Someone tries to sell Belgium on eBay

[Pladio]

Yahoo Article (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070918/ap_on_fe_st/belgium_for_sale_5)
Split possible (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070918/wl_nm/belgium_poll_dc_1)

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Hidden among the porcelain fox hounds and Burberry tablecloths on sale at eBay.be this week was an unusual item: "For Sale: Belgium, a Kingdom in three parts ... free premium: the king and his court (costs not included)."
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The odd ad was posted by one disgruntled Belgian in protest at his country's political crisis which reached a 100-day landmark Tuesday with no end in sight to the squabbling between Flemish and Walloon politicians.
(...)

[Lucky Day]

do you have a link or what used to be one?

[Corwin]

If we buy it, do we get free beer?!! :)

[Alrik Fassbauer]

It has been in the press here, and ebay already removed it.

Belgium, by the way, currently is turmoiled by a quite big political crisis right now, and once again it's over some states wanting to separate themselves from the others.

[Bartacus]

The problem is that the Walloons consider every proposition for a more federal state as a separistic act. Madame Joel 'Non!' Milquet is absolutely the most responsable person for this crisis. When the discussion was about NMBS (Belgian railways) and all the Flemmish politicians wanted was a representative of the 2 (3) regions in the board (today it's only the federal governement), she said 'non!'.
This is the way to split up Belgium, by denying what the majority wants. That pukehead from your add has to get his figures straight. When the politicians of Walloon don't change their attitude to the hand that feeds them (around € 10 billion goes to them every year), almost 80% of the Flemmish people is for a split. That doesn't mean they want the split, but that means that we want to see a real change in the southern part of Belgium.

[txa1265]

Maybe Walmart will buy it and turn it into a strip-mall for Europe. :D

[Pladio]

almost 80% of the Flemmish people is for a split.

No, according to the poll from één, about 42% were for a split in Flanders and only about 16% in Wallonia.

[Squeek]

How high did the bidding go before eBay pulled it?

[Ubereil]

10 million euros ($13.9kk).

Übereil

[YellowWing]

Blame it all on the ERUO >:O

[Jaz]

Maybe Walmart will buy it and turn it into a strip-mall for Europe. :DWalmart wasn't so successful over here :giggle:... no idea how they fared (or do fare in) Belgium...

[magerette]

I hate Wal-Mart and all it stands for. They make Microsoft look like Peter Pan.>:O ;)

I'm sorry to hear about Belgium's woes. I remember Bartacus discussing in another thread all the various political parties in his country and being very impressed that almost every possible viewpoint had representation. It's too bad a few people can stop a consensus being reached and throw things into disarray like this.

[Pladio]

Walmart wasn't so successful over here :giggle:... no idea how they fared (or do fare in) Belgium...

I don't believe there are any Walmarts in Belgium (there might be, but I've never seen one).
We do have Germany's MediaMarkt. :D

[Jaz]

Yet another pest, but still a wee tad better than the big W. I'm glad Walmart beat a hasty retreat after they found out that their philosphy wasn't compatible with local mentality.

[Bartacus]

No, according to the poll from één, about 42% were for a split in Flanders and only about 16% in Wallonia.
Indeed, that's why I said: get your numbers straight. Read GVA a bit more and you'll see that when you ask your question in a different way : When there isn't a step on federalisation (a change of attitude by the politicans of our southern friends), do you want to split? And it's on that specific question a vast majority answers: yes, do split up.

And that's exactly like I see it too. A split isn't necessary for me, but a large step in federalisation is. If that can't be done and mme 'non' keeps with her standard answer, the split will be a fact instead of a utopia.

[titus]

bart it might not happen often that I agree with some one for 100% but I do agree with you.

I even voted for cd&v-NVA

10 million? they can have belgium for a lot less for me, but with an indepent flanders :P
Wallmart? never seen it but Mediamarkt is here yes

[Bartacus]

Bad news -> The french speaking politicians still think they can rule over us with their minority. I don't think Belgium will split, even now. The fact remains that we are a step closer to independence then to coöporation.

[titus]

I just think the frech are doing hard for nothing. They don't want BHV separated but if it doesn't happen, well it is against the constition.

The flemisch part of the senate can't seperate it either, well they can but then there would be a conflict of interests.

Because of the french speakers belgian is indeed closer to his end than before, but It won't happen yet

[zima98]

I've read today that Begium isn't able to create goverment and for 150 days now Belgium lives without it. Any signs of improvment? Or you maybe like this situation?

[Corwin]

I would have thought that to be the perfect situation!! :)

[Bartacus]

We are not exactly without one: the federal state that Belgium is, consists of no less then 6 equal governements. The federal (whole Belgium) isn't above the Flemmish or the Walloon, nor the German speaking, the French speaking or the Brussels one.
With this knowledge you can imagine what happens when the jurisdiction of one governement overlaps with one of another. This is why we (Flemmish) want to split up some other areas to make it more logical for the civilians. The French speaking minority wants to achieve the same thing, but with more unitarisation instead of the splitting up. (This is a simplistic view upon things here, but it give you an idea of why it's so difficult to negotiate)

[titus]

uh bart you are mistaken on that one. The belgian government is the highest and flemish,walloons and brussels are equal.
Or I thought so because the law from senate are highest in hyrarchic ladder than from the flemish government and so

[Bartacus]

Nope, titus, that's the problem that sometimes it conflicts -> remember Zaventem (national airport) with the discussion between the Belgian government and the one of Brussels?

[zima98]

Have you known that some annonymous Italian bought on e-bay samll town in Texas for 3,8 mln USD?

[Bartacus]

Nope, but don't forget that Belgium has a gigantic hole in the economy (10,000 billion USD of debts). I don't thin anyone will ever buy this country.

Btw, the winer of the elections redrawed himself from forming a government. There is simply no will from both sides to give in. I think this is what the Liberal side (Open VLD + MR -> both the Flemmish and the Walloon liberals) used for a strategy. Who wins when the winner can't form a government? The one that is needed and said 'yes' to all the demands. Both CDH and CD&V/NVA should have seen this comming a mile away.

[Bartacus]

After 196days we have a government. Like the previous one, they pushed the hot potatoes to a later date. The issue of more federalisation still lies ahead because this will only be a temporary government till 28 march 2008. I expect that neither will give in and that we face the end of Belgium, perhaps not immediately but if you can make compromises ...

[Corwin]

Guess I'd better go and buy some Belgian Beer before that goes as well!! :)

[titus]

that are the 2 things I will miss about belgian: its great beer and chocolat