Bart de Wever made his name as a separatist champion in Belgium's Dutch-speaking north -- and was long accused on the French side of seeking to blow up the country altogether. Underpinning it is the notion -- shared by many on the Flemish side -- of a poorer French-speaking south hooked on public spending and intent on profiting from the hard-earned wealth of the north.

Belgium has a new prime minister, Bart De Wever, whose political purpose has long been to break up the nation, gut state structures, and grant more autonomy to his northern Flanders at the expense of other regions.