Belgium: A serious Belgian joke

Belgium is well known for its surrealist artists, whose paintings mix surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and seeming non sequiturs. Belgian politics have now produced a surrealist denouement: despite conceding defeat in last June’s election, outgoing Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt has emerged as the leader of a new government. Just as in a René Magritte or Paul Delvaux painting, the unexpected outcome to Belgium’s long-running political crisis suggests some important lessons for 21st century Eu...