17 Sep 2011

Do we really need a government?

Belgium has managed without a government for 461 days. Its economy is surviving and it has taken part in the Libya campaign. So do we really need a government? Channel 4 News investigates.

Do we really need a government?

Belgium’s leaders are on the cusp of ending the country’s record-breaking spell in political limbo with meaningful coalition talks finally taking place.

Caretaker leader Yves Leterme has announced he’s quitting later this year but Elio Di Rupo, the man tipped to replace him, warns there are still many issues to sort through before a new government can take shape.

So if Belgium can last for more than a year without proper leadership, could the UK?

Belgian political expert Rolf Falter told Channel 4 News the difference with his country is its long history of coalition politics. Belgium’s people have carried on through these types of stalemate before.

One can even argue that the absence of a real government has contributed to budgetary discipline. Rolf Falter

He explained: “It’s normally not as good a system as the British one, where you have every 10 years a change in the government of one party with parties still obliged to seek the centre to win.

“Belgium was the first country to introduce proportional representation, in 1899, because then already Flanders was electing only Catholic MPs and French-speaking Belgium elected more and more socialists. Since then we have had coalitions, next time maybe with eight parties.”

Belgian politicians meet for coalition talks.

With no government to impose austerity measures, it might come as a surprise that Belgium has not yet suffered a debt crisis, like Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland, even though its debts equal 97 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

As eurozone leaders continue to hold crisis talks over the future of Greece, could it be argued no leadership makes for calmer economic seas?

Not quite, says Falter, although he believes the absence of leadership may have created a mood of “discipline”.

“Belgium withstood the crisis of 2009 not too badly, and the caretaking government used all the legal margins it had to keep the budget on course,” he said.

“As it was not entitled to decide on new projects, one can even argue that – at least in the short term – the absence of a real government has contributed to budgetary discipline.”

Libya effort

Still with no government, Belgium also helped boost Nato operations in Libya; supplying F-16 jets and minesweepers in the hunt for Colonel Gaddafi. So who gave the orders?

“The caretaking government proposed [joining military operations] to parliament and they voted on it,” said Falter.

“And it is the outgoing minister of defence who has the daily responsibility for operations.”

David Cameron and Nick Clegg forged their coalition deal inside a week, roughly 92 times quicker than their Belgian counterparts. Should we have told them to take their time? The People’s Republic of Facebook has spoken (below). You can add your thoughts here – facebook.com/Channel4News.

Does the UK really need a government? Your verdicts on Facebook:
Keith Pine: It's a matter of definition... Are we talking about government by the people for the people? If so yes! It would be interesting to see it in action. If we are talking about vested interest groups and affiliations of secretive power brokers running amok with our rights and liberties ... NO, we've had that for a hundred years or more!

Gina Deacon
:
The mind boggles at how much money could be saved, with no-one around to inpliment all our laws which prevent us from having a successful vibrant economy!

Peter Dewar-Finch
: I have often argued that Britain does not need a government. The civil service runs everything well enough without government interference. It would save the country a lot of money and a lot of bother and argument and remove the divisiveness of politicians trying to justify their existence.

Grocky Groc
:
We need a general administration but we definitely don't need a government, not with all this left-right constant fighting nonsense. We should have worked out by now that any successful modern country needs both private AND public sectors - one can't work without the other. Next parliamentary question time - we should just seal off the building and let them debate among themselves until they die of old age.

Jerome Knight
:
All we need is agreed policies (perhaps it could be done online), a good civil service to carry it out, the bankers and big business run the economy anyway; oh, and we still need a police force and an army; press enter and run with it!

Saadia Siddiqui
:
Interesting idea, but it could lead to military or police state and I'm not sure I'd like that either...