Good afternoon and a happy Friday to you all!
Katie Westwood here, easing you into the weekend with the final missive of the week from The Brussels Times newsroom.
If you’re planning on taking the car out for a spin this weekend, it’s probably best to avoid Rue Van Soust in Anderlecht. The street – dubbed the ‘worst street in Brussels’ – is a horror show of potholes, mud and detritus.
Its residents have been driven to despair by decades of inaction from local authorities. It’s a classic Brussels imbroglio: while the street is located in Anderlecht, most residents are located in Molenbeek, while some are in Dilbeek in Flemish Brabant.
None of the aforementioned communes wanted to step up and sort the street out, so it has basically just been left to rot.
I feel for the residents. It’s hard to have a sense of civic pride when everything around you looks shabby and your tyres take a pounding every time you go for a drive because of craters in the road.
In the UK, where I’m from, pothole vigilantes have taken matters into their own hands by daubing penis graffiti around craters to nudge local councils into action.
That’s one way of doing it – not that I could possibly endorse such puerile behaviour. Looking at some of the city’s rather risqué murals, I’m not sure these tactics would work in Brussels anyway.
Thankfully, it seems guerrilla action isn’t required by the residents of Rue Van Soust. Hope is finally in sight, with work set to start on resurfacing the road in the spring.
At the other end of the news spectrum, News Editor Ugo Realfonzo looks at the controversial appointment of Meta’s former chief EU lobbyist as European Parliament rapporteur for the Digital Omnibus. Read all about it here.
Finally, I wanted to highlight a thought-provoking magazine article we published today by the brilliant Brussels philosopher Philippe Van Parijs. In his piece, Philippe explains why he thinks it’s wrong to write Belgium off as terminally divided.
He argues that “new linguistic realities, technological change and unexpected political shifts suggest the country’s shared democratic space may be strengthening rather than fraying”.
If you have any comments, tips or suggestions to improve our coverage, please feel free to drop me an email at k.westwood@brusselstimes.com.
Happy reading and have a wonderful weekend!
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. Ex-Meta lobbyist put in charge of EU’s digital rules: ‘Tech oligarchy writing its own rulebook’
Pressure is growing to drop the appointment of a former Meta lobbyist, elected as an MEP in 2024, from a file which could rewrite the EU's regulation of US tech giants. Read more.
2. ‘Worst street in Brussels’ to finally get promised makeover
After years of waiting, locals living on or near "the street with the worst road surface in Brussels" will soon be able to drive through it again. Read more.
3. More and more Belgians feel they are paid unfairly compared with their colleagues
Women are more likely than men to feel neutral or negatively about their remuneration. Read more.
4. Buses will not return to Schuman roundabout after its facelift
For reasons linked to 'safety and smoother traffic flow'. Read more.
5. Proximus plans to cut more than 1,000 jobs as AI drive reshapes telecom giant
Earlier this week, rival operator Telenet also announced plans to cut around 350 jobs over the next two years. Read more.
6. The future of Belgium: A Utopia updated
Belgium will not explode any time soon. The fundamental reason is simple: neither Flanders nor Wallonia can appropriate Brussels. Read more.
7. Women across EU celebrate approval of European Citizens Initiative on abortion rights
"For the first time, the Commission confirms unequivocally that EU funds can be used to guarantee access to safe abortion care – regardless of where they come from in Europe." Read more.
