Why did French influence grow among the aristocracy and intellectuals of southern Flanders in the early 18th century?

In the early 18th century, the growing French influence among the aristocracy and intellectual elite in the southern provinces of the Low Countries was primarily a consequence of the region's political and cultural climate under foreign rule.12

Following the decline of the Flemish woolen industry and the shift of economic preeminence to the north, the southern provinces experienced a period of literary and cultural stagnation. During this time, successive foreign governments showed little interest in fostering native culture, and the region remained under the influence of 17th- and 18th-century French literature. As the status of the native language diminished, it was relegated to a lingua rustica, while French was adopted as the standard language for the upper classes and intellectuals. This trend was further reinforced by the prestige associated with French culture and the lack of a strong, independent native literary movement during the ancien régime.1342