Belgium is on the verge of a world record: most time taken to form a government. That record is currently held by Iraq, but 241 days after Belgium's elections, a coalition government has yet to be formed.
Belgian Senator Marleen Temmerman has come up with an intriguing solution to this predicament. Inspired by a similar action in Kenya, she has proposed a sex strike on the part of the negotiators' spouses. According to Temmerman, resolution could potentially be reached faster if sex is withheld from those currently unable to reach a deal.
According to BBC News, 80% of Belgians who contacted Temmerman's office responded positively to the idea of a sex strike. But per the BBC report, the reaction of some of the politicians who would be impacted has been less than enthusiastic: "Catherine Fonck, a francophone Christian Democrat senator, was quoted in Britain's Daily Telegraph as saying: 'I do not want to take part in a sex strike. Politicians are not there to strike. On the contrary, politicians are there to arouse the country.'"
Only time will tell how effective a sex strike will be if it moves forward, but it will sure be fascinating to find out.