They have opposite stances on the issue. They're geographically located nearby each other. They're also some of the most PEACEFUL nations on the Planet Earth, so they don't fight wars in the same way we do in the USA. Yet, people are people. There's an old joke about a man on a deserted island. He's been there for 30 years until he's rescued. Near his hut, there's a Church that he built while he was there. They rescue him and he's grateful. As they fly over the large island, they cross over the far side of the island. They notice something puzzling: There's a church on THAT side of the island. "We're confused, " they ask the man. "What is THIS Church doing here?" "Oh that!", he says, shaking his head and spitting on the ground. "That's the Church I NEVER go to." Point is, it's true that there MAY BE country-agnostic reasons for why Belgium and Sweden are so diametrically opposed on this issue. But people being people, I find it more likely, if you were to trace the timelines of the legislations between the two countries, you would find a relationship between the two. The more one goes one way, the more the other country goes the other way, until you have a Pure Community ideology on one area, and a Pure Freedom ideology on the other area.[1]sweden-belgium-opposites References Visible links 1. http://icopiedyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/sweden-belgium-opposites.jpg