Belgium's Fourth Region

The debate concerning the political crisis in Belgium and the unlikely, yet much discussed, possibility of the country splitting, has focused firmly on the disagreements between the two main linguistic areas, French-speaking Wallonia and Flemish-speaking Flanders.

Though these two areas are the largest in terms of size, and also importance when it comes to deciding policies which affect the whole country, Belgium has in fact been divided into four linguistic regions since the early 1960s. Besides Wallonia in the south and Flanders in the north, there is the bilingual Brussels capital region and the tiny German-speaking area in the East Cantons.

While Brussels is sometimes left out of the debate over Belgium's future -- due mainly to its bilingualism, its self-sufficiency and its status as an international city -- the East Cantons seem to be ignored altogether when it comes to discussing the linguistic and cultural divide.

A region of 854 square kilometers (530 square miles) with a population of over 73,000, of which almost 100 percent are German speaking, the East Cantons can quite easily be overlooked in Belgium's controversial situation. The juicy arguments and stubborn nationalist positions of the more powerful Flemings and Walloons make for far better headlines than a quirky little Germanic outpost on the far eastern border.

Similar challenges

And yet, the German-speaking community of the East Cantons, as a linguistic minority within the federal state of Belgium, faces similar challenges to those causing strife between "the big two."

Granted internal rule in 1973, the region has its own parliament in the capital of Eupen and control over linguistic and cultural matters. The parliament organizes elections, supervises the regional government, and adopts decrees for the German-speaking community. The East Cantons also have committees charged with governing areas such as education, social policy, health and employment.

Despite this illusion of self-rule, however, the region still remains part of French-speaking Wallonia, located as it is in the province of Liege, and is therefore kept under the watchful eye of the Wallon parliament.

It is not surprising that there are some in the East Cantons who have themselves expressed a desire for the kind of autonomy favored by the more extreme elements on either side of the main linguistic divide. A small but growing number have been voicing their support for an independent mini-state.

As is the case in the rest of the country, this is not a view shared by the whole population of the East Cantons.

To get an idea how the German-speaking region and its people view their role in the wider Belgian community, DW-WORLD.DE talked to Jean-Claude Franken, the secretary of the German-speaking community's Christian Social Party (CSP), a cooperation partner of the Francophone Humanist Democratic Center (CDH) in the Belgian parliament.

DW-WORLD.DE: Is Belgium's German-speaking minority well integrated?

Jean-Claude Franken: The German-speaking minority is integrated in the Belgian federal state very well. There are special laws within the Belgian constitution that protect the German-speaking community here.

How much power does the German-speaking minority have in Belgium?

The German-speaking community is an equal partner in the Belgian federal state. That is because there is no favoritism towards any of the linguistic minorities in the country in terms of the divulgence of power. In the federal government, of course, the larger regions have the biggest political parties and therefore more seats in parliament, but our cooperation with the CDH allows us to have our say as part of Wallonia.

In regional terms, the parties within the East Canton -- the CSP, the Socialist Party, the Party for Freedom and Progress and the Party for German-Speaking Belgians -- ensure that the autonomy we enjoy is used to make the community as self-reliant and efficient as possible.

Does the German-speaking minority in Belgium consider itself German or Belgian?

In former times, the region was part of Prussia and therefore a small part of Germany. During World War II, it was annexed again by Germany after being part of Belgium since the end of the Great War. When the East Canton was returned to Belgium once more in 1945, some who lived there regretted this and wanted to stay German; these were the same people who welcomed the occupying Nazi forces.

However, as Belgium has grown as a nation of diversity and understanding, the German-speaking community has become very integrated in the country and contact with out neighboring regions has increased over the years. As a result, the German speakers consider themselves to be fully-fledged Belgians and are accepted as such by their Flemish and Walloon compatriots.

Could the German-speaking area support itself if Belgium separated? If not, would it consider joining another region or hope to become part of Germany again?

The question of splitting Belgium is a moot point. It won't happen. But for the sake of argument, despite its current state of stable and competent government, the German-speaking community would struggle to support itself in this hypothetical scenario and would have to join either Wallonia or another state area.

There are some who push for this in the German-speaking community. The current Premier Karl-Heinz Lambertz of the Socialist Party is one of the most prominent proponents of this idea. These people say, as do the Flemish, that Wallonia is too much of a burden with its financial and social problems. Lambertz and others want a full transfer of powers from Wallonia to the German-speaking parliament resulting in full regional autonomy.

Is the cultural identity of the German-speaking minority strong? How is it protected?

The cultural identity of the German speakers is deeply rooted. Our culture expresses itself in the German language spoken by the region's people, the traditions that remain strong there and the creative and artistic expression in the region. The position of the German-speaking community in the Belgian federal state and its culture is protected by law in the constitution. There are no worries within the community that the cultural identity of the German-speaking minority is under threat in Belgium or by any policy of enlargement or expansion from the European Union.

Is the German-speaking minority in Belgium influenced by the decisions of the European Union?

Of course. The EU has an influence on all countries which are member states, and that of course means that those people and minorities in those member states are influenced by EU policy. The difference is that, unlike some minorities across Europe, the German-speaking community does not fear these policies but welcomes them.