Shaken by successive government crisis and more than ever divided between Flemish and Francophone Belgium took today, July 1, the Presidency of the European Union. Relay is taken from Spain by the Belgian Community leadership will continue until the end of the year. The 12th Belgian presidency comes at a critical moment in which unsolved problems and unfinished tasks are immensely, said yesterday. Among them stand the completion of the reform of regulations in the banking and financial sector, earning a European diplomatic service, strengthening European economic governance. The new Belgian government would intervene in power before October and the new ruling will not have much time to adapt. The previous government withdrew in late April when Prime Minister Yves Lyoterm resign after the Flemish liberal party Open VLD withdraw its support for the cabinet.
Czech scenario?
There is concern not to repeat the Czech scenario in which the EU has witnessed in the first half of last year. Then the Czech government fell from power – in the middle of the commitment of the Community presidency, leading to total loss of influence of Prague on European affairs. “Of course, Belgium is a European belief, but a country whose future is uncertain, not enjoy the great political trust,” said the agency Christian Frank, a professor at the Institute for European Studies at the Catholic University of Louvain.
Role of the pilot
Belgians emphasize consensus going into the realm of European Affairs, trying to reassure Europe. Emphasized also that the Lisbon Treaty is less weakened the influence of rotating presidency. The position of Belgium is that today the State President has rather a pilot role in European governance than the “captain of the flight. “First we will serve the European institutions”, said the country, adding that will seek to moderate positions. Further dilution of the role of the Belgian Presidency is expected to have European chairman Herman van Rompoy, which at the same time is also Belgian. That is, although it has weakened the importance of the institution itself, chairing the rotating, van Rompoy likely to have a function of facilitator in the event of contradictions.