Why don't they separate? Brussels is Walloon, and that would put both the EU's capitals in the French sphere. It seems that manipulating democracies to get the result you want, is not quite as easy as it used to be.

Likewise in Egypt, Washington based Freedom House trained the activists to use the net to build a rebellion against Mubarak, as he wasn't giving enough pay-off to his OWG backers - at the UN, and in dealings over Iran. But Wikileaks let it be known three years ago that Mubarak was due for the chop. He's had all that time to prepare his defences against media assassination, as is now being attempted, and, in Egypt, he's got the internet and TV reporting switched off. The Americans/OWG could be left with a wounded bird which they can't shift (lots of hedging of bets in recent announcements), or another military replacement who is no different to Mubarak. Their political interventions are not going that well, it seems. Nor are their military ones.

The EU's troubles are not merely financial. The power of the OWG is not quite what it was ten years ago, when they could pull off stunts like 911 and everyone believed it was done by an old man who controlled a secret network of clothheads. A majority in the USA now realise that most terror is either false flag, or could have been prevented by the security services. In the UK, though, people simply can't believe that nice young Tony Blair would have permitted 7/7 and the killing and maiming of large numbers of his own countrymen just to save his political skin.

While the OWG has many troubles, its use of propaganda through media control is still worryingly effective.

. Oh dear, is your Tesco out of loo paper again?

So the point of a government is...?

Belgium hasn't collapsed into food shortages, riots, water shortages, power cuts all the worrying things that our governments say would happen if they weren't there to run things. Belgium hasn't been invaded and is not under terrorist attack.
Sorry forgot to add and civil war hasn't broken out!
Trade carries on indeed life carries on without a functioning government. What's not to like?

The Belgian impasse: another nail in the coffin for coalition politics!

Watchet

Nah, we're OK there ... but you need something more substantial for when the cat is sick.

Just to set things straight, Brussels is NOT Walloon, it is now majority French speaking (thanks to all those immigrants from French speaking countries, and with these I don't mean France, but the ones on the other side of the med.): Brussels is in Flanders. This is probably the only thing keeping Flanders from splitting the country, they 'still' would like to keep it, the day they are willing to give it up, Belgium breaks...

Right now I'm actually in Brussels, food stores are stocked, no riots on the streets and no federal government... Will be interesting to see what happens when money gets more expensive for the state (downgrading by rating agencies) and less money available for all the unemployed in the south.

Yeah ... appreciated ... an enclave of Kermits amid a sea of Dutchies! Don't get lost when you are out of town and ask for directions in French ... not if you want live!

david, yes you're right in geographical terms. it's in the flanders bit, but as someone who goes there, you know that Brussels is walloon in population. that's why the country finds it hard to separate. it's like going back fifty years going from flemish to walloon areas. you could still film 'allo allo' in many parts of Brussels without any need for scene setting.

Perhaps Mubarak would go to govern Belgium AND Egypt be (not governed) by the (not yet formed) Belgian coalition.