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Government & Culture in Belgium
The move to Belgium’s trilingual constitution is a fairly recent development – a first step towards creating a federal state. However, the linguistic division still causes problems both on a political and cultural level.
Upon arrival in Belgium, foreigners are often surprised when they realize how complex the system of government is. This is due to the autonomy of the three language communities as well as tensions between the French and Dutch parts of the population. Expats in Belgium usually discover that their experience of the country largely depends on the language community they live in.
Your move to Belgium might be complicated by the complete absence of a nation-wide cultural infrastructure. Neither the media nor major organizations and institutions transcend the linguistic borders.
Expat Destinations in Belgium
Belgium is a relatively small country. While the entire nation prides itself on its international flair, it is mainly the Brussels-Capital region which attracts foreigners moving to Belgium. As the only officially bilingual region of the country, Brussels serves as the national capital as well as the seat of administration for both the French and the Flemish communities. Foreigners moving to Belgium’s capital will notice the bilingual road signs, but on the streets they are most likely to hear French.
Brussels is, of course, one of the capitals of the European Union and home to the NATO headquarters. It is thus no surprise that the countless foreign politicians, diplomats, and civil servants active in Belgium’s capital have established English as the lingua franca of Brussels.
Government officials are, however, not the only foreigners moving to Belgium: In the wake of Brussels’ rise to international political significance, increasing numbers of multi-national enterprises have been tempted by a move to Belgium, too.
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