It's hard to state the exact reason for the Belgian uprising at that time. Even now historians disagree over this issue. But in any case the two languages of Belgium - along with Dutch, French was also spoken - probably played a role. Mayor Tobback: "It was mainly about the French-speaking middle classes in the south who were scared that they would have to learn Dutch. Furthermore, the Catholics were scared that they would have to become like the Dutch Protestants and the large majority in the south were Catholic."Power and taxes
There are more ideas about the reason for the discontent of the Belgians: Willem I's authoritarian rule, his vision of the separation of church and state, the division of tax revenues - the tax collected in the south Willem spent in the north. Above all, only one of the four ministers came from the south, even though 3.5 million people lived there compared with just two million in Holland.
During the Belgian revolt, Willem I reacted too late. He had a son who wanted to become king of the independent south. That caused unease as Louis Tobback explains: "The 'Orange'-orientated cities like Antwerp and Ghent didn't support Willem I. When he eventually invaded the south with troops, during the so-called 'Ten Day Campaign' it was too late. France supported the south and, after negotiations, Willem I retreated in order to make way for King Leopold I." Louis Tobback thinks this is a pity.
"King Willem missed the chance to form an important European power. If the countries were now one south, then they could comprise one of the G7, because their Gross National Product is higher than that of Italy."
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Derk-Jan Eppink |
But could we really be one? Belgian analyst Derk-Jan Eppink doubts that: "The only thing in common between the Netherlands and Belgium is the Dutch language. We often think that we are the same, but that is a misconception. The Dutch and the Belgians don't understand each other. A Dutch person is direct, has an opinion straight away, a Belgian has three opinions and 'looks before he leaps', so is more cautious."In Belgium you need contacts if you want to get on. You have to change your opinion to agree with those in power. Eppink gives an example: "A Dutch person would freely reveal which [political] party he voted for. In Belgium that is completely taboo. If you ask a Belgian on the street which party he voted for then you might as well ask him when he last had sex. He regards that as a part of his intimate life. You don't talk about it."Strange Neighbours
Eppink has written two books about Belgium: "Strange Neighbours" and "Adventures of a 'Nederbelg'". He believes the Dutch are very meticulous: "A Dutch person wants a contract and a Belgian wants a contract. Dutch people want a blueprint, with all the details down on paper. A Belgian thinks more about temporary solutions, general criteria and has the attitude of 'if there are problems, we'll deal with them'. A Belgian wants to create a good impression with a dinner, a nice glass of wine in order to do business."And what happens then if the two different cultures are put together? "If the Dutch person comes to the Belgian with a contract, the Belgian then thinks that the Dutch person wants to threaten him, because there is so much small print. When a Dutch person hasn't conned you, then it's certainly slipped his mind."
Maxima
Queen Beatrix is spending 20, 21 and 22 June in Belgium but giving the country some attention will certainly improve relations between the two, says Eppink. "The Flemish [Dutch-speaking Belgians] are also very enthusiastic about Maxima [wife of the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander], because it took her only a year to get to grips with the Dutch language." *Translated and Edited by RNW Internet Desk
Tags: Beatrix, Belgium Protestants, Catholics, Netherlands, Willem I