Good afternoon and bonjour iedereen!
It's Maïthé Chini again, happy to deliver the best stories on our homepage straight to your inbox this Monday. If you were outside enjoying the sun this weekend, this is also a chance to catch up on some great articles you might have missed.
To kick off the week, we sat down for an interview with Ariadne Petridis, the new Secretary-General of the Benelux Union. She gave us her views on issues such as Europe's place on the geopolitical chessboard, the crumbling spirit of Schengen, and the possibility of unifying the Benelux as a single country.
If you are wondering what the Benelux's role is in all of this, and whether it is even still necessary, I urge you to carefully read what Ms Petridis has to say.
Elsewhere on our homepage, you can discover which three cities were ranked among the 100 best in Europe last year.
Over the weekend, we published plenty of women-centric content to mark International Women's Day as well, from menstruation in the limelight to women's (feelings of) insecurity in Brussels.
Our Features Editor Isabella Vivian wrote two great pieces that were published on Saturday and Sunday. The first one focused on one Finnish woman's dating experiences in Brussels, which ranged from hilarious to harrowing. She reported on how dating in the city has left her interviewee feeling drained and scared.
On Sunday, Isabella also took a closer look at how safe women feel in the Belgian capital, and what is being done to curb street harassment. If you are a woman yourself, the experiences of the women she spoke to may not surprise you, but that makes it all the more shocking.
Also on Sunday, our Managing Editor Katie Westwood wrote about the Brontë sisters and their time in Brussels.
While Emily Brontë's only novel, Wuthering Heights, is at the forefront of everyone's minds due to the recent film interpretation, it was her sister Charlotte whose work was heavily influenced by her time in the Belgian capital.
Helen MacEwan, a leading expert on the Brontë sisters and co-founder of the Brussels Brontë Group, told Katie that people wouldn't think of Charlotte and Emily Brontë eating waffles in Grand Place – but they probably did. Trust me, the story makes for a fascinating read.
Before I leave you, one last thing: services across Belgium will be disrupted due to four days of strikes this week. Those who commute into Brussels by train may have noticed that they started today. Our reporter Rita Alves tells you everything we know so far.
And 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.
À demain!
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. How and why the Benelux is still relevant today
In an interview with The Brussels Times, the new Secretary-General discusses Europe's place on the geopolitical chessboard, Schengen, and the possibility of unifying the Benelux as a single country. Read more.
2. Four days of strikes in Belgium this week: What disruptions to expect?
Public transport will be disrupted for four days in a row as Belgium is hit by a three-day railway strike, followed by a national demonstration. Read more.
3. Police investigate overnight explosion near synagogue in Wallonia
No one was injured, according to the police, but material damage was caused. Read more.
4. Locked down for science at Belgium’s vaccinopolis
While we all experienced lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic, it wasn’t voluntary. Read more.
5. PS proposes freezing gas, heating oil, petrol and diesel prices
The oil and gas prices have risen sharply amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, following the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran. Read more.
6. Meteor entering atmosphere seen in Belgian sky
Dozens of reports from Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands were submitted to the International Meteor Organisation. Read more.
7. Three Belgian cities ranked among 100 best in Europe – one fewer than last year
Brussels keeps its spot, while two other cities drop significantly, and one Belgian city completely disappeared from the list. Read more.
