The term Flemish Community has two distinct, though related, meanings:
- culturally and sociologically, it refers to Flemish organisations, media, social and cultural life; alternative expressions for this concept might be the "Flemish people" or the "Flemish nation" (in a similar sense as the Scottish nation, the Basque, Catalan or Québec nations);
- politically and institutionally, it refers to one of three communities established by the Belgian constitution and having legal responsibilities. Uniquely, these competencies of the Flemish community have been unified with those of the Flemish Region and are exercised by a directly elected Flemish Parliament based in Brussels.
Members of the flemish community parliament, who were elected in Brussels region, have no right to vote on Flemish regional affairs.
Legal Authority
Under the Belgian constitution, the Flemish Community has legal responsibility for the following:
- education (except for degree requirements, and for more than 95 % of its financing);
- culture and language matters (except for all its economic aspects, which remain on the federal level);
- certain aspects of health care (a minor part of the entire public health policy);
- agriculture (although the bulk of this policy is determined by the European Union);
- public works and regional economic development;
- energy (although more than 95% of actual competencies in this area remain on the federal level);
- international development cooperation in all areas of the competency of the Community (not yet operational).
The Flemish Community has almost no financial autonomy. It receives more than 95 % of its budget from Belgian national funds. Federal rules also restrict taxation and spending. In addition, the Flemish Community, like the Flemish Region, has no Court of Auditors, nor any judicial courts.
Language
Dutch is the official language of the Flemish community. Minorities speak French, Yiddish, Turkish, Arabic, Berber, Italian, Spanish, English and German. Though most of these groups are recent immigrants, since the Middle Ages, Jews have formed the oldest minority to retain its own identity. The French-speaking minority are the next oldest immigrant community.
In certain municipalities along the border with the Walloon and Brussels regions, French-speakers enjoy "linguistic facilities". Similar facilities are enjoyed by Flemings in some Walloon municipalities, by German-speakers in Wallonia, and by French-speakers in the German-speaking territories. These cover rights such as those of minority language speakers to receive official documentation in their own tongue.
Historically, dialects tended to be very strong and particular to locality. However, since the Second World War, the influence of radio and television, and the trend towards a more mobile population, has resulted in a sharp decline in the use of traditional dialects. Differences between the regional dialects have been eroded and new intermediate dialects have appeared. In Dutch, these are often called verkavelingsvlaams.
In Brussels, the local dialect is heavily influenced by French, both in pronunciation and in vocabulary. However, most Flemings in Brussels do not speak the local dialect. This is due in part to the large numbers of young Flemings coming to Brussels, and others moving out.
Flemish institutions in Brussels
Where responsibilities of the Flemish Region can be devolved to provincial government, no such equivalent exists in the Brussels area. Most provincial competencies were assigned to the Brussels-Capital Region, for territorial tasks, and to the two affected communities for community competencies (education, culture and social welfare). The Flemish community therefore established a local elected council and executive (the Flemish Community Commission or 'VGC') to cater for intermediate-level decision making & public services. The VGC then recognised local, municipal institutions to take care of the purely local public service in these community areas (called gemeenschapscentra or community centres).
Legally speaking, in Brussels, the Flemish Community is responsible not for individual people, but for Flemish institutions such as schools, theatres, libraries and museums. The reason for this is that no distinct sub-national status exists in Brussels.
Media
Flanders has an official radio and television broadcasting company, the Radio- en Televisieomroep or VRT in Dutch. Private radio and television broadcasting companies were established two decades ago. The written press is dominated by a number of 'quality' dailies (such as De Tijd, De Morgen and De Standaard), several 'popular' dailies (such as Het Laatste Nieuws and Het Nieuwsblad) and a huge number of general and specialised magazines.
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