Hey! Belgians!

[Stefu]

You know the political Internet tests you got in many countries when election's approaching? You put in answers and you get the parties who think as you do? Well, I was reading the Europa Universalis forum's thread about Belgian elections, and apparently they've got them in Belgium, as well. I'm a sucker for this kind of tests, but naturally am handicapped by my unability to understand the language. Can someone point me to some tests and possibly even translate them?

[Az]

You actually forced me to make one.

[Stefu]

No I didn't. I didn't even use the whip more than once. Twice.

[August Borms]

http://www.msn.be/verkiezingen2003/Kieswijzer/default.asp?Ath=f

I'll try to translate it

(Yes, I am very bored)

[Zopperoni]

Hm, I just took the test:

[August Borms]

Crappy translation:

1 Flanders should become completely independent
2 Giving longer sentences is not a solution for crime
3 The imperialism of the USA is the greatest threat to world peace
4 The social security should not be split (between Flanders and Wallonia), and must remain Belgian
5 Non-European immigrants who have lived in Belgium for 5 years should be allowed to vote in elections for the city counsil (?)
6 Catholic education has an added value (?) and should continue to exist
7 The taxes in our country are to high
8 The differences between the Flemish and Francophones are overall small, ultimately we're all Belgians
9 Communism is not a real solution for the problems of our society
10 We must invest more in crimeprevention, instead of repression

11 The government chokes private initiatives by too many regulations and forms
12 Despite its shortcomings, de free market is de best way to "steer the society" (?)
13 Illegals should be deported without further ado
14 Unemployment... checks (?) should not be too high, otherwise no-one would want to work
15 Young criminals should be (able to be) put in youth-prisons
16 Everybody has the right to decide for himself to end his life in case of unbearable suffering or a terminal illness
17 De presence of immigrants also means a cultural enrichment for our cities
18 The justice system should give thougher punishments
19 Islam isn't unify-able (?) with our western way of life
20 It's not that bad that the taxes in our cou ntry are that high, because the government makes good use of the largest part of the money

21 If you're unwilling to work, you don't deserve to be supported by the government
22 It starts with softdrugs and ends with harddrugs
23 If the worldeconomy improves, the situation in the third world will improve by itself
24 The government should be run as a company
25 There is not enough attention paid in education to teach respect for authority (?)
26 De battle against criminality exists out of prevention and repression, but prevention is certainly the most important
27 Overall, the government should breach the freedom of the citizens as little as possible
28 Social inequality remainst the most important problem
29 If you want to work, you can work. Unemployed people who have been unemployed for too long should be dealt with thougher
30 The recent ban on sigarette advertisements should be maintained

31 Wealth is created by dynamic people who take initiative and dare to take risks
32 Income is a humanright
33 Unsafety and criminality is the most important problem of our society
34 First I want a job, then clean air
35 In our society almost everyone has the same opportunities. People who are succesfull owe it to themselves
36 Our country is much to strict for asylum seekers
37 The differences between the highest and lowest incomes are to high
38 There are already enough industrial areas
39 The "family farming" (? small farmers) in Flanders is threatened by a flood of environmental regulations
40 The king has to much power

41 People shouldn't rely completely on the government, but should also provide for a decent pension themselves
42 The large political parties are to closely connected to "belangengroepen" (? it's something like pressure groups)
43 Government companies (?) should continue to be privatised
44 More police on the streets won't solve the crime problem
45 Owners of "zonevreemde" houses should be able to continue to live there ( zonevreemd= if your house is built in a non-residential zone, several houses like this have been demolished)
46 Our welfare state with social security is something to be proud of and should be cherished
47 if it is good for the environment, people should pay more for the processing of garbage and products which damage the environment
48 Without suspicion against your fellow man you can't survive in our society

And click on "Geef de uitslag"

[Colonâ„¢]

Zopperoni: Vlaams Blok and NVA?!

(you aren't Flemish, are you?)

[Locutus]

If the Belgian SP.A is the same as the Dutch SP it probably placed me a bit too far to the left but I'm quite happy to see I have so little in common with Vlaams Blok

[Colonâ„¢]

Actually people, those parties are just the Flemish parties, there aren't any nation-wide parties. (only Walloon and Flemish)

[Zopperoni]

I'm Dutch, and I took a wild guess on some Belgium-specific questions.

[August Borms]

Locutus: the SP.a is more like the Dutch PVDA. And the Belgian PVDA is like the Dutch SP, but much further to the left I think

My results:

[Colonâ„¢]

Originally posted by Zopperoni
I'm Dutch, and I took a wild guess on some Belgium-specific questions.

Well you appear to be a good Flamingant either how.

[Colonâ„¢]

Originally posted by August Borms
Locutus: the SP.a is more like the Dutch PVDA. And the Belgian PVDA is like the Dutch SP, but much further to the left I think

My results:

Former stalinists even.

[Locutus]

Originally posted by August Borms
Locutus: the SP.a is more like the Dutch PVDA.

Well, that sounds about right...

And the Belgian PVDA is like the Dutch SP, but much further to the left I think

[Lincoln]

Originally posted by August Borms
Crappy translation:

1 Flanders should become completely independent
2 Giving longer sentences is not a solution for crime
3 The imperialism of the USA is the greatest threat to world peace
4 The social security should not be split (between Flanders and Wallonia), and must remain Belgian
5 Non-European immigrants who have lived in Belgium for 5 years should be allowed to vote in elections for the city counsil (?)
6 Catholic education has an added value (?) and should continue to exist
7 The taxes in our country are to high
8 The differences between the Flemish and Francophones are overall small, ultimately we're all Belgians
9 Communism is not a real solution for the problems of our society
10 We must invest more in crimeprevention, instead of repression

11 The government chokes private initiatives by too many regulations and forms
12 Despite its shortcomings, de free market is de best way to "steer the society" (?)
13 Illegals should be deported without further ado
14 Unemployment... checks (?) should not be too high, otherwise no-one would want to work
15 Young criminals should be (able to be) put in youth-prisons
16 Everybody has the right to decide for himself to end his life in case of unbearable suffering or a terminal illness
17 De presence of immigrants also means a cultural enrichment for our cities
18 The justice system should give thougher punishments
19 Islam isn't unify-able (?) with our western way of life
20 It's not that bad that the taxes in our cou ntry are that high, because the government makes good use of the largest part of the money

21 If you're unwilling to work, you don't deserve to be supported by the government
22 It starts with softdrugs and ends with harddrugs
23 If the worldeconomy improves, the situation in the third world will improve by itself
24 The government should be run as a company
25 There is not enough attention paid in education to teach respect for authority (?)
26 De battle against criminality exists out of prevention and repression, but prevention is certainly the most important
27 Overall, the government should breach the freedom of the citizens as little as possible
28 Social inequality remainst the most important problem
29 If you want to work, you can work. Unemployed people who have been unemployed for too long should be dealt with thougher
30 The recent ban on sigarette advertisements should be maintained

31 Wealth is created by dynamic people who take initiative and dare to take risks
32 Income is a humanright
33 Unsafety and criminality is the most important problem of our society
34 First I want a job, then clean air
35 In our society almost everyone has the same opportunities. People who are succesfull owe it to themselves
36 Our country is much to strict for asylum seekers
37 The differences between the highest and lowest incomes are to high
38 There are already enough industrial areas
39 The "family farming" (? small farmers) in Flanders is threatened by a flood of environmental regulations
40 The king has to much power

41 People shouldn't rely completely on the government, but should also provide for a decent pension themselves
42 The large political parties are to closely connected to "belangengroepen" (? it's something like pressure groups)
43 Government companies (?) should continue to be privatised
44 More police on the streets won't solve the crime problem
45 Owners of "zonevreemde" houses should be able to continue to live there ( zonevreemd= if your house is built in a non-residential zone, several houses like this have been demolished)
46 Our welfare state with social security is something to be proud of and should be cherished
47 if it is good for the environment, people should pay more for the processing of garbage and products which damage the environment
48 Without suspicion against your fellow man you can't survive in our society

And click on "Geef de uitslag"

Thanks August. But would you translate your translation for me? Is the list an order of priorities, if so is it in numerical order? Or, what is the most pressing issue in that list for the average Belgian?