‘Belgium has served its purpose – a praline divorce is in order’ (The Economist)
The federal Kingdom of Belgium, whose capital Brussels is also the capital of the European Union, is now in the final stage of its collapse. Every year it gets more difficult to keep Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia together in the artificial multi-national welfare state, which the Belgian and the EU authorities regard as a miniature EU, the model for Europe as a supranational federalist superstate. This provoked The Independent, not usually known for its Euroscepticism, to comment on the irony that Belgium, ‘one of the greatest advocates of a federal Europe, cannot make sense of its own federal system.’
In the last couple of weeks The Economist opined that ‘Belgium has served its purpose.’ Reuters asked ‘Should Belgium break up’, France’s Liberation headed a front page ‘What if Belgium splits’ and even the New York Sun ran an op-ed asking ‘Who needs Belgium?’ The Daily Telegraph wrote that the establishment of Belgium in 1830-31 was partly Britain’s fault and that it is time to bring Flanders, a long-standing friend of England, back to the community of nations.
Two years ago, Imprint Academic published Paul Belien’s book A Throne in Brussels: Britain, the Saxe-Coburgs and the Belgianisation of Europe. The book, a history of Belgium and the dynasty which Britain installed on its throne, predicted that Belgium would ‘fall apart in the next ten years.’ Sooner than expected the final episode of Belgium’s collapse has begun.
Since A Throne in Brussels is the ONLY popular history of Belgium in the English language, Imprint Academic has decided to produce a new edition. The book explains the causes of the coming collapse of Belgium and its implications for Britain and Europe.
Dr Paul Belien is a Flemish lawyer and historian who holds a doctorate in International Studies from the University of Buckingham. He worked as a professional journalist for two decades, lives near Brussels and is an Adjunct Fellow of The Hudson Institute in Washington DC. He is the editor of the influential Brussels Journal website.
Praise for A Throne in Brussels
‘The warning contained in this book is simple: hold fast to your national identity, you nations of Europe, or else dissolve, like Belgium, in a sea of corruption and despair.’ (Roger Scruton)
‘If you read only one book on Belgium, make it this one’ (Daniel Hannan MEP)
‘This is a fascinating book’ (Hugo Vickers)
‘Consistently shocking’ (John O'Sullivan)
International journalists who would like a review copy can request one from the publisher.