Possibly. But more likely people will remember the way in which prime minister-to-be Elio Di Rupo (PS) presented this, in something vaguely resembling the Dutch language. Di Rupo has long struggled with Dutch pronunciation. He obviously tries his best – he has been taking lessons for years – but his hypercorrect articulation and often bizarre intonation only make some laugh and others cringe.

That Di Rupo suffers from a hearing impediment, which makes languages so much harder for him to learn, is little known in Flanders. The socialist suffers another handicap, too: When he speaks, many Flemish hear the voice of francophone domination.

Di Rupo’s syllables take them back to the time when French was the language of the upper classes and the bourgeoisie, who looked down on the “little Flemish”. Adopting French was the way to get ahead in life. This is how Brussels, a Flemish city originally, became almost completely French speaking before it turned into the multiple-language melting pot it is today. What the Flemish spoke – a variety of dialects at the time – was not even considered a language.

After a long emancipation process, the Flemish now have the same rights as French speakers, Dutch being one the three official languages in Belgium. This “language struggle” has left its traces, though: Language issues are still sensitive with many Flemish, who will react at any hint of condescension or unwillingness to speak it on the part of French speakers.

That Di Rupo should fall victim of this is slightly unfair. There is no reason why the Flemish, who have become so much more successful economically, should still have this chip on their shoulders. Moreover, Di Rupo is anything but a bourgeois looking down at us. He is the son of poor immigrants, who, through his own talent and perseverance, became what he is today.

Still, there are signs that things have changed. French-speaking politicians such as Didier Reynders, Charles Michel and Melchior Wathelet, who have better mastered the language, are looked upon mildly and even admired. Flemish politicians often admit that their French is not up to scratch and take courses themselves. And frankly, the language they speak often sounds like anything but Dutch, too, but it is hard to see how any course could mend that.