Good afternoon. It’s Katie Westwood with you today.
There were some hangdog expressions in The Brussels Times newsroom this morning. After a wild night celebrating their glorious motherland on Belgian National Day, a few of our reporters appeared tired and emotional as they entered the office.
Their senses were clearly overwhelmed by last night’s festivities at Cinquantenaire Park. Personally, I was quite taken by the drone show. Okay – so it might have been a bit billy basic in comparison to the drone shows the Chinese come up with, but I think it demonstrated Belgian understatement in all its glory.
The plucky little aerial unmanned vehicles swarmed together to spell out 'BELGIAN WAFFLES' before arranging themselves into an image of Tintin. Vive la Belgique!
We've spent a lot of time this week writing about what it means to be Belgian and how you can become Belgian unofficially by embracing the country's cultural quirks. But if you want to make things official and acquire Belgian citizenship, it's obviously a little more complicated – and costly.
A change in the rules a year ago took the price of citizenship up to the princely sum of €1,000 – making Belgium one of Europe’s costliest countries to acquire citizenship. Political Editor Maïthé Chini has looked into the consequences of this decision and how it has affected people going through the process.
Maïthé also examined the case of a young Palestinian doctor who is stuck in a bureaucratic quagmire. Ahmad Abu Jami secured a fully-funded scholarship to study for a master’s degree at the Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine, but he cannot travel to Belgium to commence his studies without a visa.
Ahmad is in a Catch 22 situation. The Belgian Federal Government says that that international students must apply for their visas at a consulate or embassy in person. But Gaza, where he lives, has no Belgian diplomatic mission.
"Leaving Gaza to apply from another country is not possible without a visa. This has created a situation where we are trapped between two impossible options," Ahmad told Maïthé. Read his full story here.
Talking of maddening situations, reporter Rita Alves spoke to a lady whose mother lost her beloved cat in transit as she was travelling between Romania and Belgium.
When Camelia, 56, collected her cat carrier at Brussels Airport, she immediately noticed it was empty. Mishu, her handsome grey tomcat, was nowhere to be found – and ground staff were unable to help.
All credit to Camelia for keeping her head and not screaming the place down in fury. She instead took to social (and traditional) media to ask for help in tracking down Mishu. Have you seen this cat?
If you like what you've read in today's newsletter and you haven't yet subscribed to The Brussels Times, now is the time to do so. To celebrate Belgian National Day, we are offering readers the chance to subscribe for the bargain price of just €29 for the whole year. Make sure to click 'join now'.
As always, if you have any comments, tips or suggestions, you can find me at k.westwood@brusselstimes.com.
Bye for now!
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. Fireworks, drones and royals: Belgium’s National Day celebrations (photos)
From a Belgian-themed drone show to concerts and the annual civil and military parade – this is how Belgium celebrated its National Day in Brussels. Read more.
2. Belgium’s pricey citizenship: Is the €1,000 cost scaring off new Belgians?
The cost of becoming Belgian increased by seven times in July last year, sparking criticism that it was bad for both the economy and integration. Read more.
3. A doctor from Gaza got a scholarship to a Belgian university – but he can’t leave
"Studying in Belgium would mean the world to me," Abu Jami tells The Brussels Times from a tent on the seashore in Gaza, which he shares with his family. Read more.
4. European transport not prepared for climate change, study shows
Climate extremes not only can damage transport infrastructure but also lead to delays, route closures, and prolonged transport disruptions. Read more.
5. These are Belgium’s most popular names – how common is yours?
Belgium's most common first names are declining, but you can now look up how popular your name. Read more.
6. ‘I refuse to give up’: Woman left heartbroken after cat disappears at Brussels Airport
“Mishu is not just a pet, he is a member of our family. We are devastated and desperately want to bring him home." Read more.
7. Wild swimming to be allowed as of next summer in Flanders
Currently, Flanders operates under the longstanding prohibition principle: swimming in open water is prohibited unless otherwise indicated. Read more.
