If unified, the Benelux would be the fourth-largest economy in the European Union.
  • autonomousPunkEnglish
    2·
    2 days ago

    Brussels Times blocks tor, but I was able to get past the barriers and reach the article this way:

    torsocks lynx http://web.archive.org/web/20251208075118/https://www.brusselstimes.com/1842240/turning-the-benelux-into-one-country-belgian-pm-wants-to-reunite-beating-heart-of-europe

    Merging these countries seems like crazy talk. I certainly don’t like the Dutch idea of making shops cashless (which violates EU law), and the fact that there is a cartel on ATMs in NL. Dutch public services are also non-responsive to complaints, such as when trains and buses fail to meet legal quality standards and neglect consumer rights.

    I like Amsterdam’s ban on ads for meat and fossil fuels, but that’s less important than the other factors.

    • myrmidexOPMAEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      Pros and cons, as with everything I guess. Not sure why a unified country would be better than forming a close union… Just elevate the Benelux.

      I reckon this is a ploy to have the Walloons up in arms and ask for secession themselves, giving him the open road to Flemish independence.

      But I’m not sure BDW is that great a strategist.

      • autonomousPunkEnglish
        2·
        2 days ago

        Defense was one of the stated notable motivations. But I struggle to imagine what weird corner case scenario would require NL and BE to be merged in order to react more effectively.

        I also think future wars will be heavily information based… like cyber attacks that bring down banks. Netherlands cashless direction makes them more vulnerable to that.

        • myrmidexOPMAEnglish
          2·
          2 days ago

          Didn’t the 2 countries already buy some ships together already? found the article. So that leaves the single point of command as the advantage of a real merger, but that seems easily solved as well without the countries fusing.

          I have heard BDW talk a lot about joining The Netherlands, but never did he mention war. Benefits for the harbor, sure, or the prestige of joining such a rich past of which Antwerp was a part in some cases. And inbetween the lines the much more advanced neoliberal undressing of the social system. That would enable him to leap 20 years ahead in his quest.

          • autonomousPunkEnglish
            1·
            2 days ago

            I didn’t hear of the shared ownership but certainly that weakens the defense argument for the merger.

            • myrmidexOPMAEnglish
              2·
              2 days ago

              Oh I didn’t mean to say or imply shared ownership, that’s not the case as far as I can tell. I don’t think the Dutch would be so careless with money 😄

              • autonomousPunkEnglish
                1·
                2 days ago

                ah, shared ownership was naturally my assumption. Now that I translated the article, I’m not sure why they needed to cooperate, as opposed to each independantly buying them.

                • myrmidexOPMAEnglish
                  2·
                  2 days ago

                  Good question. I always assumed bulk pricing is cheaper. But yea, then why not get a few more countries in the mix.