Partition of Belgium Belgian identity was not defined on racial, ethnic or linguistic lines, but in the civilizational community of the Belgian people. Supporters of a partition of Belgium argue that the synchronized attempts to forge a national identity and culture have been unable to forestall ethno-linguistic rivalries. French was the only official language of Belgium until 1898, even though Flanders was and still is predominantly Dutch-speaking. The government's long refusal to acknowledge Dutch as an official language led to hostilities between Flanders and the French-speaking bourgeoisie who held both political and economic power. These hostilities gave rise to the Flemish movement, which
Judiciary of Belgium and Court of First Instance where it is unclear which court is competent for the respective case. Legal help can be obtained from a House of Justice ("Justitiehuis / Maison de justice"), of which there is one in each judicial arrondissement and 2 in the arrondissement of Brussels (a Dutch- and French-speaking one). The Constitutional Court ("Grondwettelijk Hof / Cour constitutionelle") is a special court mainly for conflicts between the federal level and regional level and was created as part of the federalisation of the country. The government of Belgium also has a lot of administrative courts, of which the