Wallonia must be part of FRANCE

Belgian Queen is attending Dutch classes to be able to address the Flemish people in a proper way!

That's an initiative all Walloons should take

@ Pierre

So if I had placed a link to the MR or another Walloon party you would say that I'm another person of view , etc. !!! That makes no sence !!!!

Wallonia deserves to be part of no nation. It deserves to be a nuclear wasteland.

Spoken living languages of Belgium ( census 1990 )

DUTCH

[DUT] 4,620,150 in Belgium (1990 WA). The language of provinces of West Vlaanderen, Oost Vlaanderen, Antwerpen, Limburg, Vlaams-Brabant, and the bilingual part (10% to 20%) of Brussels. Alternate names: NEDERLANDS. Dialects: BRABANTS, OOST-VLAAMS. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian.


EUROPANTO

[EUR] Brussels, European Union buildings. Classification: Artificial language.


FRENCH

[FRN] 4,000,000 in Belgium (M. Harris in B. Comrie 1988), 33% of the population (1990 WA). Official language in provinces of Hainaut, Namur, Liège, Luxembourg, Brabant-Walloon, southern hills, and the bilingual part of Brussels. Alternate names: FRANÇAIS. Dialects: WALLOON (WALLON), PICARD. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French.


GERMAN, STANDARD

[GER] 150,000 in Belgium (J.A. Hawkins in B. Comrie 1988), 1.5% of the population. Official language in Liège Province, cantons of Eupen and Sankt-Vith, municipalities: Eupen, Kelmis, Lontzen, Raeren, Amel, Bnlingen, Bntchenbach, Sankt-Vith, and Burg-Reuland. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German.


LUXEMBOURGEOIS

[LUX] 30,000 in Belgium (1998). Area of Arlon and Bastogne, Luxembourg Province. Alternate names: LETZBURGISCH. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, Moselle Franconian.


PICARD

[PCD] Most of Hainaut Province (Tournai, Mons, Ath). Alternate names: ROUCHI, CHTIMI. Dialects: BELGIAN PICARD. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French.


VLAAMS

[VLA] 1,070,000, over 89% of the inhabitants of West Flanders in Belgium (1998 U. of Ghent). Population total all countries 1,300,000 (1998 University of Ghent) including 220,000 in Zeeuws, 1,100,000 in West Vlaams and Frans Vlaams. Alternate names: FLAMAND, VLAEMSCH. Dialects: WEST VLAAMS (VLAEMSCH). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian.

My language VLAEMSCH is only spoken by 1000 000 people in Belgium

@ Sue & Joanne

Maybe it's because the site is always open to see the answers?

Sue Saturday, January 22, 2005, 21:04 GMT
Joanne Saturday, January 22, 2005, 21:05 GMT

1 minute !!! Maybe you're the same persons :-)

Our questions remain unsolved ....

Dear Tiste:
We are a list of people learning or interested in the English language and we have no political influence at all.
The only solution, I see, is a referendum in Belgium and a treaty between Flanders and Wallonia. Brussel should only remain in Flanders if the French-speaking community is protected. Since Flanders will want Dutch to be the only official language of an independent Flanders, Brussels should perhaps become a free European city with a similar statute than San Marino, Monaco or Andorra and collaboration with both neighbouring states.
The European capital should remain in Brussels since that would be the best guarantee that the rights of both the Flemish and French communitites are respected. It would be a sort of peaceful European observation point.
Well I don't think France will accept a heritage since the French do not consider the Walloon, French. It wasn't quite the same with East and West Germany, which shared a "strong" national feeling although that has somewhat empoverished Western Germany and "easties" are often second-class cititzens in the united Germany.
On the other hand, the Flemish and the Dutch only consider themselves as first cousins. The've got to consider themselves brothers first. This will happen in time because all the young generations will speak Standard Dutch (with regional accents).
That is the point of view of a Catalan who loves both the Flemish and the Walloons and who understands you more than you think. The day you form two different states you will feel more respect for your neighbours, although you will carry on without trusting them. That happens in all neighbouring countries and it is a part of the human tribal genes.
Brussels makes everything more difficult for you because it has become not only your "capital" but also the capital of future European hope as a world power. Just look at the current strength of the Euro. The dollar is worth 40% less than it was just a couple of years ago. That'll be good for the US Tourism Department. They're going to be flooded again with European visitors if confidence in flying to the other side of the pond recovers.
Anyway, I'm glad Brussels is, officially, a bilingual city since it is more like the rest of real, historic Europe.

Indeed, Brussels should be a bilingual independant district ... ( But the surrounding flemish villages within the Brussels community will never accept the seperation fom the rest of Flanders )

Those small villages could be Flemish enclaves as long as Flanders is ready to accept some French enclaves near the borders (should they exist, of course).
It's a matter of being fair on both sides. Local referendums should be carried out in the districts concerned.

So you're saying they should have facilities for francophones ,
Cool I guess , but than French enclaves should have facilities for Flemish too ( Sounds fair to me )

"Belgians Fight New Language Battle":

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050112/BELGIUM12/TPInternational/Europe

...or try this link:

http://www.canada.com/travel/story.html?id=82ee9570-624b-4dc1-b661-02f381a3cee9

I would give facilities in the "transition border lines". Let's say it's 10 or 20 kms since I believe it's never more. Please correct me if I'm wrong. In that interferential area I would give facilities if more than 10% of the population speaks French or Flemish at home. Anyway, living so near the linguistic border it's in the interest of those communities to learn both languages at school. That wouldn't affect neither 90% of Flanders or 90% of Wallonia, where learning the other language would be optional since they would be independent countries.
Anyway, I'm sure that if independence ocurred people would gradually move within their linguistic borders (because of job opportunities and the market). The situation would probably carry on for 50-75 years.
As you can see we're playing a game, that of being diplomats, which we are not. As always diplomacy should be the art of common sense.

Jordi

At last I found someone to correspond with in a proper way . It's really difficult to discuss matters with Pierre and Louvain-la-neuve , since they never gave me any good strong answers .It's really good you don't choose party , cuz you want the best for both communities.