Sex Ban to Force Belgian Government Formation?
Via the BBC: Sex ban suggested for Belgian coalition negotiators
Socialist senator Marleen Temmerman said after a week of a similar sex ban in Kenya in 2009, a government was formed.
[…]
It is now 241 days since the elections, and Belgium is fast approaching an unofficial world record.
Apart from Somalia, it is reported that only Iraq has taken longer (249 days) to form a government.
"I call on the spouses of all negotiators to withold sex until a deal is reached," said Ms Temmerman in an article for a Belgian newspaper. "Have no more sex until the new administration is posing on the steps of the Palace."
She said if politicians’ partners followed her suggestion, the "palaver" of coalition-forming would be resolved quite quickly.
Well, desperate times and all that…
Of course, it also occurs to me that the Belgian experience might convince some small-government conservatives to push for a switch to a parliamentary style government in the US. After all: no formation of a cabinet in 241 days (and going) beats a measly ol’ US-style government shutdown any day, yes?
Sex? A better bet for the Belgians is to ban consumption of beer and cigarettes until they have a government.
I never thought that I’d see the plot to Lysistrata actually played out in real-life … amazing.
Hee hee
You may be on to something: The Independent pointed out today that spending was lower than expected last year because there was no government to initiate any new spending!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/belgium-ndash-eight-months-with-no-government-2213128.html
(The Independent article is quite informative in its overview of the Belgian situation, as well as quite entertaining!)