Goeiedag, bonjour, and a sweaty hello from Avenue Louise!
Today you've got me, Maïthé Chini, ringing in another week of news in and around Brussels.
High on the agenda this sunny Monday is artificial intelligence, and what Belgians think of it. As our News Editor Ugo Realfonzo writes, Belgian attitudes towards AI largely reflect wider European ones: they want greater digital sovereignty and a regulated, values-based approach to the technology.
According to the results of the EU's new Digital Decade survey, Belgians use AI slightly more than the EU average, with a quarter of those surveyed saying they use it in their personal life every day – compared to a 20% EU average.
At the same time, four in five Belgians agreed that the development of AI should be carefully regulated, while less than one in five believed there should be as few restrictions as possible, even if that means some safety risks. Find out more here.
Secondly, some UK-related news. No, I'm not talking about Keir Starmer's unsurprising resignation this morning, but about the anniversary of the Brexit referendum tomorrow.
Even 10 years later, the newly appointed president of the British Chamber of Commerce to the EU and Belgium, James Stevens, still speaks of an "open wound".
Our reporter Isabella Vivian met Stevens in his office in central Brussels, and was struck by the array of James Bond memorabilia all over the room – from trinkets lining his shelves to a 007 poster on the wall.
Still, he is a staunch Europhile, whose purpose is to "help build European democracy," he told Izzy. He attended the College of Europe, is married to an Italian, and his children go to a local Belgian school.
In short, he says his whole life has been about "being part of building the European project". What does he make of the aftermath of Brexit? Find out here.
And lastly, reporter Léa Huppe spoke to Alexia Desmet, a Belgian woman who is the mother of a healthy two-year-old boy. However, for years, her life revolved around pregnancy tests, hormone injections and the hope that her next attempt at getting pregnant would finally work.
To become a mother, she had to take a long and emotionally exhausting journey through Belgium's medically assisted reproduction (MAR) system. You can read her story here.
And as always, if you have any comments, tips or suggestions, you can find me at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
As a subscriber to our newsletters, you rely on The Brussels Times as a trusted news source, so please take a moment to select our website as a preferred source on Google. That way, when you carry out Google searches, you will see our verified news articles first.
Bye for now!
Maïthé
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. Deepfakes, sovereignty and generative tools: What do Belgians think of AI?
Europeans, including Belgians, were asked about their use of generative AI, the EU's foreign tech dependencies, and how they think AI should be regulated. Read more.
2. ‘I wanted to quit after every single attempt – but the desire to have a child was stronger’
In an interview with The Brussels Times, Alexia Desmet told us about the ups and downs of going through fertility treatment in Belgium. Read more.
3. ‘Open wound’: The lasting impact of Brexit on business – and on Brussels
"There's still a scar on the institutional side when you speak to people. There's still an open wound that Britain left." Read more.
4. What Belgium need to do to qualify for the World Cup knock-out stages
Belgium's second draw in two games has complicated their chances of booking a ticket to the knock-out stages at the 2026 World Cup – but not all hope is lost. Read more.
5. Belgian households face the highest prices for phone and internet services in the EU
The latest Eurostat data shows a significant gap between Belgium and other countries on how much communication services cost compared to the EU average. Read more.
6. ‘Economic madness?’ Call for new tax on richest 5% of Belgians provokes political backlash
“We have asked for efforts from job seekers, teachers, and pensioners. We are going to ask for them from the people with the deepest pockets as well," said the leader of Les Engagés. Read more.
7. Tuesday’s Brussels public sector strike is part of Europe-wide action
Workers from a number of the city's public bodies are expected to take part in the Brussels strike on Tuesday. Read more.
