This first week of July I went to Tuscany by car, with family and friends. Starting from Brussels to go in the neighborhood of Lucca, you have to go down through Luxembourg, a bit of France, pass by Switzerland and go over the Alps, finally arriving in Italy.I don't know much about Switzerland, except that I went skiing there for the first time when I was twelve (a marvelous overnight trip by train through the mountains), that they have over-zealous custom officers, and that it's amazingly beautiful.
Also, it's a federal state - just like Belgium. They speak 3 languages, just like in Belgium. They also have bilingual areas. For all I know (I might be wrong), they don't fight about cultural differences, territory or language. They all feel Swiss, as far as I know.
Italy, this year was celebrating the 150th anniversary of its unification. Flags and celebrations everywhere! Wait, what? 150 year? So Belgium has existed longer than Italy? I never heard anyone saying that Italy wasn't a "real" country because its history was so short! Belgium will celebrate its 181 year of existence this 21th of July.
They have a region where people speak and learn German in Italy, too, by the way. I went there for two weeks, three years ago. These people feel Italian.
Exactly what is the problem here in Belgium that makes it so difficult to accept that we have three languages, cultural differences and still that it's possible to live together, to have a Belgian identity? I suspect it has nothing to do with culture or language.
