Belgian government falls

[dudalb]

It's clearly time to admit the experiment has failed and abolish Belgium.

Who gets what in dividing the remains. probalby start a war over that one.

 

[crescent]

Who gets what in dividing the remains. probalby start a war over that one.

Let George Will decide. He's been upset by the continued existence of Belgium for decades now.

 

[gypsyjackson]

I think any country that can go for almost two years without a "government" is well into "a rose by any other name" territory. I wonder if the past 650 days felt like anarchy to most Belgians.

I lived in Belgium at the time of the earlier ‘no government’, and it didn’t really feel any different from when the new government was formed. The civil service just kept running stuff as status quo, without making any changes which could be seen as party political, as I recall.

Have you ever driven over any Belgian roads? I have and each time it is firmly in the ‘Don’t even think about opening that bottle of cola now!’

The country is in no chaos whatsoever and frankly a lovely place to visit, but the absence of a government is dearly felt in things like public maintenance. At least from my perspective.

When I lived there, I marvelled at the fact that Belgium, and Brussels in particular where local tax was 9% of income on top of the national 45%, was such a high tax country, yet you had to pay for education and healthcare. I wondered where the money was going, especially given the ridiculously poor quality of the roads. If you drive/ride from Calais to Amsterdam, the start and end countries are beautifully tarmacced, and so smooth and quiet. In the middle, you have the pleasure of unfinished concrete motorways and your ears start to bleed.

Then I found out you could get a carnet of 10 tickets to travel anywhere on the rail network (small country, I know) for €80, which wouldn’t even get you from London to Birmingham once. Presumably all of the tax goes on subsiding the railway.

 

[caveman1917]

When I lived there, I marvelled at the fact that Belgium, and Brussels in particular where local tax was 9% of income on top of the national 45%, was such a high tax country, yet you had to pay for education and healthcare.

You have to pay for neither. For higher education and some healthcare services you have to pay a small charge, which still isn't even in the ballpark of covering the costs.

Then I found out you could get a carnet of 10 tickets to travel anywhere on the rail network (small country, I know) for €80, which wouldn’t even get you from London to Birmingham once. Presumably all of the tax goes on subsiding the railway.

Most of the tax goes to education and healthcare. But yes, public transport is also very cheap and available.

 

[gypsyjackson]

You have to pay for neither. For higher education and some healthcare services you have to pay a small charge, which still isn't even in the ballpark of covering the costs.

Yeah, I guess I was comparing it with the UK, where it’s free to see a GP; in Brussels it was €30 IIRC. I never had to have serious treatment.

I was also told that one had to pay a few hundred euros a year for primary and secondary education, for textbooks etc. Again I compared that with UK where that is free.

I confess I exaggerated a bit for comic effect, and accept the correction!

Most of the tax goes to education and healthcare. But yes, public transport is also very cheap and available.

 

[Firestone]

Yeah, I guess I was comparing it with the UK, where it’s free to see a GP; in Brussels it was €30 IIRC. I never had to have serious treatment.

(bolding mine)
You get €22 back via the mandatory health insurance.

I was also told that one had to pay a few hundred euros a year for primary and secondary education, for textbooks etc. Again I compared that with UK where that is free.

That's correct.
For university, the standard fee is +/- €950 per year, less if you are entitled to government help (depends on your parents income).

I confess I exaggerated a bit for comic effect, and accept the correction!

The point stands though: Belgian has very high taxes.

 

[gypsyjackson]

(bolding mine)
You get €22 back via the mandatory health insurance.

That's correct.
For university, the standard fee is +/- €950 per year, less if you are entitled to government help (depends on your parents income).

Maybe UK citizens couldn’t (or diplomats)?

 

[caveman1917]

I was also told that one had to pay a few hundred euros a year for primary and secondary education, for textbooks etc. Again I compared that with UK where that is free.

Depends on the school I guess, mine didn't have a requirement for buying textbooks, they had their own. Which was different in university, tuition itself was a few hundred euros a year but required textbooks were actually a higher cost.

 

[Dr.Sid]

Ah, so I guess there is explanation behind the terrible Covid deaths in Belgium.

 

[The Don]

Ah, so I guess there is explanation behind the terrible Covid deaths in Belgium.

Also the definition of Covid death used in Belgium was (still is ?) very broad.

 

[caveman1917]

Maybe UK citizens couldn’t (or diplomats)?

Turns out diplomats indeed fall under a different statute with regards to the health insurance scheme.