Belgium emits the usual confidence that the UK even under the Conservatives will be absorbed into EU processes … nicely:

Belgian negotiators are convinced that Mr Cameron’s hard line opposition to giving more sovereignty up to the EU, a pledge written into his coalition government’s agreement, will be sacrificed in the interests of pragmatism.

The senior source observed that no EU agreements would ever be possible if all European leaders stuck to the "totality" of their election manifestoes.

"It is impossible to have compromise with total programmes," he said.

Pragmatism. There’s a word.

Meanwhile back in Europe-as-it-really-is, have a look at this excellent piece over at Transconflict looking at the way Belgiam is creaking at the seams, with separatist elements cleverly using EU iconography and language to advance their cause.

Note especially the idea of ‘rational nationalism’:

The N-VA has managed to make people forget the old, vague, romantic and not particularly mobilizing notion of full Flemish independence and reframe its nationalism as a moderate political demand for autonomy. The party employed a number of metaphors to communicate this message.

“We don’t want a revolution, just evolution”, said N-VA leader Bart De Wever repeatedly. We do not want to split Belgium, we will just let it “evaporate”, was another slogan…

… But the idea that more nationalism is needed, and not less, to unblock the political debates between language groups at the federal level has worked extremely well as an electoral slogan …

“Rational” Flemish nationalism was thus presented as an antidote for the confusion of Belgian “politics as usual” and as a discourse of clean efficiency, not one of exclusion or lack of solidarity across language groups…

Are the Flemish N-VA and Milorad Dodik in Republika Srpska by some chance related?

And if Belgium itself as it currently exists is being challenged to this extent, what legitimacy do Belgium’s leaders have in expecting the UK to fall into line?

Just asking.