Belgium Elections falsified 1 year before they take place

Next year, around october 2012, there will be local town and city council elections in Belgium. It is assumed that the NV-A will advance rapidlly, more so cause the other parties dropped the NV-A during the last federal negociations, also many Flemish are tired of the same old song. The Flemish parties besides NV-A promise change, more Flanders and we get the opposite, more Belgium, more bureaucracy and more inefficiency followed by more taxes.

Now with less then 1 year before the next town and council elections the old grand parties are forming so called 'city list', coallitions that include all 'democratic' parties except the NV-A.
This not illegal, parties are allowed to form coallitions, but in the way they do it now looks a litlle more like rigging the elections.

The sum of the expected outcome of the elections for the parties is over 50%, so in the cities they form these cities list they'll be assured to continue, while it is expected that the NV-A could go as high as 40% in most cities.

So all and all this is another proof that democracy in Belgium is evaporating, with even the traditional Flemish parties not even intrested in defending the Flemish

Belgium political crisis bis the budget and how to cut it

Belgium might now have a government but that doesn't mean the crisis is over far from it.

The NV-A the largest political party both in Flanders as in Belgium, was pushed into opposition when it became apparent that they were not willing to sacrifice their ideals for a few cabinets in the new government.

Now that they are the opposition their doing what the opposition does oppose. Right now discussions are going on  in the parliament over the budget for 2012.

The NV-A is furious that 33% of that budget are new taxes for the common man and 20% new taxes for the banks and energy sector. Yesterday the banks announced that they were looking in ways to increase there revenue in Belgium by charging more for certain 'services', so those 20% taxes will just be added to the customers bill. The rest of the budget are either virtual budget cuts or reform that won't be implied until 2018.
In the meantime nothings been done to the size of our bureaucracy, it has never been so large or so unevenly divided.

There is 1 person per 24 who works for the government in some capacity in Flanders, in Wallonia it is 1 in 5.

The new federal government consists out of 13 ministers and 6 state secretaries, all who get a netto wage of 10.000 euro per month. The Walloon parties call that this is the smallest government ever, in Belgium. This is not true only 6-8 years ago you had one with 15 ministers and 3 state secretaries.

The fact that there some many state secretaries is a compromise cause there more Walloon ministers then Flemish (6 Flemish 7 Walloons), just when all Flemish parties had called to not accept more state secretaries.
A state secretary has the same tasks as a minister, he or she also has a cabinet and personnel, but no direct power, if they need to get something done they have to ask a minister to do it for them.

It took 540 days to form this government, but most don't believe it shall live longer then 50 days - 6 months tops for that she's to unstable, has a to small a majority (3 seats) and they can only shout insult and denial when the opposition points them to how pore the entire situation is.

Does the new Belgium goverment fall before its formed ?

This morning Ecolo, the Walloon green party, announced that they were considering retracting their support for the agreement on constitutional reform, agreed in september of this year.

Reason is the budget proposal 2012, which was agreed on last Saterday. Neither Ecolo or its Flemish counterpart Groen! (Green!) were involved with the budget talks. But they were with the constituniol reform, where you need a 2/3 majority (the NV-A, the largest political party both in Flanders and in Belgium were put aside in June 2011 cause they were unwilling to give in for a few meagre posts in the new goverment).

After the talks about the constitunional reform were done, Groen and Ecolo were no longer involved in talks to form a new federal goverment.

The reason why Ecolo now threathens to withdraw its support for the constitunional part is that in the budget proposals a lot of green premies and subsidies are eliminated. Also Ecolo has found 8 billion in the budget proposal that has no osurce, meaning that there might be unexpected unpleasant suprises for the population, like shifting of major expenses to either Flanders and Wallonia.

Since everything in the constitional reform was linked to each other (at the request of the Walloons), the entire agreement could be invalidated.

EDIT
Groen! has just announced that will do the same.

Should Flanders declare independence if the index goes above 6.5

Short answer YES

The Flemish economy is comparable to that of Germany, while the Walloon economy is as good as the one of Greece. The fact that the Walloon economy is weak is pulling Belgium and Flanders down, even in this dark hours their politicians still haven't gotten this.

They want to further tax and severely tax the Flemish in order to prop up theirs, some even believe the Walloons are now stalling in order to get the IMF step in.But is it fair that they should pull 6 million Flemish down in that fall while the Flemish are doing well.

It is my believe Flemish should declare independence before it happens, this will be better for both Flanders and Wallonia. For the Flemish it would mean saving the economy and for the Walloons it would be the wakeup call they urgently need and are now ignoring.

The most loud opposers of independence for Flanders say that will further unset the international markets, I say it will not. The Flemish economy is stable, Flanders budget is under pressure but in balance and independence doesn't mean they would shut down the borders.

2 for 12: Walloon Unions call national strikes if Di Rupo agrees on any budget cuts

Over 520 days since the last federal elections there is still no federal government.
The negotiators are now talking about the budget 2012, which the European Commission wants to see approved by the Belgium federal parliament by December 15 2011.

Problem is out of the 11-13 billion Euro's that have to be found for next year the Walloons are only willing to do 3-4 billion in budget cuts, and the rest in new taxes.

The Flemish oppose this since the Belgium state is huge and can use a lipo, and the new taxes proposed could murder the economy.

Now just, the Walloon trade unions have announced that if Di Rupo dares go over those proposed cuts or even if he keeps these they'll go on national strikes.

Belgium 2 for 12, King called in to thrathen Flemish parties into submission

Still no goverment and still no budget for 2012, despite having a European deadline.
Formator Di Rupo seems neither in a hurry and neither to compensate on the electoral promises the PS made.
Which is making some Flemish politicians believe that Di Rupo would not be a good Prime Minister, since he obviously can't transcend his own parties ideology.

Di Rupo will visit the king Albert II, this afternoon, most likely a royal communication will be given out stating the negotiators should work together and give up their own standpoints for the greater glory of Belgium. Note with this it will be meant that the Flemish parties should accept the Walloon parties proposals without complaining.

This will be the second time that our current monarch will throw such an fierce message towards the Flemish politicians, a shriek reminder that this king is neither a-political or even concerned about the well being of 60% of the populous.

5 fo 12 for Belgium and the PS stil hasn't gotten it

Another deadline passed, another delay announced. We're now at the point that Belgium won't be able to presend a budget for 2012 by the date Europe set.

The PS(Parti Socialiste), the largest political party in Wallonia,is still clinging on an old Belgium, by saying that the 6-packs and other recomdations  the EU proposed are intresting but not righ for Belgium. There also saying that what the EU says are only 'guidelines' and that we should do things like we always done. (How things are looking now at a tax rise of 70 euro per month per person in Belgium)

In the meantime Belgium could be next for the financial markets to target but that still hasn't resulted in the Walloon parties to start being leant on the contrary, there fullharding in the believe that their proposals are better.

Belgium T-Minus 10 years for Greek scenario

A few moment ago the PS (Parti Socialiste), the largest political party in the upcoming Belgium federal government has announced that they will not approve any of the budget cuts proposed by Europe.

Meaning literally that in order to meet the EU budget rules taxes will have to go up. This is something what the majority of the Flemish population doesn't want, with no Flemish majority in the upcoming goverment (due to forced exit NVA and release of the Green parties), little to nothing will be done to stop the first Walloon PM in 30-40 years to rise taxes to 60-70% of the income.

The argument of the PS is, that they are not willing to make the budget cuts that could endanger the social security of the citizens now or in the future.