Waffle-iron politics

Waffle-iron politics is a Belgian political strategy used in the past for determining the budget for projects in the country's two major regions, Flanders and Wallonia.[2] Under this policy, for every franc spent on a project in Wallonia, a franc was also spent on a similar project in Flanders (and vice versa).[3]

A bridge over a railway in Varsenare from 1976, never connected to roads on both ends.[1]

The social and linguistic divisions between Flanders and Wallonia meant that the compromise of waffle-iron politics helped to maintain political peace.[4][5] However, matching spending in one region with equal allocations to the other was costly and inefficient. Waffle-iron politics was a key cause of the Belgian national debt.[6] In 1981, public debt amounted to 130% of GNP, among the highest in the European Community at the time.[7]

Waffle-iron politics also led to the creation of several grote nutteloze bouwwerken (large useless construction works) that were misplaced or unnecessary public use.[8] One example is the bridges in Varsenare, two bridges built in 1976 that were never connected to a highway.[9]

The Dutch word wafelijzerpolitiek literally translates to "waffle-iron politics" or "waffle-iron policy". The name is based on the idea that the waffle-iron always leaves an identical impression on both sides of waffles being baked.[10] Both sides of the iron are necessary in order for the machine to function.

Waffles on a double-sided iron

Waffle-iron politics effectively came to an end in 1988 with the third state reform in Belgium. Belgium went from a unitary state to a federal one, giving each region more decision-making power.[11] Flanders and Wallonia became responsible for their own spending, except in matters affecting the entire state.[12]