Belgium Country Profile

Study Notes

A small country in Europe, with an area smaller than the Indian state of Haryana
Shares borders with France, Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg
Has a population of around 1 crore, roughly half of Haryana's population
Complex ethnic position, with 59% of the population speaking Dutch, 40% speaking French, and 1% speaking German
Capital city is Brussels, where 80% of the population speaks French and 20% speaks Dutch
French-speaking community is relatively rich, while Dutch-speaking people are a majority in the country but a minority in the capital, leading to acute tension between the two communities
To accommodate this, the Belgian constitution was amended four times between 1970 and 1993

Equal representation of Dutch and French speaking ministers in the central government
Many powers of the central government have been devolved to the state governments of the two regions, with the state governments not being subordinate to the central government
Brussels has a separate government with equal representation of both communities
Community government is elected by people belonging to one language community, with power over educational, cultural, and language-related issues
This model has helped avoid civil strife and possible division on linguistic lines

An island nation located near the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, India
Has a population of around 2 crore, same as Haryana
Social groups: 74% of people speak Sinhala (Buddhism), 18% speak Tamil (Hindu and Muslim), and 7% are Christians
Sub-groups: 13% of Tamil-speaking people are Sri Lankan Tamils, while 5% are Indian Tamils who came from Tamil Nadu
Majoritarianism: Sinhala community was dominant in politics, and Sinhala leaders favored Sinhalas in every way, leading to alienation and discrimination of Tamils

In 1956, Sinhalese was declared the official language, leading to Tamil protests and demands for equal rights
Tamils demanded a separate state, leading to a civil war in the 1980s that lasted until 2009
The civil war resulted in loss of life, refugees, and a significant impact on the economy

Prudential reason: Powersharing can reduce the possibility of conflict between communities and ensure stable politics
Moral reason: Powersharing is a fundamental aspect of democracy, as people have the right to be consulted on how they want to be governed

Horizontal powersharing: Power is shared among different organs of government, such as legislature, executive, and judiciary, to maintain a balance
Federal government (vertical powersharing): Power is divided between the central government and regional governments, with the regional governments not being subordinate to the central government