Fish popsicles. Doesn’t sound very likely, does it?

Belgian nationalism. Doesn’t sound very likely either. Or does it…

At first blush Belgians have little to be proud of. Apart from living in the 140th largest country in the world, their international experience is filled with shame and disappointment. Barbara Kingsolver popularised the sorry tale of the Belgian empire. Their best-known national is a Mike Myers creation in a Nehru suit named Dr. Evil. The Germans have had one or two modest military victories. Belgium fared more poorly at the Sydney Olympics than Uzbekistan.

Yet despite the unlikely appearance of fish popsicles, Belgian nationalism is flourishing. And what a time for a bit of Belgian pride. Though national elections took place on June 10, no party has yet been able to cobble together a coalition government. Whispers abound about the break up of the country. Warring factions stand off against one another over intractable divisions of language and ethnic politics, refusing to compromise, demanding greater regional power in order to weaken the national state.

And yet after nearly five government-free months, Belgians are displaying their pride like never before. Belgian flags flutter from apartment balconies on every block. Absurd cartoon figures in national colours point at you from bus shelters in Uncle Sam style, demanding “I want you, for Belgium”. Petitions circulate imploring the powers that be to save Belgium from disintegrating in the name of the Belgian race.

At a point when Belgians ought to be ashamed of their pathetic country more than ever, they are emboldened with a plucky attitude that aims to preserve Belgium and the little things that give it its distinctive character. Like chocolate and waffles. And beer and chips. And dirty magazines and high taxes and unemployment.

To the rational outsider it makes no sense. Most expats in Brussels dream of the day when Belgium disintegrates, and with it, those high taxes that provide underwhelming public services. But to Canadians in Brussels, there is something eerily nostalgic about Belgian pride.

Coming from another small, somewhat inconsequential, complex-ridden, constitutional monarchy divided by language issues, we have an innate sense of why the Belgians seem to care so much about their national identity. We might not have all that much to be proud of on the international stage but we ARE Canadian (whatever that means). So we cling to iconography like maple syrup and Mounties. Bob and Doug MacKenzie and “The Hockey Sweater”. ‘Universal Health Care’ and bilingualism.

And so do the Belgians. As hard as it may be for other expats here to understand why their Belgian neighbors aren’t cheering the destruction of this unusual jurisdiction, we find their patriotism somehow sensible.

Little brothers have to stick together. We’re off to have popsicles.

DR and BK