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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > BELGIAN POLITICIANS STILL WAFFLING AFTER SETTING RECORD FOR NO GOVERNMENT
BELGIAN POLITICIANS STILL WAFFLING AFTER SETTING RECORD FOR NO GOVERNMENT
April 3 2011
Brussels, Belgium – Nestled in the heart of Europe, a major seat of multiple political entities, and still possessing the quaint persona of the old world, one would not think of Belgium as being one the many global hotspots of political unrest. With chaos and 
violence throughout the Middle East and Africa, disputed elections the world over, and totalitarian governments still prominent there are more than enough problems to go around without a nation in the heart of democracy causing problems.
That, though, is exactly what has been happening in Belgium for nearly a year after a deadlocked election left the nation without a government of any kind. Now the country has set a record for the longest period without a government, surpassing the previous record holder of Iraq, with no apparent end in sight. At issue is the ethnic divisions in the country which has left the two major parties with not enough votes to have a majority in the government. For ordinary Belgians the issue has become a contentious one, driving people into the streets much like what has happened in other countries around the world, protesting the waffling by government officials and gathering throughout the country in what is quickly becoming a dangerous situation, the so-called ‘Revolution des Frites’, or Fry Revolution. 
“We are happy and proud that our brothers and sisters in Africa and the Middle East have joined us in this battle, in this war to gain a representative government, a government that works for the people and not against it. This war began here in Belgium but it has now a spread the world over. Vive la Frites,” said one protestor in the nation’s capital. “Our country has become a global embarrassment and the fight will go on until we have what we are owed. We can no longer allow politicians to decide where our nation is led. Belgium belongs to the people and the revolution will continue until we have it back.”
The country has been without a government since June 13, 2010. Iraq, the previous record holder, went without a government for 289 days after decades of totalitarian rule, multiple wars, terrorism, and civil strife caused political fractures.
“There are deep divides in Belgium which aren’t readily apparent to the outside world 
and so when something like this occurs it just seems a little confusing. There are a number of political parties in the country, which itself is divided sharply along social and ethnic lines between the Dutch north and French south which may someday lead to partition,” said Scrape TV International analyst Gustav Hander. “Now this is not quite the same thing that happened in say Iraq where the ethnic minority was gassed a murdered, but it is similar and is obviously causing a lot of tension which has led, in part, to this current political crisis. It is also those factors which will make it such a challenge to resolve.”
Another major issue has been the division of potato and yeast crops which underpin the country’s food supplies.
“Most people know very little about Belgium and generally speaking are very happy with that but that doesn’t mean that the issues occurring there can be ignored. Like what has happened in Arab countries it is entirely possible that we will see similar protests and fractures of the government structure throughout Europe and that would not be a good time,” continued Hander. “For now we may just have to watch what happens. Hopefully though we won’t see violence on the level that we have seen in places like Libya or Iraq, or maybe we will. Maybe it won’t really matter though it will certainly mess up travel.”
A recent rash of violent protests was apparently sparked by the beating of a waffle vendor who was doused in confectioner’s sugar.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
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