How did foreign rule affect French-language literature in Belgium after 1530?

Following the death of Margaret of Austria in 1530, French-language literature in Belgium entered a prolonged period of literary sterility that lasted until the end of the ancien régime.1

This decline was driven by several factors related to the political and social climate under foreign rule:

• Indifference to native culture: Successive foreign governments showed little interest in fostering or supporting local literary traditions.1
• Economic instability: Unstable economic conditions hindered the development of a flourishing literary environment.1
• External influence: The literature of the region was heavily overshadowed by the strong influence of 17th- and 18th-century French literature, which dominated the intellectual elite and aristocracy.123

During this era, few writers achieved lasting recognition, with Charles-Joseph, prince de Ligne serving as a notable exception. It was not until the period following the founding of the modern Belgian nation in 1830 that significant attempts were made to establish an original, native literature.1