Some weeks ago, Van Aelst, having joined the Flemish nationalist N-VA, suggested that French should no longer be taught in Flemish schools. “We have to stop weaving the whip that strikes us,” he said. “The French speakers will not be satisfied until the cod at the Ostend coast speaks their language as well.”

Last week, he declared himself “willing to show solidarity with the Turks, but not with the Walloons”. He also complained of the way (the French speaking politicians) Di Rupo, Laurette Onkelinx and Joëlle Milquet “rape our language. …It hurts my ears!”

Van Aelst’s words understandably met with much indignation from the French speakers, who asked his party president Bart De Wever to distance himself. De Wever did anything but. “I would not have used the same words, but Van Aelst has spoken some inconvenient truths,” De Wever said.

Van Aelst’s loathing of the French speakers is reminiscent of the language conflict in and around Brussels some decades ago, when Flemish people were looked down upon. Many adopted French as their language, if only to enhance their professional opportunities. Others resisted, demanding “language rights”, which was a major factor in the emancipation of the Flemish.

Some aspects of this conflict linger on today, such as the lack of Dutch spoken in many Brussels hospitals, which can lead to improper care for Flemish people. Still, much of this is part of the past: The Flemish are no longer a downtrodden people, having to give up their language to make a living in a hostile city; Flanders is now the richest region of Belgium.

And, although Dutch is still not compulsory in French-speaking schools, the knowledge of it amongst French speakers has improved; politicians such as Paul Magnette (PS), Melchior Wathelet (CDH) and Charles Michel (MR) are more than fluent in it.

So what are Van Aelst’s outbursts all about? They voice frustrations of long ago, but they also echo a growing hostility towards the French speakers. Whether this is the cause or the result of the political turmoil remains unclear, but it is an inconvenient truth for anyone who has to find an agreement between the Flemish and French speakers.