When the EU finally becomes the United States of Europe, Belgium splits in two, Flanders and Wallonia becoming separate states within the federation. Brussels become a neutral region after the manner of the District of Columbia or Australian Capital Territory.
Except for the waiting until the EU becomes the United States of Europe part. Our suggestions tend to focus on the present or near future, not remote-and-improbable-future.
Opinions are rather divided among the Francophones as to what the best solution is if Flanders should decide unilaterally to split off (if it doesn't, they certainly won't take the first step). Generally, many Walloons would hesitantly accept rattachism if that happened, and so would some Bruxellois. Fortunately there are enough sensible people in Brussels to realize that Brussels in France is utter suicide - Paris is notorious for hogging the limelight and centralizing everything, leaving even the biggest of the other cities of France in a status of second-rate city, and no way in hell will the UK or Germany ever accept having both seats of the EU parliament in France. My personal opinion is if Brussels ever ends up in France, it'll take about half a year for the European institutions to move to Luxembourg - unless the East-Europeans are strong enough by then to demand part of them move further east.
On the other hand you have some delusional Flemings claiming that "if we split up, Brussels will choose with its wallet and join Flanders", but I think they're rather overestimating the wealth of Flanders there, and taking their wishes for reality.
So there are only two real options for Brussels in that situation - "WalloBrux", a Belgium-minus-Flanders, or "Brussels DC". On the whole, I think WalloBrux would win out, as I don't think rattachism would carry the day in Wallonia. They'd have a geographical problem, though (Wallonia and Brussels aren't contiguous territory, they don't share a border), unless they get some Flemish territory somehow.
There are some advocating more original solutions, though. My dad is and remains convinced that Wallonia would split into several parts, joining respectively Germany (our tiny German-speaking minority), Luxembourg (the Ardennes), Flanders or Brussels (Walloon-Brabant) and France (the rest).
Assuming nationalist sentiments don't change between now and that hopefully far-off day, is that in line with that Belgians want?
Yep.
So the list of countries using the euro will grow longer, not shorter... Estonia to join in 2011
12/05/2010 10:51:37 PM
- 1013 Views
Sounds like a winner
12/05/2010 11:07:38 PM
- 633 Views
You Americans should like Estonia - they're rather neoliberal that way.
12/05/2010 11:18:30 PM
- 830 Views
I liked the remark one Estonian bankofficial made
12/05/2010 11:38:26 PM
- 589 Views
I do sometimes wish more Belgians would understand that.
12/05/2010 11:52:41 PM
- 528 Views
Re: I do sometimes wish more Belgians would understand that.
13/05/2010 12:05:03 AM
- 537 Views
That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility.
13/05/2010 12:11:37 AM
- 657 Views
Social attitudes take a very long time to change.
13/05/2010 12:28:09 AM
- 680 Views
We have need-based scholarships. We could extend them.
13/05/2010 12:38:31 AM
- 562 Views
I guess it depends on exactly what the fees are.
13/05/2010 11:06:37 AM
- 651 Views
They're low. Too low.
13/05/2010 12:12:29 PM
- 674 Views
American universities do have entrance exams. Sort of.
13/05/2010 02:17:13 PM
- 696 Views
Those are really too lame to count.
13/05/2010 02:21:23 PM
- 711 Views
meh. Most degrees are useless anyway.
13/05/2010 01:14:54 AM
- 553 Views
That could be fixed if there weren't such stigma attached to vocational schools.
13/05/2010 02:18:40 AM
- 579 Views
Re: That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility.
13/05/2010 08:08:16 PM
- 632 Views
Re: That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility.
14/05/2010 11:48:22 AM
- 648 Views
Is it as late as university? Or is it a good bit earlier? EDIT: Nevermind. Answered elsewhere.
14/05/2010 05:36:50 PM
- 740 Views
Re: Is it as late as university? Or is it a good bit earlier? EDIT: Nevermind. Answered elsewhere.
14/05/2010 07:57:32 PM
- 571 Views
Re: That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility.
14/05/2010 08:02:58 PM
- 698 Views
naw most of them are getting degrees in liberal arts because they like to read book more then work *NM*
13/05/2010 02:01:59 PM
- 246 Views
Surely Sweden can say, or could have said, that they wouldn't join till they damn well felt like it?
12/05/2010 11:39:57 PM
- 588 Views
Apparently Denmark only got the opt-out after rejecting the Maastricht treaty.
12/05/2010 11:47:00 PM
- 622 Views
Good point: it seems to me no-one cares about being Belgian, only Flemish or Walloon .
12/05/2010 11:51:27 PM
- 496 Views
It's slightly more subtle than that.
13/05/2010 12:00:29 AM
- 654 Views
What do you think about this suggestion?
13/05/2010 12:09:02 AM
- 643 Views
That has been suggested by many, yeah.
13/05/2010 12:28:24 AM
- 653 Views
But before you make a decision like that...
13/05/2010 08:36:07 AM
- 653 Views
They can export him to another country which needs a king. Wouldn't be the first time.
13/05/2010 10:57:59 AM
- 586 Views
Hmm, a pan-European entity getting too big and splitting into Eastern and Western administrations...
13/05/2010 11:09:51 AM
- 553 Views
There is one answer to most of those questions
12/05/2010 11:49:46 PM
- 524 Views
I love that the rest of you have the euro.
12/05/2010 11:53:10 PM
- 506 Views
*waits for the Pound to drop and the UK begging for the euro* *NM*
12/05/2010 11:56:25 PM
- 308 Views
That would be the worst time to do it.
13/05/2010 12:05:32 AM
- 617 Views
I think on the balance, that's probably better than the opposite, but yeah, neither is ideal. *NM*
13/05/2010 12:14:23 AM
- 285 Views
WOW WHEN DID THE UK CHANGE THEIR COINS
13/05/2010 12:10:41 AM
- 610 Views
2008, apparently. Though I don't think we actually saw them until 2009.
13/05/2010 12:17:46 AM
- 630 Views
Oh. Okay. I guess the black is just a reflective thing they're doing for the photo.
13/05/2010 12:37:24 AM
- 562 Views
I used to use a ten-pound note to inhale...things.
13/05/2010 05:54:09 AM
- 566 Views
You have a thing for Charles Darwin?
13/05/2010 10:45:14 AM
- 516 Views
From "Mean Mr. Mustard" - "keeps a ten-bob note up his nose...such a mean old man..."
13/05/2010 02:36:34 PM
- 543 Views
In that case I'm going to have to disappoint you.
13/05/2010 02:54:04 PM
- 683 Views
I knew that, but I had limited options.
13/05/2010 03:15:07 PM
- 657 Views
You could try a €500 note.
13/05/2010 03:18:11 PM
- 552 Views
In other news, the sky is blue.
13/05/2010 03:33:25 PM
- 584 Views
I seem to remember reading something in 2002 about Germans paying their monthly rent in cash.
13/05/2010 03:43:35 PM
- 649 Views
Ooh...I'm sure THAT will shore up the eurozone... *laughs*
13/05/2010 05:51:12 AM
- 602 Views
Nobody said it would.
13/05/2010 12:34:27 PM
- 579 Views
You know what will save the eurozone ?
13/05/2010 04:55:06 PM
- 569 Views