Confederalism - not necessarily evil

Situation

Extreme left, left, green and extreme right all voted for more money for nurses as they are essential workers who save lives.

Centre and centre right parties claim this is irresponsible because of Belgium's major debt problem that partly exist because it's historic from the time Belgium had only one government and needed to divide expenses in a certain ratio between Flanders and Wallonia even when only one region needed money to invest and because Belgium, like other countries, had to save its financial sector 10 years ago. Also the socialists are condemned and accused of throwing away money but this was to be expected as a social party can't accept that underinvestments in the social sector last for ever. Now parties are saying that the separatist right-wing Flemish party NV-A has to take responsibility by forming a coalition with the Walloon socialist party PS that is strongly pro Belgium so a real budget can be agreed and as the EU demands. Still, this is difficult as the NV-A and PS are opponents while the Walloon green party Ecolo hates the NV-A to such an extend they don't even want to have a polite discussion with NV-A politicians but claim they want a united Belgium.

Confederalism

I think confederalism is indeed the way forward for Belgium: this way Belgium remains one country while Belgium's enormous debts are managed by a small Belgium government while Belgium's regions continue to invest such as in healthcare and wages of nurses. Of course, it has to be decided how the Belgium government will get money to payoff its debts as regions should not donate money. A possibility is that the dying income of VAT on fossil fuels are used to repay debts, quicker today and slower in future as VAT from fossil fuels will decrease. This can be discussed between the federal and regional governments and thus as part of the discussions about the formation of the new Belgium government. But, I think that the enormous Belgium debts will never reduce as long as money needs to be spend on other projects such as healthcare and pensions, the reason why a number of parties were furious that more money will be spent to improve healthcare such as a reduction in the shortage of nurses. And when certain things remain federal such as the army than regional governments can contribute and control whether their money is correctly used so the federal level doesn't waste that money on reducing debts.

And thus, contrary to many who think more powers need to return to the Belgium level away from regional powers so the management of the country becomes easier and cheaper, I think a further reorganisation of Belgium away from the central power towards the regions is needed so the central, i.e. Belgium level, can concentrate to reduce its historical debts from a time when there was only one Belgium government while the regions that exist today can continue to invest.

Those who don't agree shouldn't blame political parties who think that confederalism is the way forward for not taking responsibility because they themselves should take responsibility by forming a Belgium government, even when this means a minority at the Flemish level as was the case the previous years on the Walloon side although I acknowledge such a thing may be the end of those political parties. Thus, to reduce Belgium's deficit, I think an emergency government will need to focus on reducing debts and not spending while regions should focus on keeping the economy going. But, any debt made by regions should remain regional so regional leaders will have to balance their budgets or build-up their own debt to repay at a later moment.

In the end, Belgium can or can't continue to exist, in future people will decide.

Comments of organisations on slow formation of Belgium government

During the past weeks, discussions are ongoing about the difficulties to form Belgian governments as it is not only between Flemish and Walloons but also major discussions within each regions between what are considered as left versus right parties with each their own program that sometimes contradict each other.

For instance, the employers associations demanded rapid government formations so that decisions can be made such as concerning essential pension reform although there are still people who believe pensions don't need much modernisation. During radio interview, the spokesperson of these associations compared the situation in Belgium with other countries such as the Netherlands where society is already much further in its changes. But, in Belgium many politicians in earlier governments tried to reform but there are so many opposing opinions or hate towards other groups that reforms are simply not possible as some politicians from certain parties don't even want to speak with the other side as their political programs differ largely; this is understandable unless they want to deny their own program to be in governments as so often happened before and still didn't resolve problems. An example is that employers organisations tell the NV-A (Flemish party that wants to end Belgium) and the PS (Walloon socialist that want to continue Belgium) to take responsibility and form quickly a Belgium government; still often they complain reforms are too left and don't go far enough; indeed, Flemish employers often want the solutions of the NV-A and Open VLD as both are liberal parties whereby the latter party sometimes have to deny their own program as they want to continue Belgium and thus sometimes are forced to oppose suggestions by the NV-A and instead follow Wallonia's' socialists.

In another interview, the employers organisation was angry because the Belgian budget deficit further increased with billions of euros. And thus, employers ask politicians for the rapid formation of Belgian governments so that decisions can be made concerning urgent reforms that will safe money. Imagine, the employers suggest that the formation of a Belgium government should happen fast; this means maximum after 15 days, the reversal of the longest Belgium government formation ever. During the radio interview, they compared the Netherlands and a few other countries where, for example, much needed pension reforms have already taken place.  Everyone who knows Belgium knows this is a false comparison: in the other countries parties must overcome differences between parties while in Belgium there is the extra dimension as there are differences in thinking between the Germanic versus Romanic ideas of organising a society. But, when there are agreements in Belgium, employers' associations are the first to say that the compromise does not go far enough and will cost even more. Indeed, I think the social security system should be split so that each region can implement reforms without having to compromise each time. And thus, I think that a return to the national level is a dream as the past, during which the mountain of debts was created, politicians often bought an agreement with money.  And thus, when one wishes to preserve Belgium, I think it will be confederalism where the Belgian state is involved in paying off Belgian debts without incurring costs while regional levels can invest.

In the end, I compare Belgium with a dead body: in the beginning it still looks beautiful still everyone knows this will change when first the corps starts to smell as it starts to decompose while later the corps start to spread diseases whereby these diseases can remain for a time after the body became bones. And some of those who want to keep the body, i.e. Belgium, are often the worse. For Belgium's, indeed, Belgicists hate Flemish who want to leave but refuse to discuss how they want to keep the country together. The result is that also the Flemish and Walloons start to hate each other because each region blames the other for not doing what they want. And yes, those who want to keep Belgium are those who have to give in to those who want to leave. Still, if Mr De Wever may become PM of Belgium to implement what most Flemish want than we can be sure the Walloons will ask to split the country. Because, yes, it's written in the stars that we return to the time before the Roman empire. But, as Spain demonstrates, it may not happen without a fight, i.e. the arrest of democratically elected politicians and this in the name of democracy. But, in those countries, can kings still trust their own army to protect them? Or do Dutch countries descend into paranoia?