ARTICLES

For the last 108 days, Belgium has been without a Government. The elections on June 10^th resulted in a hung Parliament, and since then they simply haven’t been able to form an administration. The King has tried to encourage negotiations, special officials have been appointed to pull together the parties, but all to no avail.

 

The so-called crisis has precipitated an interesting discussion about the prospect of Belgium actually ceasing to exist as a nation. This is indeed an intriguing idea, given the complicating factors such as the demographic split between the largely socialist and (what a coincidence) French-speaking Walloons and the fairly free market, libertarian-ish Flemish. It may well be the case that Belgium will not last as an entity.

 

Whilst the demise of a European nation as we know it would be a rather fun historical event to watch, it is not the most important issue here. In fact, it’s rather parochial when compared with the big issue, something which libertarians should be studying closely and with glee. Belgium is actually showcasing a wonderful example of libertarian principles by managing perfectly well without a Government.

 

After more than three months, what has happened to ungoverned Belgium? The sky has not fallen in, the economy is still working, transport still runs and all the usual Flemming and Wallooning continues just as before. As a friend of mine put it to me, if Belgium can manage without a Government, why can’t we?

 

Of course, the current fascinating situation in Belgium has been brought about by an accident of psephology. But imagine an intentional alternative to our current overbearing, regulation-happy, statist busybodies. Imagine a Government whose manifesto pledged that their default position would not be to legislate and to invasively manage but to do as little as possible.

 

The amazement shown in the press about the continuation of Belgian life without the constant intervention of the political class demonstrates exactly how successful politicians have been in selling their product.

 

Like a 19^th Century Quack Doctor, the politician has convinced his patient that the pill he takes every day is essential to his continued survival. Stop swallowing the medicine of being governed, the voter believes, and all will collapse around his ears. Of course, there’s no actual evidence that the pill works other than the fact that the patient is still alive, which is a rather circular logical justification – but who would take the risk of skipping a pill just to find out?

 

The charade can only continue, though, until someone misses a pill by accident and discovers they can live perfectly well without the Doctor’s prescription. This is what has happened in Belgium – 108 days without the placebo, without new statutes being piled onto the books or new initiatives being launched left, right and centre.

 

And what a bitter pill to swallow that placebo has been.

 

Even just drawing up, debating and passing a law is an extremely expensive process for the taxpayer – and a quick glance at any legal library shows quite how much legislation has been passed in this country in recent years, at vast cost simply in the legislative stages.

 

It is, of course, even worse than that. Those laws are being passed in order to have an impact. The economy is meddled with, business taxed or forced to pay for legal compliance, individuals find their freedom restricted and yet more bossy civil servants and apparatchiks appointed to tell them what they do. You cannot legislate someone free or wealthy, so it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of our laws are industriously making people less free and a whole lot poorer.

 

Belgium’s example should not be a cause for concern, then, but an inspiration – they’ve accidentally shown the con trick up for what it is. And for all our politicians might shout “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain”, he has been revealed in all his pathetic uselessness.

 

Belgium has embarked on an extremely informative experiment completely by accident – in its inadvertent forging, their situation is naturally imperfect. There is always the danger a coalition could form and Government be taken up as it was. They are also powerless to complete the libertarian ideal by not only refusing to pass laws but actively abolishing many of those that already exist. Now the taboo has been broken, though, it is time for someone to follow the Belgian example and deliberately set out to govern a country by doing as little as possible. In doing so, they would be doing the best thing for all of us.