Page 53 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

THE HIST OR Y OF BEL GIUM  51

International Status
The latter half of the 20th century was
marked by the ongoing language debate
between the Flemish and the French-
speaking Walloons. Between 1970 and 1994,
the constitution of Belgium was redrawn,
creating a federal state with three separate
regions – the Flemish north, the Walloon
south and bilingual Brussels.
Like most of Europe, Belgium went from
economic boom in the 1960s to recession
and retrenchment in the 1970s and 80s,
and renewed growth in the 1990s. This latter
period saw a rise in the prosperity of Flanders,
while Wallonia declined – a reversal of
fortune that reinforced the language divide.
Throughout these decades, Brussels’s
German troops raising the flag of the Third Reich at the Royal Castle
at Laeken, near Brussels stature at the heart of Europe was consoli-
dated. In 1958, the city became the head-
movement; the fate of many others was to quarters for the European Economic
be forcibly shipped to Germany as labourers. Community (EEC), later the European Union
The Nazis also exploited the disaffection of (EU). In 1967, NATO also moved to Brussels.
Flemish nationalists, recruiting volunteers In 2010 , talks began to try to achieve
to serve their army or oper ate the notorious an agreement on the division of power
concentration camp at Breendonk, near between French and Dutch-speaking areas.
Antwerp. Belgium was liberated by the After an unsettled period, a coalition
Allies in September 1944, but the Germans government was formed in 2014, with the
mounted a last-ditch attempt to break the French-speaking liberal Reform Movement
advance by punching a hole through the party, headed by Charles Michel, joining
Ardennes of Luxembourg and southern three Flemish-speaking parties.
Belgium in the Battle of the Bulge.
Belgium entered an uneasy peace. King
Léopold III (r.1934–51) was at the focus of
the contention – he had surrendered in 1940
and was moved to Germany until the end of
the war. Rumours, still disputed, that he had
collaborated with the Nazis led to his
abdication in 1951, in favour of his son,
Baudouin (r.1951–93). Flags of member states in front of the EU headquarters in Brussels

1962 The Belgian Congo is 1989 Brussels 2001 Crown Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde have a
1951 granted independence is officially a daughter and heir, Elisabeth
Baudouin bilingual city
succeeds 1967 Brussels is the new 2002 The euro 2014 Charles Michel
Léopold III NATO headquarters becomes legal tender appointed prime minister
1945 1980 2013
1958 Formation of the EEC, with 1993 King Baudouin dies; 2016 In March, Islamic
Belgium as a founder member; Albert II succeeds 2013 Abdication State suicide bombers
Exposition Universelle et of Albert II in attack Brussels’s
Internationale in Brussels, with favour of his Zaventem airport and
the Atomium as the star attraction son, Philippe Maalbeek metro station
Baudouin

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