Walloons/Flemings: the key sentence
13 September, 2009
The Flemish historian Maarten Van Ginderachter wrote that the Walloons were excluded from the national power, between 1884 and 1902 there was only one Walloon in the Belgian government 1
The following table is an illustration of what M. Van Ginderachter wrote:
Government composition, 1884-1911 2
|
Periods and Governments |
Flemish ministers |
Ministers from Brussels |
Walloon Ministers |
|
A.Beernaert: October 26 1884/ March 17 1894 |
60 % |
14 % |
26 % |
|
J.de Burlet: March 26 1894/ June 25 1896 |
75 % |
9 % |
16 % |
|
P. de Smetde Naeyer: June 26 1896/ January 23 1899 |
87 % |
- |
13 % |
|
J.Vandenpeerzbom: January 24 1899/ July 31 1899 |
84 % |
- |
16 % |
|
P. de Smet de Naeyer : August 5 1899/ April 12 1907 |
76 % |
- |
24 % |
|
J.de Trooz: May 1 1907/ December 31 1907 |
67 % |
11 % |
22 % |
|
Schollaert: January 9 1908/ June 8 1911 |
57 % |
22 % |
21 % |
|
Ch. De Broqueville: June 18 1911/ August 4 1914 |
42 % |
22 % |
36 % |
During the World War I, on 3 may 1918 an informant of the Belgian Embassy in the Netherlands sent this report to this Embassy: Because of the working of our politics, the running of the country is founded on a party which leans principally on the Flemish and agricultural regions of Belgium when the Walloon and industrial regions of the country are totally excluded from this running. It is an anormal situation, which is caused by a bad application of the parlementiarism (..) which was already obvious before the war and which will deteriorate. The difference between the Flemish issue and the Walloon issue is that that the Flemings are pursuing intellectual and moral goals while the Walloons are demanding the immediate abolition of a situation they consider improper and hurtful. 3
This report was sent to King Albert and his Government in Sainte-Adresse. This key-sentence explains the whole Walloons/Flemings issue.
