The Belgian Prime Minister presents his state reform

On January 8th, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt presented a white paper to the king with proposals for institutional reforms, an issue that is deeply dividing the Flemish and the French-speakers. For Beatrice Delveaux, the paper is "realistic, consolidating on the one hand the idea of a strong federal state - desired by the French-speakers - and by according the regions large autonomy - as desired by the Flemish. ...The paper draughts a new model for the way Belgium functions and as a guarantee of future equity and efficiency proposes a true loyalty and good faith to the federal among the Flemish and the French-speakers. This is risky, maybe even shaky. But it is no doubt the only thing worth trying as Guy Verhofstadt avoids the inevitably explosive taboos (the enlargement of Brussels, the division of social security) and asks everyone to accept compromise. Recent history has proved it: this is the only method that would allow the country to subsist.”

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