From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Thu, 2007-09-27 06:33
A quote from the BBC’s Mark Mardell, 27 September 2007
It’s probably an arrogant, very English way of seeing it, but to me there is no denying that Belgium can seem like an argument between the more “Anglo-Saxon” Flemish and their French-speaking neighbours.
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-09-26 20:54
A quote from the Huntsman on his blog, 26 September 2007
I wish to throw in an eighteenth possibility to the list of seventeen possibilities suggested at the link above, which is that, instead of Flanders going it alone, it should join the United Kingdom.
From the desk of Fjordman on Wed, 2007-09-26 10:21
Does anyone still think it is a conspiracy theory to say that there is a coordinated campaign going in Europe to destroy the established nation states and surrender our countries to Muslims?
From the desk of Paul Belien on Wed, 2007-09-26 07:35
Ever heard of the West Lothian Question? West Lothian is the Scottish region immediately to the west of Edinburgh. The question is so called because it was first posed by Tam Dalyell, a Labor member of the British Parliament for West Lothian. Mr. Dalyell wondered how long the English would tolerate the situation in which Scottish members of the British Parliament, such as himself, have a (sometimes decisive) say about issues affecting only England, while English parliamentarians have no say about the same matters in Scotland.
From the desk of Luc Van Braekel on Tue, 2007-09-25 14:51
How do you persuade Europeans that America is concerned about climate change and is reducing its carbon emissions? Well, one way would be to put a fundamentalist environmental regulator from the state of California together with a pragmatic European bureaucrat from Brussels in a debate. After listening to both, the green girls and boys in the audience will be convinced that while Europe is talking and persuading, the US is acting, regulating, enforcing and punishing. Perhaps this was the reasoning at the US mission to the EU when they sponsored a debate on climate change last Wednesday in Brussels, organized by CafeBabel.com.
From the desk of Elaib Harvey on Tue, 2007-09-25 07:39
The Agora system is a format by which the European Parliament can get a handle how the outside world is thinking, in particular about the whole Constitutional thingy.
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Mon, 2007-09-24 12:23
A quote from Patrick J. Buchanan, The McLaughlin Group (PBS), 14 September 2007
The next European country to break apart will be Belgium.
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Mon, 2007-09-24 06:59
A quote from French Prime Minister Francois Fillon in The Daily Telegraph, 24 September 2007
I am at the head of a state that is in a position of bankruptcy. I am at the head of a state that for 15 years has been in chronic deficit. I am at the head of a state that has not once passed a balanced budget in 25 years. This can't go on.
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Sun, 2007-09-23 20:32
A quote from Megan McArdle at the Atlantic blog, 23 September 2007
Now that the European Union has taken over the currency, as well as many of the trade and customs functions of traditional federal governments, Belgium as a state suddenly looks a lot less necessary. One wonders if the current era of economic integration (assuming it continues) might not bring increasing political balkanization.
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Sun, 2007-09-23 10:52
A quote from Anthony Manduca in The Times of Malta, 23 September 2007
Should Belgium – the heart of the EU – split into two it would be embarrassing for those in the EU who advocate even deeper integration and the eventual doing away of the nation state. However, I do not believe that the majority of EU officials and leaders are in favour of such a direction for the EU.
