For me it mostly gives a bad image of how hopeless the situation is. Absolute top politicians should at least be able to have a basic conversation in the other language but they often can’t even do that.

One of the reasons Flanders is so extremely sensitive about the language rules and the language communities is because they see frenchification happening everywhere they go, especially around Brussels (but also in other cities). And when even our top ministers cannot be bothered, it doesn’t exactly hint that people will adapt and speak Dutch rather than expecting others will accommodate them in French.

It would take the nationalists down a few notches if ministers were equally as fluent in Dutch as their Flemish counterparts are in French. Doesn’t have to be perfect, just comprehensible and showing effort.