Die Welt

At least 25,000 people have held a demonstration in Belgium for national unity. Dutch-speaking Flemings and French-speaking Walloons marched together through Brussels to make clear their opposition to a division of their country. The demonstrators displayed placards and banners in Dutch, French and German.

Negotiations on the formation of a new government have been dragging on for months without a result, plunging the country into a crisis and into speculation that the kingdom could divide.

A typical Belgian event, the demonstration ended with beer, chips and a concert. Most of the demonstrators were French-speaking, though with a significant number of Flemings. To shouts of "Belgium, Belgium" and "Long live the King" amid a sea of black-red-gold tricolour flags, one of them said, "We’re either Flemings or Walloons, but Belgians first."

Marie-Claire Houard, who organised the demonstration, said she was happy. She announced that a declaration made in Liege for national unity had attracted 140,000 signatures, and that it would be handed to Senate Speaker Armand de Decker. Houard said at the beginning of the demonstration that the declaration was a demand to politicians to "stop playing in their sandbox" and put aside their disagreements between the French-speaking and Flemish-speaking parties.

The parliamentary elections of 10 June produced an apparent winner in Christian Democrat Yves Leterme, but he was unable to form a government. The liberal-socialist cabinet under Guy Verhofstadt has been leading a caretaker government ever since.