Editing Flanders (section)

=== Flemish independence ===
{{Main|Flemish Movement}}
{{Pie chart
|caption = 2011 survey by ''[[Het Nieuwsblad]]'' and {{ill|Koppen (TV program)|lt=''Koppen''|nl|Koppen (televisieprogramma)}} on whether Flemings feel proud of their Belgian nationality.<ref name="survey">{{cite web|url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/5a3gld44|title=Sire, er zijn toch nog Belgen|work=[[Het Nieuwsblad]]|access-date=2024-03-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605152716/https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/5a3gld44|archive-date=2017-06-05|url-status=live|date=2011-10-06|language=nl-be}}</ref>
|value1 = 20
|label1 = Very proud
|color1 = green
|value2 = 53
|label2 = Proud
|color2 = lime
|value3 = 18
|label3 = Not proud
|color3 = red
|value4 = 8
|label4 = Very not proud
|color4 = maroon
|other = 1
|other-label = No opinion
}}
[[File:Menen - Border crossing 1 cropped.jpg|thumb|left|Border crossing sign near [[Menen]].]]

For some inhabitants, Flanders is more than just a geographical area or the federal institutions (Flemish Community and Region). Supporters of the Flemish Movement even call it a nation and pursue Flemish independence, but most people (approximately 75%) living in Flanders say they are proud to be Belgian and opposed to the dissolution of Belgium. 20% is even ''very proud'', while some 25% are not proud and 8% is ''very not proud''. Mostly students claim to be proud of their nationality, with 90% of them saying so. Of the people older than 55, 31% claim to be proud of being a Belgian. Particular opposition to secession comes from women, people employed in [[Service (economics)|services]], the highest social classes and people from big families. Strongest of all opposing the notion are housekeepers—both housewives and house husbands.<ref name="survey"/>

In 2012, the Flemish government drafted a "Charter for Flanders" (''Handvest voor Vlaanderen'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.vlaamsparlement.be/docs/biblio/opendigibib/monografie/2012/280_handvest_voor_vlaanderen_20120524.pdf|title=Handvest voor Vlaanderen|website=vlaamsparlement.be|language=nl-be}}</ref> of which the first article says ''"Vlaanderen is een deelstaat van de federale Staat België en maakt deel uit van de Europese Unie."'' ("Flanders is a [[federated state|component state]] of the federal State of Belgium and is part of the European Union").