[lg policy] Pardon My French: Belgians Just Don't Speak the Same Language

[Francis Hult]

The Wall Street Journal

 

Pardon My French: Belgians Just Don't Speak the Same Language

 

Rudi Coel scowled at the sight of the Thai restaurant advertising "Takeaway."

"We're in Flanders, so that should say 'Meenemengerechten,' " said the 50-year-old social worker, using the proper Dutch word.

 

The euro zone is in turmoil, and Belgium's heavy government debts are drawing comparisons with those of Greece. But the main issue before Belgians in their general election Sunday speaks to a much deeper concern here: language.

 

Among the issues roiling this Franco-Dutch land: Whether folks in the Brussels suburbs can bury their dead in a language other than Dutch, or whether a 75-year-old politician can make a speech in French in a mainly Dutch district.

 

Full story:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704312104575298613598792860.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular

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