EUROPE

France shrinks as Belgian farmer mistakenly moves Napoleonic border marker

What could have sparked a diplomatic incident was instead met with banter: a Belgian farmer unwittingly moved the boundary between his country and France when a stone bollard got in the way of his tractor.

Issued on: 05/05/2021 - 08:14

A car crosses the French-Belgian border. AFP - PHILIPPE HUGUEN

By: Amanda Morrow with RFI

Advertising

Leaning against a tree in a wooded area near the village of Bousignies-sur-Roc, the boundary stone has delineated the French-Belgium border since 1819.

It is one of many such stones dotted along the 620-kilometre-long border that was negotiated following the Emperor Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.

Le village de Bousignies-sur-Roc est plus petit depuis qu'un agriculteur belge a déplacé la borne frontière https://t.co/7Ut58dK7tm pic.twitter.com/0UyO5LIbVL
— Eric Turpin (@ericturpin) May 3, 2021

Just months out from the bicentenary of that historic battle, a local farmer, reportedly annoyed at being unable to pass, moved the marker 2.29 metres into French territory – making his own country a bit bigger in the process.

The misdemeanour was discovered two weeks ago when a local history enthusiast out walking near the village of Erquelinnes, on the Belgian side of the border, noticed the stone had been shifted.

The owner of the land confirmed that a neighbouring farmer had, indeed, displaced the stone.

Moving the markers is a violation of the Treaty of Kortrijk, which has guaranteed the border between France and Belgium for more than two hundred years.

Luckily, officials on both sides of the border were able to see the funny side.

"We have no interest in enlarging the village, nor the country," laughed Erquelinnes mayor David Lavaux, in an interview with French TV channel TF1.

“He made Belgium bigger and France smaller. It’s not a good idea. I was happy, my town was bigger, but the mayor of Bousignies-sur-Roc didn't agree."