A year after regional elections that caused a seismic shift in political leadership, the coalition headed by the Liberals and Democrats is pushing to increase Flanders policy-making powers. The region is in robust economic health thanks to, among other factors, the diamond sector, which is likely to emerge flawless from recent controversy. The outlook is fairly bright. Economic growth is strong and getting still stronger.
Inflation is subdued.
Unemployment has fallen sharply, leading to a shortage of labour in the western part of the province and the necessity to import workers from neighbouring France. The construction of a campus for companies specialising in speech technology could vault the region into a leading position in the field.