Flemish Secession hoax
Encyclopedia
, also called "The Flemish Secession Hoax," was a hoax
perpetrated by the French speaking
Belgian public TV station RTBF
on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, and created by Belgian journalist Philippe Dutilleul
Regular programming on the channel La Une
was interrupted for a news bulletin which claimed the Flemish parliament
had unilaterally declared independence
from Belgium
, thereby ending the existence of the country. Interviews with prominent Belgian politicians (some of whom had been informed about the hoax) as well as staged footage of the evacuation
of the royal family
gave credence to the event.
The broadcast of the report led to some consternation in French-speaking Belgium. A hotline set up by the station was swamped by calls. Thirty minutes into the broadcast, on demand of the media minister of the French speaking community in Belgium, Fadila Laanan, an on-screen message identified it as a fiction.
The hoax was prepared over a period of 2 years under the codename BBB for Bye-bye Belgium.
Prominent Belgian politicians, including Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
, Flemish Minister-President Yves Leterme
and Walloon Minister-President Elio Di Rupo
, condemned the report as "irresponsible." International reaction included an angry statement by Jean-Claude Juncker
, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
, who said, "This is not the kind of issue you play around with."
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
perpetrated by the French speaking
French Community of Belgium
The French Community of Belgium is one of the three official communities in Belgium along with the Flemish Community and the German speaking Community. Although its name could suggest that it is a community of French citizens in Belgium, it is not...
Belgian public TV station RTBF
RTBF
Radio Télévision Belge Francophone is the public broadcasting organization of the French Community of Belgium, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium...
on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, and created by Belgian journalist Philippe Dutilleul
Regular programming on the channel La Une
La Une
La Une is a Belgian national television channel, owned and operated by RTBF.- INR :The Institut National de Radiodiffusion began experimental television in Belgium on 2 June 1953, with the crowning of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom...
was interrupted for a news bulletin which claimed the Flemish parliament
Flemish Parliament
The Flemish Parliament constitutes the legislative power in Flanders, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural community of Belgium The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the...
had unilaterally declared independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, thereby ending the existence of the country. Interviews with prominent Belgian politicians (some of whom had been informed about the hoax) as well as staged footage of the evacuation
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
of the royal family
Monarchy of Belgium
Monarchy in Belgium is constitutional and popular in nature. The hereditary monarch, at present Albert II, is the head of state and is officially called King of the Belgians .-Origins:...
gave credence to the event.
The broadcast of the report led to some consternation in French-speaking Belgium. A hotline set up by the station was swamped by calls. Thirty minutes into the broadcast, on demand of the media minister of the French speaking community in Belgium, Fadila Laanan, an on-screen message identified it as a fiction.
The hoax was prepared over a period of 2 years under the codename BBB for Bye-bye Belgium.
Prominent Belgian politicians, including Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
, Flemish Minister-President Yves Leterme
Yves Leterme
Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Flemish Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party , and the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium.Leterme was the Prime Minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008...
and Walloon Minister-President Elio Di Rupo
Elio Di Rupo
Elio Di Rupo is a Belgian social-democratic politician and the Party Leader of the Socialist Party .-Biography:...
, condemned the report as "irresponsible." International reaction included an angry statement by Jean-Claude Juncker
Jean-Claude Juncker
Jean-Claude Juncker is a Luxembourg politician, 23rd and current Prime Minister of Luxembourg, since 20 January 1995. He is the longest standing head of government of any European Union state...
, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, who said, "This is not the kind of issue you play around with."
External links
- BBC news report
- Belgian viewers fall for TV hoax announcing breakaway state International Herald Tribune article documenting the hoax.
- RTBF's website (in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
).