BELGIUM: Students stage a "French fries revolution" to protest the political deadlock

Record ID: 825849

  • Title: BELGIUM: Students stage a "French fries revolution" to protest the political deadlock
  • Date: 18th February 2011
  • Summary: STUDENTS WRITING ON GIANT WHITE ROLL GIRL WRITING ON ROLL "I LOVE THE WALLONIANS THEY ARE MY FRIENDS" STUDENTS EATING FRIES EMPTY PAPER PLATE
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium, Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8CUPTE24K9G392DHNR851R970
  • Story Text: Belgian students staged a 'French fries revolution' on Thursday (February 17) to protest over the delayed formation of a new government.
    Unlike recent revolutions based on colour or flowers, students chose Belgium's staple food "pomme frite" or French fries as the symbol for their protest against a political deadlock which has lasted 249 days since elections on June 13 last year.
    If Belgium fails to form a government by the end of March, it will have exceeded the 289 days Iraq took last year to swear in a government after elections. After 249 days, Iraq political leaders had a political agreement, students say, something yet not reached in Belgium.
    The election has so far failed to provide a new government with politicians from the French and Dutch-speaking part of Belgium arguing about a reform of the state. The winner of the elections in Dutch-speaking Flanders, the N-VA party led by Bart de Wever, wants greater devolution of powers to the regions. French-speakers view further devolution as a step towards the break-up of Belgium, something they oppose.
    In Louvain-la-Neuve, a university town South East of Brussels, students gathered to form the slogan 'Een equals Un' or 'one equals one' to show their opposition to a potential break-up of the country.
    ''It is now 249 that we're living without a government, we're breaking the world record today so we want to tell them 'now it's high time for you to take your responsibilities and form that government and get over divisions and arguments'. This political dispute, you won't find among the population or at least at a minimum level,''a protester Jean Gabriel said.
    In an atmosphere reminiscent of a fun fair, students erected a mock wailing wall and a shooting gallery using Belgian politicians as targets.Students also showed their discontent by throwing shoes at the pictures of their leaders.
    Elsewhere, in the town of Leuven, dozens of students joined the revolution by eating free fries and writing messages to the government on a giant white roll.
    Student Catherine said the "French fries Revolution" was a good thing because it brought attention to the problem.
    "I think it's a good thing that attention has been given so that something can change as quick as possible, because we cannot stay any longer without a government," said Caroline.
    Belgium's political deadlock centres on its linguistic and economic divide.
    Student Roel Van de Pol said he was completely opposed to talk of division.
    "I think the French fries revolution is a great symbolic act to disgrace our politicians, so disgrace one goal of a country because we beat the world record of a country without a government of Iraq's. We think politicians should stop discussing, should stop arguing now and should find a compromise," he said.
    On Wednesday (February 16), King Albert gave his chief mediator a further two weeks to try to break the deadlock. Caretaker Finance Minister Didier Reynders is the sixth person to take on the challenge.
    The former government is still in place, acting in a caretaking capacity.
    The protest is the latest in a series of sometimes eccentric civil actions designed to show public discontent at the post-election deadlock.
    A month ago, 34,000 Belgians marched through Brussels to shame political leaders. Belgian actor Benoit Poelvoorde has urged all Belgian men not to shave until a government is formed and a Flemish Socialist senator even suggested a sex strike.
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