FOOTBALL - THE CASE OF QUOTA: Zidane broke his silence and defends Laurent Blanc

AFP - The case of quotas was marked Saturday by Zinedine Zidane in support of Laurent Blanc, who has had a hectic day, between his private flight from Merano (Italy) Bordeaux, tracked by the press, and a denial of the French Football Federation (FFF) following the announcement by a regional media of his alleged resignation.

The position of Zidane, beacon generation black-blanc-beur, was eagerly awaited.Her silence became heavy while the world champions in 1998 tore at each other on the White case, with Vieira and Thuram accusers and Dugarry, Lizarazu, Desailly and Jacquet, coach of the defenders.

"It would be crazy to let him go because of it"

To the question "Should he step down as coach?" Zidane replied in an interview published Sunday in L'Equipe: "Of course not. But I can tell you it was very, very touched. I think he started doing a great job. And he has a real project, but you must leave things in their place, it would be crazy to let him go because of this. It must continue. "

"Regarding Lawrence, we'll make it simple and clear: I know him well, he is obviously not racist, says 'Zizou'.I'm going even further: it never reasons like that because it's not an issue for him! I think that's also how he has made clear in a discussion take.

White spent a Saturday in leading media.The FFF had formally denied to AFP his resignation presented by the conditional site-West France on Saturday morning, also denied information by the Ministry of Sports.

"I got the phone (...) at no time was there any question about it (...) It does not have to tell me everything, but at no time did I felt on the verge of resignation, "for his part told AFP press chief of the Blues, Philippe Tournon.

Laurent Blanc is silent before being heard by the Commissions of Inquiry

White left Meran (northern Italy) in early afternoon Saturday, when he was in treatment, said a reporter from AFP.The coach is then arrived at about 5:15 p.m. on board a private plane at the airport Bordeaux-Merignac, found a photographer for AFP.

"Out of respect for the Committees preparing to audition, Laurent Blanc will not make any statements before the hearings and render findings. He will speak, however much later," said Mr.Tournon.

The coach has until Monday morning to even be heard by the mission of the Department of Sports and by the internal commission of the FFF, a source familiar with the matter.

Davenas Lawrence, one of two members of the Committee of Inquiry of the FFF, said Saturday at the AFP: "Until further notice, a hearing will be in Paris, probably during the weekend," the later Monday.

Chantal Jouanno Sports Minister must present the findings of the investigation department on Monday afternoon.Those of the internal investigation of the FFF should be reserved for a special federal council next Thursday.

In the case of quotas, for now, only the national technical director (DTN) François Blaquart, which depends on both the department and the FFF is temporarily suspended. It is seems likely that the heavier penalty.

Brussels unveils several proposals to reform the Schengen area

The European Commission will propose on Wednesday a greater flexibility to restore the checks within the Schengen area without borders, under pressure from Paris and Rome who are concerned about the arrival of thousands of Tunisian immigrants.

Temporary restoration of national borders is a "possibility among others" to be used in exceptional circumstances, "said Commission President José Manuel Barroso, in a letter sent late last week in France and the Italy.

But most said one European diplomat, is that of restoring border controls is clearly signified.

This review could "undermine the philosophy of the Schengen system, which relies on mutual trust between States, but warned Yves PASCOUAU, a European expert on migration issues, in a study released Tuesday by the European Policy Centre (European Policy Center) .

Paris, in conflict with Rome about the reception of migrants in Tunisia, estimates that the current "safeguard clauses" that allow states to reinstate the controls are too restrictive.

France wants such that they can do so not only in cases of "serious threat to public order or national security" - as is expected today - but also in cases of "failure" of a state in monitoring its borders.

A European diplomat cited the example of Greek-Turkish border, which is one of the main crossing points for illegal immigration in Europe.

It is "essential" that the border control at the borders of Europe should be "effective and credible," the text that the Commission should present Wednesday and which AFP has obtained a copy still subject to change.

Temporary restoration of national borders should be "an incitement to virtue to compel these countries to be more rigorous, more demanding," said one diplomat.

A capacity of Frontex?

European Commissioner for immigration Cecilia Malmström should also propose a strengthening of skills and capacity for action of Frontex, the agency responsible for overseeing the external borders of the EU.

Its proposals will then be on the agenda of a meeting of EU interior ministers on May 12 in Brussels before being finalized in June at a summit of Heads of State and Government of the EU.

"The goal is to go as fast as possible to strengthen the governance of the Schengen area," said one diplomat from a major European country.

However, if the proposals are in line with Brussels wanted by Paris and Rome, the debate on how best to implement them is unresolved.France calls for new legislation changing the Schengen code to give more weight to the amendments, while the Commission and some capitals look for a less cumbersome for simple "clarification" of existing rules, according to diplomats.

The German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle has placed limits on changing the rules. "Freedom of movement in Europe is such a success that it should not be renegotiated," he said.

The Schengen Area comprises 25 Member States with three non-EU members (Norway, Switzerland and Iceland, Liechtenstein and soon).It allows more than 400 million citizens to move freely from Finland to Greece, from Portugal to the Polish border, without showing their passports.

The accession of Bulgaria and Romania, initially scheduled for March, is still pending.

COTE D'IVOIRE - EXCLUSIVE: The reconciliation of the country through the people of Duékoué

Some images may offend the sensibilities of viewers.

Ten days after the effective takeover of the Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara, the new government must now begin on a gigantic construction: that of reconciliation. The Republican Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (FRCI), which brought to power Ouattara, are now sovereign and crisscross the country to collect weapons in circulation and safety.

In Duékoué, Caroline Dumay, special correspondent for FRANCE 24, followed FRCI patrols in the heart of one of the cities most affected by the clashes between pro-and pro-Gbagbo Ouattara.Their mission focuses on two areas: ensuring the safety of people and uncover possible weapons caches.

"Duekoué was the nest of the militia and Liberian mercenaries. The amount of weapons we have recovered is below the estimates we made on the number of weapons distributed here," said the commander of the gendarmerie Konda Duékoué responsible for operations in the region.

In recent weeks the clashes, several reports have confirmed that the armed forces loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo had out massively distributed weapons to civilians.For the commander Konda, this weapon is a threat to the newfound peace in Côte d'Ivoire.

Massacres

Securing Duékoué by FRCI is now one of the priorities of government Ouattara, while residents return to their homes and attempt to identify the many dead.

In recent weeks, several humanitarian agencies have accused the pro-Ouattara of committing atrocities in the region of Duekoue. The Red Cross had even suggested a figure of 800 deaths in one district of Carrefour.

The Government believes that the balance Ouattara civil clashes is 330 deaths in the region.Officials of the UN mission on site, for their part, said they had conducted the burial of 198 bodies.

According to FRANCE 24 journalists in Duékoué, it is likely that many civilians were summarily executed. Images they filmed, the lifeless body emerged, particularly that of a pastor who tried to surrender before being shot.

The time of reconstruction

The authorities said the residents of Duekoue that the area was now secure and that they could return to their city.But for many people, the main concern now is to know where to sleep, while many houses were swept away by the fighting.

Father Bertin, parish of Diahouin, chose to return. But the return is difficult. His chapel was burned, his house was looted and the well is filled with corpses. "It is not difficult to return, but once you're there, where to stay Where to live?" Asks he.

At 85, like many others, he can not afford to rebuild. This heavy burden will be the new power in place. A "major challenge", recognizes Sidiki Konate, a government minister Ouattara."If it solves the problem of reconciliation in Duékoué, it solves the problem of reconciliation in Côte d'Ivoire," he says.

A scenario that can take shape without the rapid reconstruction of infrastructure.

LIBYA - Feature: In Misrata, the fighting is taking place amid a ruined city

Misrata reached April 12, Matthieu Mabin and Alexandra Fox, FRANCE 24 correspondents, are alongside the rebellion Libyan Misrata when she comes back to a neighborhood to the forces of Colonel Gaddafi.

Beach shoes and sweatpants, five weeks ago, insurgents Misrata were students, dentists and masons. Today they have become combatants. This is the case of Muhammad, who fights in his neighborhood, close to his own house: "I stay in my city to defend it. If someone comes to you and tries to kill you, what do you do? You defend yourself! We only defend themselves by fighting .... "

Within days, the fighting turned into a battlefield Misrata."Look at the streets of Tripoli on 6 or 7 miles, everything is destroyed, nothing remains," said Muhamad.

The battles are played out street by street, house by house, and leave behind a city totally devastated.

LIBYA: In Doha, the "contact group" trying to prevent the stagnation of the conflict Libyan

The foreign ministers of the "contact group" on Libya will meet in Qatar on Wednesday when the stalemate of the situation causes a tension among the allies.

On the eve of this meeting, France and Great Britain, who were at the forefront of military intervention in the sky Libyan Tuesday urged NATO to step up its raids to destroy heavy weapons forces of Muammar Gaddafi.

In Luxembourg, where he attended a meeting of European ministers, Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister said Tuesday that NATO, which took over the United States, Great Britain and France March 31, did not play its role adequately.

"NATO has absolutely wanted to conduct this operation on the military.Well now, there is now (...) It is not acceptable Misrata can continue to be under fire from the bombing of Qaddafi's troops, "he said.

His British counterpart, William Hague, also requested that the Alliance is intensifying its efforts."We must maintain and strengthen our efforts within NATO," said the Foreign Secretary.

For more than three weeks after the first air strikes against the regular forces Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi is still in place and the insurgents, whose representatives will travel to Qatar, do not seem able to overthrow him by force.

With the failure of mediation attempts by the African Union, the prospects for a compromise were parallel remote.

"A new Somalia?"

Established at the London conference, March 29, the "contact group" on Libya to fly the political aspect of the Allied intervention.

Representatives of the National Transitional Council (CNT), established by the rebels in their stronghold of Benghazi (East), will be heard by the Ministers in Doha.

They should also hold talks with Musa Kusa, a former Libyan foreign minister who defected and fled to London last month, said the British government.Koussa was concerned that his country from becoming "another Somalia".

The Doha meeting comes as the stalemate threat and that the humanitarian crisis is accentuated in Misrata, the last major town held by rebels in western Libya and besieged for weeks the troops of Muammar Gaddafi.

At least 250 people died in six weeks in this city located 220 km east of Tripoli.

"When one pulls gun on Misrata is that there are many guns that must be identified and neutralized (...) It should be on it more efficient," stressed Alain Juppe.

NATO, which has intensified its air attacks during the weekend around Misrata and Ajdabiah, destroying several tanks forces Gaddafi rejects criticism of the French and British.

In a statement, she said it "vigorously conducts its military operations in Libya under the mandate given to it" and that "the pace of operations is determined by the need to protect the civilian population."

Late Tuesday night, the Alliance announced that its air force had destroyed five tanks in the area of ​​Misrata."Our aviation continues to strike targets around Misrata regime," the Canadian General Charles Bouchard, Commander of NATO.

The rebels have announced they have demanded weapons to countries that have recognized their Transitional National Council as the sole representative of the country, namely France, Qatar and Italy.

"We presented a list of military equipment and technology we need," said Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, official spokesman of the CNT in Benghazi.

JAPAN: Authorities put all the nuclear reactors of the archipelago under surveillance

AFP - The Japanese government on Wednesday ordered an urgent check of all the country's nuclear reactors to ensure they do not meet one day the same damage as those endured by the power plant in Fukushima damaged by the earthquake of March 11 .

A letter to that effect, made public, was addressed by Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Banri Kaieda, CEOs of the nine regional electricity companies in Japan and two other operators nuclear power plants.

Japan has more than 50 reactors, all located on the seafront, on an archipelago that is integrally threat of earthquakes.

The central Fukushima Daiichi (1 Fukushima, north-east) faces an extreme situation, power was cut off by the earthquake and tsunami, embedded generators and cooling devices turned off, all leading to overheating fuel, explosions and radiation leaks.
;
As for facilities that are currently under arrest or under construction, they can not be used without having been vetted, "said Minister of Industry, Banri Kaieda, at a press conference partially televised.

The Department also requests that the exercises are conducted to train the teams to deal with such emergencies.

Measures will also be implemented to secure sources of emergency power and a means to cool the fuel, especially in cooling ponds.

The minister stressed that Japan could hardly do without nuclear power, given their needs and lack of resources.

"The nuclear electricity makes up 30% of production in Japan," he said.

The arrest of more than a dozen reactors after the earthquake of March 11 requires the company Tokyo Electric Power, which manages Fukushima Daiichi and supplies the capital, to schedule outages and forcing users to limit their consumption.

Liveblogging: France launches military action in Libya

What you should remember:

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that French fighter planes had penetrated into Libyan airspace to prevent the forces of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to attack the city of Benghazi, a stronghold of the opposition.


The statement by the French head of state concluded an international summit on the situation in Libya, which gathered in Paris this Saturday the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Prime Minister David Cameron and many Arab and European politicians.
A military plane was shot Saturday morning while flying over the city of Benghazi.The aircraft belongs to the opponents of Muammar Gaddafi.
According to the insurgents in Benghazi, forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi bombed roads leading into town. The regime denies the accusations and says its planes remained on the ground, according to the cease-fire it announced Friday.

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SAUDI ARABIA: Violent repression of a Shiite demonstration in the eastern United

AFP - Three Shiite demonstrators were injured Thursday in eastern Saudi Arabia by gunfire from police attempting to disperse a rally, according to a witness on the eve of a call for protests in the kingdom.

The shootings have occurred, while between 600 and 800 people, including women, demonstrating in Al-Qatif to demand the release of nine prisoners Shiite, said the witness, who requested anonymity.

"While walking in the heart of the city was completed, the soldiers started shooting at demonstrators, and three of them were injured," he added.

The three injured men were hospitalized but their injuries were "moderate," the source said, that the shooting lasted about 10 minutes.

These incidents occurred on the eve of a call to protest launched on Facebook.

The call claims that "the leader and members of the Majlis al-Shura (consultative council appointed) be elected", "the release of political prisoners" and "freedom of speech and assembly" in the kingdom.

Saudi officials have stated several times in recent days that the demonstrations were banned in the kingdom and that the police were authorized to intervene to enforce the law.

In Riyadh, the situation was normal on Thursday but police patrols were more numerous than usual, residents said.

In Washington, Deputy Adviser for National Security President Barack Obama, Ben Rhodes, said the U.S. closely monitoring developments in Saudi Arabia, one of its main allies in the Middle East, and defended " universal values ​​"such as the right to protest.

The prospect of turmoil in the heart of the world's largest exporter of crude oil has contributed to nervousness in the oil market.Brent Thursday evolved around $ 114 a barrel.

"The attention is focused on the crisis in the Middle East, while demonstrations potential for + the + day of rage Friday in Saudi Arabia could push crude prices, with Brent who could brush against the new $ 120 barrel, "he told AFP analyst Sokou Myrto.

The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, had told reporters Wednesday the "rejection of any interference in internal affairs" of his country.

"Reform can not be done through demonstrations," he said, adding that "dialogue" was the best way for citizens to make their voices heard.

Following appeals on Facebook, a few hundred people had already expressed last week in eastern Arabia, where Shiites are concentrated, demanding the release of a cleric.

This dignitary, Sheikh Toufic al-Aamer, was released on March 6 and 26 Shiites arrested during demonstrations last week have been released in recent days.

Inmates whose demonstrators demanded the release Thursday are nine people arrested in 1996 after the assassination of anti-American Khobar in eastern kingdom.

The Shiites are concentrated especially in the eastern province, rich in oil, make up about 10% of the population of Saudi Arabia.The community complains of marginalization in a country ruled by Wahhabism, a puritanical Sunni doctrine.

LUXURY: Bulgari, the end of independence

And in the end, he won the bet. French luxury giant LVMH was not alone in taking a close look at Bulgari. But so far, the Italian jeweler had resisted all the sirens. A determination that Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH and the world's No. 1 luxury, finally came to end. His group has acquired, on Monday, 51% of Bulgari in a transaction valued at 1.84 billion euros. And to mourn its independence, the Bulgari family has received 16.5 million shares LVMH, or 3.5% of the group.

The French group hopes through this acquisition to double its revenue in an area where it is still not number 1.Bulgari should enable it to achieve a turnover of 1.8 billion euros in 2011 in the jewelry against 985 million euros in 2010.

Paolo and Nicola Bulgari for, respectively President and Vice-Chair of the Italian family, the benefits are less obvious. They put forward "guarantees for the future" made by LVMH to justify the operation. But it is mainly a reversal of unexpected situations.

A climb that quickly attracted the covetous

The house has always prided itself Bulgari to be one of the last major family-owned businesses in the world of luxury. In 2007, its CEO, Francesco Trapani told the daily La Tribune that his "business [was] not for sale.It has never been and we do not expect to sell. "

Founded in 1884 in Rome, Bulgari has managed to become the third largest jewelry brand in the world behind Cartier (part of the world's No. 2 luxury Richemont) and Tiffany. Climb to the podium that is actually relatively recent. In the 1980s, Bulgari had only five stores and 80 employees. Over 30 years later, Bulgari can boast of having 3300 employees and sells products in more than 250 shops. Floated in 1995, the title of the Roman house gained nearly 900% of its value.

In these circumstances it is natural that the jeweler has aroused the envy of all the industry heavyweights.Especially in 2006, Bulgari has for the first time exceeded the billion turnover. They all declared their love to the Italian group. PPR (Pinault Printemps Redoute), the French rival LVMH, Bulgari have sought to acquire in 2006. A year later, it was the turn of Swatch to declare interest. While Richemont who has never ruled on the case Bulgari, the Swiss group, which owns Cartier, could hardly stay out of negotiations on the fate of his Italian rival.

Expansion halted by 2009

But until then had always preferred Bulgari continue to grow alone.Spurred by Francesco Trapani, CEO since 1984, the Italian company has successfully launched, diversify in perfumes, leather goods and even luxury hotels (in partnership with the Marriott group).

Until the 2008 financial crisis, Bulgari seemed not to have known of missteps. But in 2009, the company posted a net loss - its first since 1995 - from 1.38 million. A bad year that Bulgari has placed on the account of a broad expansion of its distribution started before the crisis erupted.

It is perhaps this reversal of fortune that LVMH has decided to take action.Perhaps also the desire to prove to another family business coveted Hermes, the companies that seem attached to their independence may also eventually be seduced.

MADAGASCAR: Back from exile compromise Marc Ravalomanana

AFP - Former President of Madagascar Marc Ravalomanana was prevented from returning to Antananarivo on Saturday after being denied boarding at Johannesburg airport by an airline citing an order from the Malagasy civil aviation, was a journalist the AFP.

"I'm going to Madagascar for the sake of peace, not war, why does blocking me is here now?" Said the press Ravalomanana, visibly angry after the airline Airlink signified to him the refusal boarding at the airport OR Tambo.

A company employee showed him a letter from the Civil Aviation Authority Malagasy saying: "Marc Ravalomanana is persona non grata in Madagascar.Also to preserve public order, do not take on board ".

In Madagascar, at the airport Antanananarivo, several thousand supporters of Marc Ravalomanana had gathered Saturday morning in anticipation of the arrival of former president who had announced his return home today after two years of exile.

The Malagasy regime in place Rajoelina had estimated that his return was announced a "big bluff" and warned it would stop immediately deposed president if he continued to return.

LIBYA: In Benghazi, the police dispersed a rally against the government

AFP - The Libyan police forcibly dispersed the night from Tuesday to Wednesday a sit-in against the power in Benghazi (east), and hundreds of supporters of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi soon after marched in several cities, it was learned from sources.

Family members of prisoners killed in 1996 in a shootout in the prison of Abu Slim in Tripoli, gathered outside a police station in Benghazi to demand the release of their coordinator, the lawyer Fethi Tarbel, the newspaper reported Online Al-Manara.

Ms. Tarbell, whose reasons for arrest are unknown, was released under pressure from families, according to the newspaper's website Qurina near Seif Al-Islam, son of Colonel Gaddafi.

But the crowd did not move out and others joined the protest, prompting the police to disperse them by force, according to the website Libya al-Youm.

The demonstrators chanted slogans against the regime: "Benghazi wake up is the day you were waiting for" the blood of martyrs is not shed in vain, "or" the people want to bring down corruption, "according these media.

Soon after, hundreds of demonstrators marched pro-regime in Benghazi, the second largest city, 1,000 km east of Tripoli, but also in Sirte (east), Sebha (south) and Tripoli, according to images state television.

Since 4:00 local time (0200 GMT), the channel al-Jamahiriya broadcast live images of protesters marching on foot and in cars, waving flags and pictures of Colonel Qaddafi and chanting slogans in praise of the Guide of the Libyan revolution and cons channel Al-Jazeera accused by the regime to incite rebellion in Arab individuals.

The string "al-Jazeera despicable, we do not want anything other than our leader," chanted the demonstrators particular.

These events occur on the eve of the "day of anger" Libyan scheduled for Thursday, according to appeals on Facebook.

Under the slogan "Revolt of February 17, 2011: to make a day of anger in Libya," a Facebook group, which calls for an uprising against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, has risen from 4,400 members Monday at 9600 Wednesday morning.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), at least 1,200 prisoners were killed by police during a shootout in the prison of Abu Salim in 1996, under circumstances that remain unclear.

In recent years their families, much of which originated in Benghazi, continues to claim that light and justice are made on the massacre.

FRANCE: Michele Alliot-Marie criticized for its friendly relationship with someone close to Ben Ali

AFP - The head of French diplomacy, Michele Alliot-Marie, was used in 2010 in Tunisia in a private jet Tunisian businessman, presented by the weekly Le Canard Enchaine as a member "of the clan Ben Ali" what was denied on Tuesday the cabinet of the Minister.

The newspaper reveals that the minister used between Christmas and New Year's Day this aircraft to connect to the city of Tunis Tabarka, with her husband Patrick Ollier, Minister for Relations with Parliament, and members of their families.

Tunisian revolt began some two weeks ago, after self-immolation of a young Tunisian, December 17 in Sidi Bouzid, in the center of the country.

Michèle Alliot-Marie was sharply criticized in France since 11 January for having underestimated the Revolution of jasmine and have proposed to the National Assembly security cooperation regime in the Ben Ali.

The private plane and the destination hotel Michèle Alliot-Marie owned Aziz Miled, longtime friend of the Minister and presented by Le Canard Enchaine as close Belhassen Trabelsi, brother of former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.

"It is true that Michele Alliot-Marie, after taking a commercial flight from Paris to Tunis, then took a private plane to Tabarka," he told AFP his cabinet."It was at the invitation of Aziz Miled, a friend for several years, which is the owner of an airline called Nouvelair. Miled Aziz was on the plane and took them with her parents and her husband" sources said the same source.

"But Aziz Miled is not a clan member Ben Ali," said the minister's office. "He was caught by a family member Trabelsi 20% of its shares in the airline and the presidency of this society," we sure of the source. Family Trabelsi is the wife of the former president.

"Mr.Miled is even less a friend of Ben Ali as the new Tunisian authorities, after the latter's departure and his family, he gave back all its shares so that the chair of Nouvelair, "argued the firm the minister. "In any case, it was a clan for Ben Ali", it was stressed from the same source.

However Aziz Miled is part of the list of which Switzerland has frozen the assets on January 19 after the fall of Ben Ali. He is featured on this list, published by the Swiss government as a partner Belhassen Trabelsi.

Sunday, in an interview with Paris, Michèle Alliot-Marie had admitted being on vacation in 2010 in Tunisia. "Like millions of French, I'm going to Tunisia.That's all, "she had said.

She added he had not thought about resigning after his controversial remarks on police assistance that France could make to Tunisia, saying had "learned to have thick leather" faced with controversy.

Last week, Segolene Royal, Socialist former candidate for president in 2007, was deemed "hateful" about the minister before the deputies and found that having "very personal ties with Tunisia" made "blind".

The Chained Duck also states that it sought in vain to who had paid the hotel bill of Tabarka stayed where the minister and his family."It was settled by Ms. Alliot-Marie and her family," assured the minister's entourage without elaborating.

BELGIUM: "We want a government!" 30,000 demonstrators chanted in Brussels

AFP - More than 30,000 Belgians took part Sunday in Brussels in a march of "shame" to expose the unprecedented political crisis lasting record that threatens the unity of the country, due to differences between Flemish and Francophone, and ask formation of a government.

This is the first time since the Belgian parliamentary elections of 13 June 2010, ordinary citizens are expressing their exasperation with massively to the current impasse.

They were responding to a call via the Internet popularized five young Flanders and Brussels, three students and two employees, claiming no political affiliation even if one of them is the son of Minister of Justice, a Flemish Christian Democrat .Their motto: a march of "shame" for the kingdom.

"A beard for Belgium"

"What we want? We want a government," chanted the protesters, often young, the 224th day of the crisis which saw the country deprived of effective government, a record in Europe.

Many demonstrators wore also on Sunday a placard with the slogan "Divide? Not in our name!" Slogan of a meeting of artists and intellectuals held in Brussels on Friday evening, which caused a stir.

The participants, mixed Flemish and Francophone, have denounced the line defended by the Nationalist party emerged as the winner of legislative independence, the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), which contributes to the current political stalemate.

The tone of humor, speaking Geluck Philippe, the famous designer of the "Cat", is called a "revolution of mussels and fries," the Belgian national dish, along the lines of "jasmine revolution" Tunisian .

Other successful slogan, "A beard for Belgium" could be read on stickers flown Sunday some 34,000 demonstrators (by police), following a call from the Belgian actor Benoît Poelvoorde no longer to shave until the denouement of the crisis.

A text divides the Flemish majority

"We want a solution.Not this trench warfare between political parties, "said one protester Flemish, Christopher, 27, researcher in sociology from the University of Antwerp (Flanders, north).

For him, Sunday's protest reflects "the beginning of a rift between Flemings," since the right Flemish - N-VA and the Christian Democrats VCT - dismissed on January 6 a draft agreement prepared by a socialist Flemish with a mission of conciliation.

This text was instead supported by the Flemish and Francophone left participant for more than seven months in the endless negotiations in September

Single incident of the gathering on Sunday, five Flemish extremists were detained by police when they tried to destroy tracts for demonstrators.

One of the organizers of the march, Vandereecken Simon, a graphic designer for 23 years, welcomed a success "has exceeded our expectations."

"Our politicians will have to react after such a mobilization. Otherwise, we'll see what steps to take," he told AFP.

Belgium has been administered since 2010 by a firm responsible for caretaker absence of agreement on a new reform of its institutions.

The Francophone Wallonia and Brussels want to limit the autonomy demanded by the Flemish reinforced (60% of the estimated 11 million Belgians), particularly in tax matters, lest it be the beginning of the end for the country.