Belgium bans roadsigns written in French.

I'm actually amazed at the situation in South Africa. I think that no matter if you speak Zulu, Afrikaans, English, etc. you seem to have the unity among yourselves no matter what the colour of the skin nor the language.

Bravo South Africa!

Thank you it was a hard battle but I think we got there. All you need is a mutual respect for one another.
I think what also helps is the fact that there isn't a first language rather all the official languages are first languages.
If only the getting rid of crime was that simple.

Well, Quebec is banning English language use, but many Montreal residents have English as their 1st language. If Quebec leaves Canada, will those people be given autonomy...Could these neighborhoods of Montreal become new West Berlin/Montreal? It would be fair for these people.

There's a bit of confusion going on about this new "decree" (in Belgium, acts passed by one of our five regional parliaments of one of the five federal entities are known as "decrees" in order to distinguish them from the federal acts, except for the acts passed by the parliament of the Brussels Capital Region, which are known as "ordinances") of the Flemish regional parliament.

1. Actually, it's not a decree but a resolution that has been passed by the Flemish regional parliament. A resolution is more of a symbolic stance taken by a parliament, but it has no legal consequences. A resolution might one day become an act, a decree or an ordinance, but in this case that hasn't happened yet.

2. This resolution is completely useless, because it adds nothing new to the Belgian situation. Our Constitution divides Belgium into four linguistic areas: the Dutch language area ("Flanders"), the French language area ("Wallonia"), the German language area (" the Eastern Cantons") and the bilingual area of Brussels Capital. This means that the authorities, whether it be on federal, regional, provincial or municipal level, may only use the language of that particular linguistic area to communicate with the citizens. Road signs in Flanders will therefore be in Dutch and in Dutch only. Road signs in Wallonia will be in French and road signs in Brussels must be in both Dutch and French. The same goes on for any public announcement. Schools will only be subsidised if the medium of instruction is the language of their linguistic area. Brits who are on holiday in Belgium to visit Bruges and Ghent, will only see road signes for "Brugge / Gent" and not "Bruges / Gand" on the motorways in the province of West Flanders. French tourists who or on the motorway heading for Brussels and Antwerp in the Walloon province of Namur, will only see road signs for "Bruxelles / Anvers" and not for "Brussel / Antwerpen".

3. Concerning the facility-communes: these are the only exceptions to the regular linguistic legislation in Belgium. Certain municipalities (the "facility-communes" which are situated in the Flemish outskirts surrounding bilingual Brussels or on the linguistic border separating Flanders from Wallonia) may use another language than that of their linguistic area in communicating with their citizens. This means that a French-speaking citizens living in a Flemish facility-commune must be get his administration done in French if he asks for it. A Dutch-speaker in a Walloon facility-commune must be helped in Dutch on his demand. It also means that all public announcements, street names, road signs, etc. must be in the language of the linguistic area and in "the other language" (French or Dutch, depending on whether the facility-commune is situated in Flanders or in Wallonia). Now, Mr. Sauwens may say whatever he wants, but the linguistic policy in the facility-communes is a federal competency and not a regional one.
So even if this resolution becomes a Flemish decree, it won't change a thing. Neither in Flanders (because there all road signes are already exclusively in Dutch), nor in the Flemish facility-communes (because although they are situated in Flanders, the Flemish parliament has no legal competency there when it comes to linguistic policies). Linguistic policies in the facility-communes can only be changed with a federal, "special majority act" adopted by the two houses of the federal parliament (the Chamber of representatives and the Senate). "Special majority" means that in both houses 50% of the Dutch-speaking federal MPs and 50% of the French-speaking federal MPs must agree on the matter AND that a total majority of 2/3 must be reached. So if Flemish MP Mr. Sauwens really wants to change the linguistic approach in the facility-communes, he should give up his seat in the Flemish parliament, make sure he gets elected for the Chamber or the Senate and then he'd better start lobbying in both houses of the federal parliament to convince 50% of the French-speaking federal MPs to vote in favour of his bill. Which is not gonna happen, even not in a million years :-)

<Well, Quebec is banning English language use, but many Montreal residents have English as their 1st language. If Quebec leaves Canada, will those people be given autonomy...Could these neighborhoods of Montreal become new West Berlin/Montreal? It would be fair for these people.>

Suddenly I'm flooded with images from the 1948 divide of India and Pakistan.

Quebec bans roadsigns written in English.

>Thank you it was a hard battle but I think we got there. All you need is a mutual respect for one another.
I think what also helps is the fact that there isn't a first language rather all the official languages are first languages.
If only the getting rid of crime was that simple.<

Totally agree. And thank you, Canadian!:)


As Confused South African said, it's about mutual respect.

<Quebec bans roadsigns written in English. >

Are you referring to the actual road signs indiciating kilometres, town names, etc?

As far as I know all shop fronts in Quebec can have English words on their signs but must have the French translation more dominant than the English translation.

Something I myself dislike - a kind of discrimination towards Anglo Canadians.

Let's see if they like the taste of their own medicine and start introducing 'anti French language' laws in the English speaking provinces.

Why don't the Canadians switch to the territorial principle like we have done in Belgium? French in Québec, English in the rest of Canada except for Ottawa which could become a bilingual capital territory. They could even introduce facility-communes and special majority acts :-)

<Why don't the Canadians switch to the territorial principle like we have done in Belgium? French in Québec, English in the rest of Canada except for Ottawa which could become a bilingual capital territory. They could even introduce facility-communes and special majority acts :-)>

It's simply a poor attempt to keep Belgium together. Frankly there are signs that would prove wrong.