Every country has regions whose economic development and level of prosperity lag behind compared to other areas. While Flanders became increasingly economically successful from the 1960s onwards, Wallonia fell behind. Even within Flanders, however, regional economic disparities persisted until the late 1990s. Although the call for government intervention arose as early as before the Second World War, it wasn’t until the 1950s that a more structured policy emerged, offering financial and fiscal support to specific regions. This policy aimed to create equal opportunities for all regions and unlock their economic potential.
In a PhD dissertation recently submitted at Ghent University, historian Ophelia Ongena shows that this process was far from straightforward, and was heavily influenced by political circumstances and linguistic-community tensions. From the 1970s onwards, Flanders gained increasing authority over economic policy, which led to new strategies and growing involvement of companies themselves in addressing regional unemployment.
For this research, the 1937 industrial census from LOKSTAT was used as source.
Publication:
Ophelia Ongena. “Werk in eigen streek!” Ontstaan en evolutie van een economisch beleid op maat van streken en regio’s (België, tweede helft van de 20ste eeuw). Ghent, PhD Dissertation, 2024.
DETAILS
Database used: LOKSTAT
Date: February 2024
Category: Scientific publication