Democracy Dies in Darkness

A farmer moved the border between France and Belgium so his tractor could have more room

May 4, 2021 at 12:03 p.m. EDT
Farmers work in a tulip field in Meerdonk, Belgium, on Monday. (Virginia Mayo/AP)

The border between Belgium and France has been largely stable for 200 years.

That is, until a Belgian farmer annoyed with the placement of one of the stones marking the storied territorial divide inadvertently shifted the border 7.5 feet so his tractor could move more easily.

The border-dispute-that-wasn’t came to light when a historian walking along the demarcation line noticed that the stone had migrated slightly into France, the BBC reported.