For the first time a Belgian judge (and Flemish) acknowledged Wednesday that a Flemish municipality had violated the constitutional principles of equality and non-discrimination by banning the display of French election posters on its territory.

The city council of Halle, a town of the judicial and electoral bilingual Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (BHV), which gave an opportunity for the judge to say that the law protecting the Flanders language, should be reciprocal, which goes without saying.

It had indeed adopted a policy a few weeks ago, that the advertising panels reserved for election could only be used by Flemish parties or parties displaying posters in Flemish.  They were protesting against the lack of split in the BHV, a Flemish claim to make the border between the Dutch-speaking majority and French sections, waterproof.

French political activists had tried anyway, 15 days ago, pasting posters, but they had been violently attacked by militant nationalist Flemish without police intervention.  A complaint was lodged by the French against the regulation and, to their surprise, they were heard.

The reaction to the decision by the Flemish antifrancophones? For the moment it is too early to say.  This decision comes, from the Court of First Instance of Brussels (Dutch section) serving interim and should therefore be upheld on appeal before it becomes fully valid. So far, the Flemish justices at the highest level have not shown their desire to respect the rights of the Francophone minority in Flanders.

Dirk Pieters, the mayor of Hal (not an extremist, but a very respectable member of the CD & V, Christian Democrat) immediately showed what he thinks of the decision by taking the decision in Brussels: “Today, all the electoral boards will be removed” .  Officially this is because he feared that public order would be disturbed by evil French who would dare use their constitutional right to paste posters in French in our community.   Minority rights continue to be a struggle, especially in Flanders.