For Rik Torfs, Belgian mixity is an assett

Rik Torfs, professor at the Université catholique de Louvain, considers that the absence of a strong Belgian identity is not a weakness. "The Belgians are relatively mediocre, in such a way that nobody really hates us. Nobody is afraid of us. There is French chauvinism, the ill-concealed English sense of superiority, and with the Germans, you never know. ... But what about the Belgians? They are so innocent that voting for them entails no danger. Thus Belgians often find themselves at the head of scientific organisations or international committees. Nobody is jealous of them. Our identity is above all weak. Our culture is neither Latin, nor Teutonic, Both the French and the Dutch criticise our accent, which lacks purity and bravura. Ambiguity is a strength, a great richness in tomorrow's world. The Belgians have a mixed culture; they are Europe's Barack Obama."

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