 :Also oppose, at least for now. The Spanish period is distinct in that it saw the secession of the Nothern Netherlands (as the Dutch Republic), after which only present Belgium was ruled from Spain. It also saw distinct social and economic developments, hardly covered in the present article: the rise of Amsterdam at the expense of Antwerp as the main trade port in the region, and the effects of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The current article is only a short overview of political developments, but it has potential for expansion.   