Bonjour to everyone and goeiemiddag to Brussels' new Minister-President Boris Dilliès!
Today it's me, Maïthé Chini, in your inbox again to deliver the big stories of today. As a native Dutch speaker in the Belgian capital, our article about Brussels' new surprise Minister-President Boris Dilliès (MR) is particularly close to my heart.
While some are wondering if the former mayor of a wealthy, Francophone municipality such as Uccle has enough affinity for the whole of Brussels (including its less-wealthy communes and Dutch-speaking areas), Dilliès seems to be generally well-liked across the region.
However, only a few hours after he was appointed and sworn in, he already found himself under fire from the Flemish press over his Dutch skills – or should I say, his lack thereof.
What's worse, his inability to respond to questions from the Flemish press on Saturday morning was broadcast live into Belgians' homes – leading to quite an embarrassing scene on Dilliès's first day.
As the leader of an officially bilingual region, he is expected to have sufficient command of both languages (although he would not be the first Minister-President in the capital whose Dutch is, let's say, rusty).
Unlike his predecessors, however, he addressed the issue head-on.
"I will work on it. I have not had time for language immersion in the past few days, but I plead guilty," he told Flemish reporters, in French. "My level of Dutch is unacceptable for a Minister-President of a bilingual region."
Will I soon be able to ask him a question in Dutch? We zullen zien (which, as Mr Dilliès knows, means 'we will see'), but j'en doute.
But Dilliès is not the only man in Brussels in hot water. On Monday evening, US Ambassador to Belgium Bill White launched a social media attack on Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit). He also called on Belgium to drop a prosecution case of three Jewish ritual circumcisers.
The social media post provoked an immediate reaction from numerous experts and academics, Vandenbroucke's party leader Conner Rousseau, and Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) – who also summoned White for a meeting. Find out what all the fuss is about here.
For more updates and other news, keep an eye on our website!
If you have any comments, tips or suggestions to improve our coverage, please feel free to drop me an email at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
Au revoir, tot ziens!
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your coffee break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. A true gentleman with bad Dutch: Who is Boris Dilliès, Brussels’ surprise new Minister-President?
Old-school liberal, bon vivant, very Francophone, unafraid of ruffling a feathers, and not averse to a joke are all descriptions which have been applied to Dilliès. Read more.
2. ‘I will not tolerate his insults’: Backlash grows after US ambassador’s outburst against Belgium
Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has summoned Bill White to discuss the ambassador's "unacceptable" statements on X. Read more.
3. Should the EU ban X? Nearly half of Europeans think so
"This is a test: will the EU step up to its role? It has said it wants to hold the social media giants to account." Read more.
4. Belgian defence minister sweet talks the US amid ongoing transatlantic tensions
Theo Francken said that the Munich Security Conference had delivered "what Europe needed: reconciliation with the US". Read more.
5. Belgian collector criticised in Greece for trying to sell Nazi photos
Tim De Craene operates a commercial platform called “Crain’s Militaria” specialising in World War II documents and items. Read more.
6. How to revitalise Europe’s economy
"Europe’s core problem is that it has a corporatist economic model that favours big established companies." Read more.
7. Original artwork inspired by the world of Hergé at auction in Liège
Artwork, illustrations, vintage albums, and other items inspired by the universe of Hergé will be auctioned off on 21-22 February at the Palais des Congrès. Read more.
