Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde: Flemish money for French-speaking privileges

The CD&V, Open Vld, sp.a and Groen have paid a huge price for the break-up of the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde constituency. No less than 16 pieces of legislation were needed to convert all of the concessions made to French speakers into law. And what’s more, these laws are being set in stone and written right into the constitution. Small wonder the French speakers are so pleased. The six municipalities with language facilities are being brought into the Brussels sphere of influence, French speakers are acquiring even more privileges in Flemish Brabant, and the Flemish are seeing their rights diminish even further in Brussels. The judicial arrondissement is not being broken up at all, and French-speaking magistrates are even being placed in Halle-Vilvoorde. The Flemish get to spend an extra 1 billion euros for Brussels, and it isn’t even being reformed. This agreement does not resolve the Community-related disputes in Brussels and the Vlaamse Rand (Flemish Periphery of Brussels). In fact, it lays the groundwork for future disputes. For Flemings, this ‘solution’ is even worse than the disease.