"If nothing else is possible, you have to vote in a democracy, " Professor Carl Devos at Ghent University told Reuters news agency.

BBC: Belgian mediator resigns over government deadlock

The best solution, said Luc Lens, a Ghent University professor researching the gull's behavior, is to limit the food provided by humans, be it french fries or fish discarded from boats.

WSJ: Real-Life 'Birds' Remake in Belgium

Prof Carl Devos of Ghent University said that the passage of the speech should have been dropped, while monarchy expert Prof Mark Van den Wijngaert said a comparison with the 30s was "a bridge too far".

BBC: Europe

"The Netherlands are now, next to the Scandinavian countries, the only country where the royal family does not have to compromise" on expenses, said Herman Matthijs, a professor at the University of Ghent who has studied the budget costs of Europe's royal families.

WSJ: An Austere Coronation for New Dutch King