Live from Brussels and LvB (in Dutch) report that the chairman of the Flemish Liberal-Democrats ["liberal" means "pro-market" in Belgian political lingo], Karel De Gucht, has been kicked out by his fellow party member and Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. This, because he had the temerity to oppose a law extending voting rights for noncitizen immigrants --- something opposed by a solid majority of the Flemish population and by the vast majority of the rank and file in his own party.
"Left"-ist parties advocate the law for obvious ideological reasons, French-speaking parties out of electoral opportunism, because they assume the immigrants will favor French-speaking parties, particularly in bilingual Brussels. Verhofstadt fits neither bill, but must have cut an ironclad coalition deal with Parti Socialiste-frontman Elio Di Rupo. Typical Belgian "particratie" (partycracy) at work... ;-)
'liberal' used in the sense of 'pro-market' is not an example of Belgian political lingo. Liberal should be read here as 'classical liberal' in the sense of Hayek and Friedman. It is in the States that this word has been corrupted to mean just the opposite.
Posted by: Fred | February 19, 2004 at 11:09 PM