Belgium closed, locals run for the borders
0 commentsIn the evening news on the 13th of December, the French speaking Belgian broadcaster RTBF announced the disolution of the Belgian state as Flanders had proclaimed independence.
A national panic ensued as many tried to get away from the French, and during the report, King Albert II of Belgium was alleged to have left the country to show his disagreement with the unilateral Flemish decision.
The station ran the story for about 2 hours, during which time it became apparent that it was simply part of a documentary designed to highlight the possible future for the counrty.
Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said in very poor taste, compairing it to Orson Welles' 1938 radio production.
"Our intention was to show Belgian viewers the intensity of the issue of the future of Belgium and the real possibility of Belgium no longer being a country in a few months," said Yves Thiran, head of news at RTBF.
