Between Europeanization and National Collaps

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Politics - Political systems in general and in comparison, grade: 1,3, University of Erfurt, language: English, abstract: Since the 1960 the situation in Belgium is embossed by a conflict between two cultural groups and recurrent political crisis. 2007 the small state in the heart of Europe was not able to find a government that argues the interest of 10 million people during almost 200 days. Now an interim government controls the fate of Belgium until the next elections in March 2008. The future for the state seems to be very insecure: Flanders and Wallonia are the main actors in the traditional conflict known as 'battle of language'. But it is more than a struggle between French and Dutch - it is a combat concerning culture, economy and politics. Two parties are trying for decades to win the fight for force and influence and have now reached the climax. This work will give an impression how Belgium got there and where it might go.