Dag allemaal, bonjour à toutes et à tous, hi everyone!
Today’s main story is about crack, and how the drug has taken such a strong hold in Brussels. The drug is far from new to the city, but crack has now become the third most common addiction treated in Belgium – placing it above cocaine and heroin, but still behind cannabis and alcohol.
As regular contributor Erin Green writes, abundant cocaine, dealers selling cheap rocks and a rising number of people living on Brussels’ streets have created the ideal conditions for the drug to take hold.
With ready-made rocks sold at just €5-€6, some people living on the streets spend all their money on it. And without proper shelter and other support, helping people to stop using crack is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Read more about the situation here.
Additionally, we have a very interesting story about the Belgian authorities, and how they lost track of over 2,700 works of art.
The missing works are often by unknown, local artists, but there are also pieces by big names: from Paul Delvaux and Auguste Rodin to Rembrandt, Magritte and Panamarenko.
Some may have been stolen, others have ended up at flea markets, and retiring civil servants have reportedly taken home paintings as souvenirs. Regular contributor Dominique Soenens explains how this could have happened.
Next up, we have a really interesting column by Brussels expat Petra Petan. Hailing from Slovenia, she noticed something interesting about Belgium; people seemingly don’t take pride in their work the way they do in her home country, she says.
“Work here is not character-defining but adjacent to one’s identity,” Petra says. In Belgium, there is a sense of “We can do things quickly, and then enjoy life. Or even the other way around.”
And while I, as a native Belgian, definitely take pride in my work, I also cannot find it in me to wholeheartedly disagree with her assessment. In fact, I think she might have hit the nail on the head. Read her column here (and let me know what you think).
Meanwhile, we are already coming to the end of October, meaning that our monthly gig guide is back. Carefully selected by music journalist Simon Taylor, The Brussels Times tells you which concerts you should not miss this November. Discover them here.
Any if you have any comments, tips or suggestions, you know where to find me: m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
See you later!
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. ‘Every day, we send people back onto the street’: Brussels struggles with rising crack addiction
“There has been no inflation on cocaine for many years. That gram you paid €50 for ten years ago still costs €50.” Read more.
2. Stolen, forgotten or taken home: How Belgium lost track of more than 2,700 works of art
Some works were reportedly taken home by retiring officials, others ended up at flea markets, while one art installation was even used as a drinks cabinet. Experts warn that the true number of missing works could be much higher. Read more.
3. The trouble with Belgium: In Brussels, ‘good enough’ is good enough
Work here is not character-defining but adjacent to one’s identity: we can do things quickly, and then enjoy life. Or even the other way around. Read more.
4. How does the Erasmus+ scheme work?
The United Kingdom is officially rejoining the European Union’s Erasmus scheme, one of the bloc’s flagship programmes. But what actually is Erasmus? Read more.
5. Vooruit leader calls for ‘fairer’ budget agreement
Conner Rousseau has called on Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) to put forward a "fairer" proposal to find an agreement to balance the budget. Read more.
6. Brussels cocaine trafficking trial opens with Radja Nainggolan among defendants
16 people are accused of smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe via the Antwerp port. Nainggolan is charged with belonging to the criminal group. Read more.
7. The Brussels Times Gig Guide: What are the best concerts this November?
Check out this month's unmissable gigs in the Belgian capital for your and your friends to enjoy. Read more.
