Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain
By John Smith •
Published: 04 Nov 2024 • 18:31
• 1 minute read
It was in 1830 that Belgium became a nation in its own right and in some ways is one of the more unusual members of the European Union with citizens being either Dutch-speaking in the northern region of Flanders or French-speaking in Wallonia in the south.
Two main languages of Belgium until now have been Dutch and French
Brussels has until now tended to have more French speakers than Dutch even though it is effectively surrounded by Flanders and every year, Dutch speakers ran a bicycle race known as De Gordel in order to reinforce the Dutch language although French speakers often tried to disrupt the event.
Becoming one of the main Capitals of the European Union has seen a major linguistic change in Belgium since English is becoming a third language due to the number of Europeans moving to the city.
Add to that the number of migrants from other parts of the world who often start in Brussels but then spread to other parts in order to find work and cheaper accommodation.
Multilingual and multicultural
All of this is making Belgium a much more multi-cultural state although it also has to be recognised that some groups who have been traditional Dutch or French speakers may find themselves attracted by certain right wing nationalist groups.
According to the most recent survey of languages in the Belgian capital, French is not as popular while the use of English and Dutch has actually increased meaning that thanks to white collar migration, Brussels is now among the most linguistically diverse cities in Europe.
EU and associate organisations attract foreign workers to Brussels
It is not just the EU that employs so many people but other international organisations such as think tanks, consultancies and NGOs continue to be created encouraging workers to move to Brussels.
Another survey suggests that there are now 104 different languages being spoken in Brussels alone.
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Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica.
Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene.
Currently he is acting as Editorial Consultant for the paper helping to shape its future development.
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