1151 | 141 | In the country of surrealism and language conflicts, there are officially no minorities ! | Christian Vandermotten
The Belgian federal State, with its very complex structure, juxtaposing Regions (with a territorial basis) and Communities (with a linguistic basis), is built on linguistic cleavages and these influence the country’s political life on a daily basis. And yet, since 1947, there has been no official information on the use of languages in the country! Under pressure from Flanders, Belgium has not joined the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Minorities. Even the small German-speaking minority in the east of the country is not considered a minority, as it has full Community status, on the same level as the Flemish Community and the French Community Wallonia-Brussels. This complexity is explained by Belgium’s political history since 1830: the country was dominated by French-speaking elites throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Flemish movement fostered a community feeling based on the right of the soil, while the French-speakers preferred the right of persons, which led to a progressive nibbling of Flemish soil, especially around Brussels, according to the Flemish. The complexity of the Belgian situation is reflected in the rules of use of languages in the signage
Christian Vandermotten
Université Libre de Bruxelles, Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique
ID Abstract: 141