Politics & Absurdities

A country that famously went 589 days without a government — the political moments Belgians turned into running jokes.

Part of Belgium

13 moments in this segment.

1. 1830-01-01 — La Brabançonne. The national anthem born in the 1830 revolution — sung (when the words are remembered) in three languages.
2. 1900-01-01 — The Brussels Sprout Joke. The vegetable the world blames on Belgium — a small, eternal national punchline.
3. 1958-01-01 — The Brussels Bubble. The European Quarter’s lobbyists, officials and journalists — a city-within-a-city.
4. 1990-01-01 — King Baudouin Steps Aside. In 1990 the king briefly abdicated for a day rather than sign an abortion law — a uniquely Belgian solution.
5. 2007-01-01 — Singing the Wrong Anthem. A would-be PM, asked to sing the Belgian anthem on national day, launched into the French Marseillaise instead.
6. 2010-01-01 — Guy Verhofstadt. The former PM turned theatrical europhile — a fixture of EU-politics memes.
7. 2011-01-01 — Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (BHV). The electoral district whose split paralysed Belgian politics for years — peak procedural absurdity.
8. 2011-01-01 — Elio Di Rupo’s Bow Tie. The first French-speaking PM since 1979, instantly recognisable by his bow tie — a meme staple.
9. 2013-01-01 — Royal Satire. The monarchy as gentle national punching-bag — affectionate Belgian political satire.
10. 2013-01-01 — The Monarchy. King Philippe and the royal family — a unifying (and gently mocked) symbol of a divided country.
11. 2014-01-01 — Six Governments, One Country. Federal, regional and community governments — a famously baroque political architecture.
12. 2015-01-01 — Belgian Political Gaffes. A steady supply of cringe-worthy ministerial moments that fuel Belgian political satire.
13. 2020-01-01 — The Vivaldi Coalition. A 2020 government of four party-families named after "The Four Seasons" — Belgian coalition-building as baroque art.