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
Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region the ratio of French-speaking to Dutch-speaking ministers. In practice every Minister-President has been a francophone, though bilingual. Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region The Minister-President of the Brussels Capital-Region (, ) is the person leading the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region. The post is appointed for 5 years along with 4 ministers and 3 "state" secretaries. While being the leader of the Government, the Minister-President also is the president of the College of the Common Community Commission of Brussels. The Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region should neither be confused with the Governor of Brussels-Capital nor with the mayor of the City