Belgium 'abolished'

[AndreA]

Belgians were thrown into a panic when a spoof TV news report said their country had been 'abolished'.

Government offices were flooded with calls after the report that the Dutch-speaking Flanders region had declared independence and Belgium no longer existed as a nation.

The French-language RTBF interrupted programming to show footage of cheering crowds waving the Flemish flag and traffic jams at the new border.

Even foreign diplomats were taken in by the hoax which the station said was designed to show tensions between the French and Dutch-speaking communities.

Belgium's broadcasting minister eventually ordered the station to flash up the words "this is fiction" over the broadcast, reports the Daily Record.

A spokesman for Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt said: "It was in very bad taste. It scared many people."

RTBF television's head of news Yves Thiran said: "Our intention was to show viewers the real possibility of Belgium no longer being a country in a few months."

[AndreA]

The outrage is growing in Belgium.

24-hours after a fake television broadcast reported that the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium had declared independence, there is anger and confusion in both halves of the country. One girl said she wasn't in favour of a national split and the broadcast was frivolous. "I don't know anything about it", another said. "In any case, they're idiots." "I think Belgium is losing its sense of humour," was another opinion. Normal broadcasts were interrupted by a grave newsreader who told viewers that Flanders, the Flemish-speaking region of northern Belgium, had declared its independence, forcing the King to flee abroad.

The mock report included a correspondent standing outside parliament saying that politicians had voted overwhelmingly for Flanders' independence. Inside the parliament the day after a real debate was in progress to discuss the effect of the broadcast with Prime Minister Guy Verhoefstadt attempting to defuse the furore. I would just like to give some advice, he said, and that is to all those who participated in the broadcast - think twice about doing it again. The head of television station responsible for the hoax broadcast RTBF said he just wanted to stir up debate. It looks as if he succeeded.

[AndreA]

What do you think about that?

Is it a genial idea or 'crappy' journalism?

[andy]

Originally Posted by AndreA

What do you think about that?

Is it a genial idea or 'crappy' journalism?

Godverdomme!

[andy]

There will soon be a wave of asylum seekers ...





... ok only a very small one - I wonder which broadcaster will give them a job?

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by andy

I wonder which broadcaster will give them a job?

ME! :P

I think that they had a GENIAL idea

[Asick]

Originally Posted by AndreA

I think that they had a GENIAL idea

I don't think it's genial, from my point of view it's rather banal. However, I survived the real country splitting in 15 pieces, so 2 parts are not that much.

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by Asick

I don't think it's genial, from my point of view it's rather banal. However, I survived the real country splitting in 15 pieces, so 2 parts are not that much.

Well, I forgot your situation

[Przemolog]

Originally Posted by Asick

I don't think it's genial, from my point of view it's rather banal. However, I survived the real country splitting in 15 pieces, so 2 parts are not that much.

Well, but Belgium is a quite specific country because it has HQ of EU and NATO on its territory. If it stopped to exist, then those HQ would remain outside EU/NATO because I don't think that Wallonia and Flanders would "automatically" take place of Belgium .

BTW, I think that those journalists were just idiots. IMHO freedom of speech is very important but responsibility is even more important!

[AdmiralAK]

they bigger question is this: will the flanders join the EU ? :P :P :P