The Belgians that I met in Ghent were deeply scornful of anyone who tried to speak French to them.
“Do you speak dutch?” was a common question to me, and I found the happy compromise was to speak German or English.
As far as why Belgium getting the prize of NATO, they would say that it was because of Belgium's studied neutrality in past events, but I suspect that it is simply because they are essentially powerless.
Their armed forces are a union controlled joke.
“but I suspect that it is simply because they are essentially powerless.”
The same reason they got the capital of the EU located in their own as well. Studied neutrality is a euphemism for their geographic location and importance as a gateway in 2 world wars.