I am 27, Belgian and come from a country that has had a monarchy since its first days. Indeed, I currently work in Argentina thanks to a grant from a royal foundation (the Prince Albert Fund). But I wish to contribute to this debate over the role of monarchy in a Europe I want modern so that, at least, we will not be viewed any longer as the Old Continent.
The role of the monarchy has declined in the last 50 years, after a painful controversy over the attitude of one King (Leopold III) during the Second World War. That crisis boosted the role of other institutions such as the Parliament. Since then, this Parliament has echoed the desires of the population, sometimes only a part of it, and consequently the country has been modified to become a very complex federal entity (three communities, three official languages German as well as the more familiar Flemish and Walloon).
In the past, kings with a strong personality left their mark on history. Leopold II enjoyed Congo-Zaire as his private estate before being forced into ìgivingî it to the nation; Albert I was remembered and thanked as a proud king who faced the German invasion during the First World War.
But today mindsets have changed, and it can be difficult for a Belgian king to live up to the symbolic role of a so-called moral guardian. This was seen in 1990, when the late Baudouin I even abdicated for a day with creative help from our ministers and legal specialists to avoid signing a law on abortion he believed was wrong.
All acts of the Royal Family are not always as moral. For example, Belgians only discovered two years ago that our current king, Albert II, had an illegitimate daughter. Yet fortunately, the Belgian royal family is not as eccentric as that in Monaco, for example. Belgians, especially the less well off, would never accept to see their money wasted by individuals seeking to live an undeserved life of luxury.
Adieu, papa?
Belgium is, sadly, not a very patriotic country. Monarchy was at the centre of its creation in 1830. After decades of relatively good service, could it also be at the end of the country as it is known? There are strong sentiments in favour of greater autonomy for the north of the country (Flanders), whereas the south (Wallonia) prefers the status quo. After our strong social security system, monarchy is the last cement holding the country together. As even social security starts to be discussed, a debate over monarchy will happen and solutions, perhaps radical ones, will be found. Another driving force of change is the speed of acceptance by Belgian citizens (especially the elderly) of our Europeanisation. A fully European identity would reduce dependency on the old papas Belgium.
Were all Kings!
I personally believe and hope our monarchy has reached its last days. Indeed, cant we all, especially those we vote for, represent, defend and implement the values we believe in? Cant we have institutions more efficient so that one family even royal does not have to bear that huge pressure on their shoulders?
And should we allow tabloids to exploit their raw material without even paying for it? What is the point, after all, in keeping individuals chosen by heredity and not by citizens? Let us, rather, thank them for their past work and give them the anonymity they might even want. As nation-states are being rethought in a European Union that I want to be efficient and strong, the time has come to fully empower democracy.
