Some phenomena seem to repeat themselves endlessly in Flemish politics. One of them is successful business people, who feel that they are much more competent than politicians, decide to go into politics – and fail. A business background does not guarantee success in politics. Quite the opposite: business people find it hard to adjust to the (rough) mores and the (slow) pace of political life. Media scrutiny is just one of things they are not used to.

In times of budget cuts, hard choices have to be made, even in a wealthy region such as Flanders. The first party to speak out on the cuts was N-VA. Last week, Jan Peumans, speaker of the Flemish Parliament, pointed out that De Lijn, the Flemish public transport company, generates only 15% of its own income. The rest is public funding.

Cartels – two or more parties joining forces at elections – seemed something of the past in Flanders. The two most notable cartels are no longer around. Spirit, the party of Bert Anciaux that teamed up with the Flemish socialists in 1999, has been absorbed by them – as was predicted. The Christiandemocrat CD&V and nationalist N-VA succeeded in putting an end to the Verhofstadt years in 2007, but their alliance burst into smithereens shortly after – as was predicted, too.

So what will people remember from the federal budget agreement? That it was a long time in the making? That Bart De Wever does not like it?