Question

What steps were taken by the Belgium Government to solve the conflict between its ethnic communities?

Answer 1

Instructions: The ethnic communities in Belgium include the Dutch-speaking, the French-speaking and the German-speaking communities. Describe the measures and constitutional amendments that were taken to resolve the conflict between these communities in about 100-120 words.
Answer: In Belgium, the leaders recognised the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities. The Belgian government accommodated it’s diverse ethnic population in the following manner:

1. The Constitution states that the number of Dutch and French speaking ministers shall be equal in the Central government. Thus, no single community can make decisions as per their own will.
2. Many powers of the Central Government have been given to the state governments. The state governments are not subordinate to the Central government.
3. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation.
4. There is a third kind of government, called the “Community Government”. This government is elected by the people belonging to one language community – Dutch, French and German speaking, no matter where they live. This government has the power regarding cultural, education and language-related issues.