Goeiemiddag allemaal and bonjour tout le monde!
I have some very interesting stories for you today, beginning with something Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) said in Parliament yesterday.
In February 2025, when De Wever became Belgium's latest prime minister, the news raised eyebrows across the country. De Wever, a staunch Flemish nationalist, leading the country?
He's never been shy about his aim for Flemish independence, and has long been stating that Belgium needs another state reform to give more powers and competencies to the regions instead of the centralised Federal Government.
Right before he was sworn in, De Wever even said that he was ready to become the country's next PM, if – and only if – progress could be made on reforms for the language communities and the further development of Flanders' autonomy was "not a taboo".
Importantly, he also made it clear that he would need at least ten years to get the country's "disastrous" budget back on track. As a result, the promise of state reform was pushed somewhat into the background.
When questioned in Parliament yesterday, however, he suddenly deviated from his text and said that "everyone" realises that Belgium "will never get out of trouble without thorough institutional reform" – saying the quiet part out loud, and much sooner than expected.
Another important story, albeit on a slightly smaller scale, is that of Brussels' rubbish collection. As reporter Anas El Baye writes, some areas in the capital whose white waste bags are currently collected twice a week will "certainly" lose one of those collection rounds.
A new rubbish reform on the table, pushed by Secretary of State for Cleanliness Audrey Henry (MR), is eyeing Brussels household rubbish collection map neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Find out what this might mean for you here.
Meanwhile, Belgian universities are "outraged" about the fact that the Federal Government is not doing anything to help the 13 Palestinian students and researchers who were awarded scholarships to study here get out of Gaza.
According to KU Leuven rector Séverine Vermeire, the students are "being held hostage in a tangle of other political issues". And while she said that she and her colleagues will continue to fight for their case, the students told us that they are slowly losing hope. Read more here.
And lastly, following European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's annual State of the Union address and offer of associate EU membership for Canada yesterday, regular contributor Sam Morgan explains what exactly that means.
For comments, tips or suggestions to improve our coverage, drop me an email at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
Bisous!
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. ‘Belgium will never get out of trouble’: PM De Wever puts state reform back on the table
Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever says the Federal Government has room for only one more major budgetary restructuring before a deeper reform of Belgium's institutional structure becomes necessary. Read more.
2. Some Brussels neighbourhoods might soon lose second weekly white-bag rubbish collection
Brussels will redraw its rubbish collection map based on population density and housing type, while two neighbourhoods prepare to test collective bins. Read more.
3. What is an ‘associate member’ of the EU?
Canada could become the EU's first associate member. What could that relationship look like and is there some sort of precedent? Read more.
4. ‘Angry and outraged’: Belgian universities remain hopeful that Gaza students will be evacuated
While the academic year is officially beginning in Belgian universities, the arrival of the 13 Palestinian students stuck in Gaza remains uncertain. Read more.
5. ‘A symbolic milestone’: Belgium now has more hybrid and electric cars than diesel
The number of electric cars registered in Belgium grew by almost 40% between August 2025 and 2026. Read more.
6. ‘Studying is a right we will not negotiate’: Students protest against higher education costs in Brussels
"The people who are most affected are those who have to work alongside their studies. It's them who have the least time to study, and it's them who get excluded first." Read more.
7. Man held two teenage boys as ‘real slaves’ in Brussels flat as their father lay dying
A 25-year-old man accused of violence against teenagers, neighbours and former partners allegedly terrorised residents of a Molenbeek building for nearly two years. Read more.
