Ring out the bells! Hats in the air! Let off firecrackers!
Belgium has a government.
After 18 months, the six remaining parties in the coalition (we started off with nine) have managed to put aside enough of their differences to conclude an agreement. They were arguing down to the fine detail of how much tax value to give a company supplied Audi A4, for example, as opposed to a company Fiat Panda.
Apparently there is a reason for this. It ensures that the government won't fall apart at the first minor disagreement. Belgian political parties like to slam doors for effect, but that would lead to the collapse of the coalition and we'd have to start all over again.
However, now they have decided everything down to the number of spots on new PM Elio di Rupo's bow tie, it begs the question, what will be left for the parliamentarians to decide?
Apparently there is a reason for this. It ensures that the government won't fall apart at the first minor disagreement. Belgian political parties like to slam doors for effect, but that would lead to the collapse of the coalition and we'd have to start all over again.
However, now they have decided everything down to the number of spots on new PM Elio di Rupo's bow tie, it begs the question, what will be left for the parliamentarians to decide?
3 comments:
I hope they'll be very happy.
I thought you were managing OK without a government. Do they have a an agreed policy on cross-dressing?
Has to be the longest prenup in history, Pat.
GB, we were managing OK until one of Belgium's biggest banks fell over, then they got threatened with a downgrade by S&P, and looked like we were going to join Greece for a minute there. Nothing like the whiff of total collapse to pull people to their senses.
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