The ace political cartoonist of Belgium's leading francophone daily Le Soir, Pierre Kroll, compiled a book of drawings last year, with mordant commentary by Pierre Bouillon, also of Le Soir. Their book, "Draw Me Belgium," which was published prior to the June 2007 elections, was prophetic in its projections of record-breaking stalemates for coalition building. One of Kroll's cartoons has a flying saucer with a couple of Martians, looking down on Earth. "There's one country I've never understood," says the first alien. The second Martian responds - "I see which one..." Down on Earth, Belgium's politicians cavort, hand in hand.
I've flipped through the Kroll/Bouillon book for inspiration often these past few weeks, in preparation for the next milestone in the Belgian political process: the handover later this month from caretaker Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt to coalition leader Yves Leterme. But the event has been troubled by (a) Leterme's hospitalization for stress-induced gastrointestinal problems (read: bleeding ulcer - he's just been released from hospital and will return to the scene on Monday) and (b) the defection from the putative coalition of Leterme's main Flemish nationalist partners.
Last November, when I started writing "Avuncular American," I would regularly provide updates on the emerging Belgian political situation. That was a time when there was attention from the world press on the imminent breakup of Belgium - or so you would believe, given the dire statements from all sides. Every day there were slights and hurts to the opposite political side (usually along linguistic, "community" lines instead of ideological left-right lines), which only served to reinforce the fears of looming divorce.
Finally, King Albert II, with help from lame-duck PM Verhofstadt, brokered a compromise that is now approaching its next stage: 9 months after the June 2007 elections, Flemish politician Yves Leterme is to take up the Prime Ministerial helm circa Easter. "Dead or alive," as one of his political allies (with friends like this...) indelicately put it, referring to doubts about his political and physical stamina to resume tough "institutional reform" (read separatism) negotiations. After the pre-Christmas royal truce, and an extension of the Verhofstadt reign, is Belgium now about to re-enter another period of sectarian tension? It certainly looks like it. Stay tuned.