One Nation, One Language? The Case of Belgium

Abstract

In this article the linguistic situation in Belgium and its historical development is discussed. The country has often been called a role model for the linguistic future of Europe because of its alleged success in granting equal rights to its French and Dutch language communities while preserving political unity. This paper, however, argues that Belgium is an example of a European region where the struggle for linguistic rights led from the establishment of monolingual territories (Flanders and Wallonia), to an opposition to individual bilingualism and finally to communicative 'isolation' of its language communities. This claim is based on a critical account of language use in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Flanders and of language ideologies in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Belgium.