Belgium is a remarkable country.
1960s Socialists Live Here
The Socialist Parties (French and Dutch speaking versions) really are genuine socialists. The Flemish Socialists being less so than their Walloon sister party. But, as a British Labour Party member, they seem to be re-reading Eric Heffer’s speeches
Twinning with North Korea
That Wallonia seems to have adopted their economic policies from North Korea does not seem to be a big issue. Wallonia’s political class all seemed to be in mourning when a political lord of one of their cities, who was best known outside (and inside) Belgium for being an off the wagon AA member, and praised him as leader, seems to sum how things are here.
Anyone but the Catholics
They have a Liberal Party, whose only real selling point seems to be that they are not Catholic and/or they are Masons. Belgium has a strong masonic/catholic split, and to this day, education and parties are divided along this line. I have never been able to understand what is liberal about them. When they were last in power, they were not even able to introduce the liberalisation of sunday shop opening, after an alliance of small shop keepers and the catholic church blocked it.
If they are Conservative I am globlin
There is the conservative christian democratic party. Whenever I have heard their people speaking on TV I thought I was hearing mid 1960’s socialist economic lectures. The Flemish PM seems to have no problem with bailing out car producers with a few squillion here or there.
Bail Out Your Rich Friends
Strangely, all parties get united when their friends in the Belgium ruling class mess up. Belgium coughed up a few billions (well actually 10 + billion) when Dexia went broke.
Belgium is a country that seems to be set up to protect one of the most indolent and fecklish group of people you have ever met. There is an old ruling class here who seemed to make their fortunes off the back of the pillage of the Congo (no historical documentaries of hand chopping King Leopold allowed here). And, then they built up a tax system to keep them in place.
A Tax Paradise for The Indolent
An expat magazine selling the lures of Belgium’s tax paradise describes it so:
•THE ANOMALIES
• The actual rental income received from property is untaxed, although a nominal amount of tax is payable on the notional rental value.
• Capital gains in most circumstances are not taxed. If an individual wants to sell assets that have grown enormously in value, be they property, shares or a business, it can be beneficial to move from France, Germany, the Netherlands or the UK to Belgium before selling the asset to avoid capital gains taxes.
• Income from directly held investments – cash accounts, bonds and shares, for example – are taxed at much lower levels than the highest rates on earned income. In addition, it is possible to avoid income taxes completely by investing via collective vehicles such as mutual funds, unit trusts or insurance policies.
• There is no wealth tax in Belgium. This has been a particular source of concern for the French government, which is acutely aware of the large number of French tax exiles living in Belgium.
And, What for the Rest?
The rest of us pay 50% income tax. Ah, and if you work very hard and get a bonus, it takes a while to see what is left after the tax man has taken 70% of it.