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That has been suggested by many, yeah. Legolas Send a noteboard - 13/05/2010 12:28:24 AM
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. :P 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.
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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 1090 Views
Sounds like a winner - 12/05/2010 11:07:38 PM 708 Views
You Americans should like Estonia - they're rather neoliberal that way. - 12/05/2010 11:18:30 PM 904 Views
Apparently we do - 13/05/2010 05:34:41 PM 751 Views
I liked the remark one Estonian bankofficial made - 12/05/2010 11:38:26 PM 666 Views
Re: I liked the remark one Estonian bankofficial made - 12/05/2010 11:42:37 PM 735 Views
I stand corrected than - 12/05/2010 11:45:33 PM 620 Views
I do sometimes wish more Belgians would understand that. - 12/05/2010 11:52:41 PM 605 Views
Re: I do sometimes wish more Belgians would understand that. - 13/05/2010 12:05:03 AM 609 Views
That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility. - 13/05/2010 12:11:37 AM 738 Views
Social attitudes take a very long time to change. - 13/05/2010 12:28:09 AM 756 Views
We have need-based scholarships. We could extend them. - 13/05/2010 12:38:31 AM 633 Views
I guess it depends on exactly what the fees are. - 13/05/2010 11:06:37 AM 722 Views
They're low. Too low. - 13/05/2010 12:12:29 PM 748 Views
American universities do have entrance exams. Sort of. - 13/05/2010 02:17:13 PM 743 Views
Those are really too lame to count. - 13/05/2010 02:21:23 PM 792 Views
Re: Those are really too lame to count. - 13/05/2010 05:04:25 PM 795 Views
typically the more specialized programs require that - 13/05/2010 05:53:20 PM 704 Views
Re: Those are really too lame to count. - 13/05/2010 07:32:19 PM 803 Views
Like I indicated, I'm not suggesting it in the American system. - 13/05/2010 07:53:15 PM 800 Views
meh. Most degrees are useless anyway. - 13/05/2010 01:14:54 AM 629 Views
Come on. - 13/05/2010 10:13:29 AM 785 Views
You ever been to Estonia? If not, stop speaking. *NM* - 13/05/2010 10:29:17 AM 398 Views
your funny *NM* - 13/05/2010 02:01:06 PM 265 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 659 Views
Apparently Denmark only got the opt-out after rejecting the Maastricht treaty. - 12/05/2010 11:47:00 PM 700 Views
Good point: it seems to me no-one cares about being Belgian, only Flemish or Walloon . - 12/05/2010 11:51:27 PM 572 Views
It's slightly more subtle than that. - 13/05/2010 12:00:29 AM 738 Views
What do you think about this suggestion? - 13/05/2010 12:09:02 AM 724 Views
That has been suggested by many, yeah. - 13/05/2010 12:28:24 AM 737 Views
But before you make a decision like that... - 13/05/2010 08:36:07 AM 720 Views
We have a Flemish government, though. - 13/05/2010 12:22:57 PM 756 Views
There is one answer to most of those questions - 12/05/2010 11:49:46 PM 600 Views
I love that the rest of you have the euro. - 12/05/2010 11:53:10 PM 590 Views
*waits for the Pound to drop and the UK begging for the euro* *NM* - 12/05/2010 11:56:25 PM 340 Views
That would be the worst time to do it. - 13/05/2010 12:05:32 AM 690 Views
Well... that is true. But your exports would be really high. - 13/05/2010 12:11:50 AM 635 Views
Also the best time. - 13/05/2010 12:11:53 AM 688 Views
I WIN *NM* - 13/05/2010 12:12:51 AM 273 Views
Bah *NM* - 13/05/2010 12:18:48 AM 241 Views
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... *NM* - 13/05/2010 12:19:32 AM 231 Views
There is a small problem with that... - 13/05/2010 10:21:44 AM 588 Views
I found the wikipedia article. - 13/05/2010 10:53:00 AM 779 Views
WOW WHEN DID THE UK CHANGE THEIR COINS - 13/05/2010 12:10:41 AM 690 Views
2008, apparently. Though I don't think we actually saw them until 2009. - 13/05/2010 12:17:46 AM 701 Views
I used to use a ten-pound note to inhale...things. - 13/05/2010 05:54:09 AM 647 Views
You have a thing for Charles Darwin? - 13/05/2010 10:45:14 AM 596 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 629 Views
In that case I'm going to have to disappoint you. - 13/05/2010 02:54:04 PM 758 Views
I knew that, but I had limited options. - 13/05/2010 03:15:07 PM 736 Views
You could try a €500 note. - 13/05/2010 03:18:11 PM 630 Views
In other news, the sky is blue. - 13/05/2010 03:33:25 PM 656 Views
I seem to remember reading something in 2002 about Germans paying their monthly rent in cash. - 13/05/2010 03:43:35 PM 734 Views
Hm. Possible. - 13/05/2010 03:50:31 PM 610 Views
Re: In other news, the sky is blue. - 13/05/2010 07:45:06 PM 731 Views
Sheesh...I was just using, not dealing. - 13/05/2010 03:47:05 PM 627 Views
The thrill of decadence? *NM* - 13/05/2010 03:51:21 PM 265 Views
Ooh...I'm sure THAT will shore up the eurozone... *laughs* - 13/05/2010 05:51:12 AM 681 Views
Agreed - 13/05/2010 12:20:12 PM 653 Views
Nobody said it would. - 13/05/2010 12:34:27 PM 658 Views
You know what will save the eurozone ? - 13/05/2010 04:55:06 PM 644 Views
You're a little ray of sunshine, aren't you? *NM* - 13/05/2010 05:10:48 PM 255 Views
Hey man, I don't want Europe to be the next Japan - 13/05/2010 05:42:26 PM 653 Views

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