You're right that it's been a perennial problem. As long as I've been alive there have been Flemish separatists, and long before then too - some of them were ancestors or mine. Things are a little different this time though - the separatist voices are not confined to the fringes, the victor of the elections in Flanders is the NV-A, and they are a separatist party. Their platform before the election was for gradual separation with ever-increasing autonomy leading up to separation in 10 years, but they are clearly Flemish separatists.

The other change is that it's taking longer and longer to form governments. There were crises in the 60 and the 70s and the 80s and the 90s, but they were resolved much more quickly. If my older Flemish relatives are to be believed, the difference between the 60s and 70s and now is that back then the King would call for unity, and the Flemish would cave in and give the French their way, now, with Flanders being the economic power-house, the Flemish people have much more confidence in themselves, and they're not prepared to be the ones to back down this time - certainly not on BHV.

I have no idea how things will turn out, but if we do indeed move to more elections without there having been a government formed out of the last elections, we'll be in entirely un-charted water.

Bart.