Good afternoon and a very happy Monday to you all.
Today you’ve got me, Katie Westwood, holding the pen on the Belgium in Brief newsletter, giving you a tantalising taste of our work at The Brussels Times.
Our lead story today looks at salaries in Belgium. As our Political Editor Maïthé Chini writes, wages in Brussels have always been higher than the rest of the country, but now the capital is “pulling even further ahead of the pack” with the median gross salary having risen to €4,200 gross, compared to €3,600 in Flanders and €3,270 in Wallonia.
Elsewhere, reporter Léa Huppe looks at maternity care in Belgium to understand the options available for expectant mothers. Léa spoke to a maternity health specialist from the Brussels Childbirth Trust who said that many newcomers to Belgium struggle with the language barrier or with understanding how hospitals here operate. Read the full story here.
I also wanted to highlight some of the pieces you may have missed while you were outside sunning yourself over the weekend.
On Sunday, “Brussels Bradshaw” Isabella Vivian continued her eye-opening series on dating in the Belgian capital with a piece on a rather depressing phenomenon in the world of online dating: ghosting.
For those of you who aren’t au fait with the term, ghosting simply means ending a relationship by suddenly cutting all communication without warning or explanation. In her piece, Isabella describes her own painful experience of being ghosted in Brussels by a very foolish young man who I’m sure will end up regretting his life choices (not that I am in any way biased). She also spoke to an expert on harmful technology use in romantic relationships to understand the psychology behind ghosting.
If you’re already thinking ahead to next weekend, why not plan a visit to one of the city’s lesser-known museums? In addition to writing about her dating adventures, Isabella also wrote about the Migration Museum in Molenbeek, a hidden gem of a museum on one of the commune’s quiet side streets.
As Isabella writes, the museum aims to be “representative of the entire city”, telling the life stories of individuals and bringing communities to life through its exhibits.
In neighbouring Anderlecht, meanwhile, reporter Kosmos Khoroshavin took his camera out to capture some lovely images of the fast-changing area around the canal, which is currently undergoing regeneration. Read his photo story here.
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.
Bye for now!
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1. ‘Brussels is pulling further ahead’: Wages rise in the capital by 30% over five years
For the first time, the median wage has exceeded the €4,000 mark in the Belgian capital. Read more.
2. De Wever calls for ‘normalisation’ of relations with Russia and says EU must strike deal over Ukraine
"In private, European leaders tell me I'm right, but no one dares to say it out loud," said De Wever in an interview with L'Echo. Read more.
3. Brussels among top cities worldwide to have lowered pollution
The Belgian capital has ranked among the best cities to have made "remarkable reductions" in air pollution between 2010 and 2024. Read more.
4. Payconiq by Bancontact changes its name from Monday
The e-payment app Payconiq by Bancontact has been renamed as of Monday, with the transition taking place seamlessly through an automatic update. Read more.
5. Navigating childbirth in Belgium: Advice for newcomers starting a family
Belgium’s healthcare system allows prospective parents considerable choice, but that can also be overwhelming. Read more.
6. Dutch fishermen find safe belonging to Belgian woman 14 years after it was stolen
The magnet fishermen used a crane to hoist the safe out of the water. Read more.
7. Guinguettes set to return to Brussels parks by the end of April
Brussels' park kiosk bars will reopen by the end of April – just in time for the spring and summer season. Read more.
