Come living in Brussels. The train takes you to the centre of London in 58 minutes!

M

"wfs, can you elaborate your description of the flemish pro-independence parties as engaging in or turning to nazism?"

During WWI, a flemish movement started to exist at the front. Flemish got their orders in french at a time they hardly spoke any french, so it led to several problems. At the same time, the germans stimulated this unhappyness in the occupied part of Belgium (for a map about the frontline of WWI: http://www.a-w-a.be/nl/belgium1.jpg).
After WWI some first changes were made considering the languages in Belgium, although it went terribly slow. The Front Movement started a political party, the Front Party, a party striving for a bilingual Belgium. Since the changes happened so slow, a lot of people got frustrated and turned away from the Movement. These people started different parties in the late '20s and early '30s, and followed the general tendency of becoming extremely right wing and fascist. The new parties were VNV and Verdinaso, who both develloped great bonds with the Nazi party and collaborated with them (Verdinaso even was for a "greater germany") and they became prime suppliers of SS-troops. The German regnum of course stimulated these feelings.
After WWII, the real big changes in languages started, the country was divided in 3 communities (Flanders, Wallonia and the German Eupen-Malmedy) and 3 regions (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels) with all of them regulating bodies. With this one can say that equality was established.

"as for that wiki article, the impact of the eu aid was ambiguous. footnote #6 itself is ambiguous."

I added it as a 2nd source, as people are more likely to trust wikipedia rather than a random article.

"as for eastern european countries wanting to join eu, was it for the net transfer payments or ease on trade restrictions/tariffs and emigration? i've never heard of the former reason."

Those too, but heavy aid to build up your economy is one too

"p.s. how is frenzy's post less off-topic than BW's yet if not still un-f-modded. if i had to hazard a guess, i'd say nationalism, but that's just a guess."

Cause I simply overlooked it.

Aparently, no one can/is willing to have a discussion about this matter, so I'm considering to close this thread..

Madrugada - Ramona

BW, the European Union donated heavily to get their economy growing. A roadmap was set out in a dialectic discussion between the irish government and the EU. Indeed, the Irish government did its part by changing laws etc but the EU made sure the money was there to make the roadmap happening. This is why so many Eastern European countries are so eager to join the EU..
But to return to the topic: it's very similar to the Walloon scenario

Here's a linky or 2:
http://www.eustructuralfunds.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/eu_structural_funds/overview/structural_funds.htm&mn=euse&nID=3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Tiger#EU_Aid

I thought it was better with all the words in it

"Perhaps b/c all the money Flanders pours into wallonia via subsidies/taxes, etc?"

Exactly, as I said, it's part of a economic revival program, and it works. We in Flanders shouldn't complain about it either, as the walloons did the same in the 19th century for flanders

"cmon, let flanders join netherlands, restore the Greater Netherlands!"

The Greater Netherlands included Wallonia and Luxembourg (and some other territories) ET..

Benelux:
http://www.wiewaar.nl/Images/benelux.gif

Greater Netherlands:
http://angel.tctubantia.nl/tctubantia/2006/17provincien.jpg
(ignore the text)

define "retard" ET.. Wallonia has a better growing economy than Flanders the last 3 years, a great proof the economic revival plan for the region is working. And that's en exact repeat of what they did for Flanders in the 19th century..

WELCOME back, you should HAVE made this thread IN community though!!

[General -> Community]

I know Lynns loves it too. I prefer 1 day races like Paris - Roubaix.

We expect pictures!!

I'm low on cash though (as always), so no way to go to Norway