Goeiemiddag allemaal, bonjour tout le monde, and hi everyone!
The sun might have left us (for now), but I am back in your inbox with the biggest stories on our homepage today – starting with wage increases in Belgium and why they are slowing down.
As reporter Christopher Richards writes, wages in the country are set to grow just 0.89% this year (after accounting for inflation). Nearly four in 10 employees will not even see an increase at all.
The rise in fixed base pay is very low – the second-lowest it has been in 10 years. As a result, many companies are looking at different ways to increase employee pay. Read more here.
Speaking of doing things differently, a major revamp might be in the cards for Brussels’ iconic Grand-Place, after a property developer has now submitted a plan to redevelop numbers 5, 6 and 7 on the square.
The plan, reports Anas El Baye, is to convert 1,171 m² of office space and roughly 1,000 m² of underground parking into commercial space for two retail units and a restaurant or hotel. It may not surprise you, but given the area’s iconic look and the fact that some of the properties are protected, this plan is particularly sensitive. Read the full story here.
Next up is US Ambassador to Belgium Bill White, who is meeting the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) this afternoon following last week’s leaked internal government document about the relationship between the two countries. The latest updates can be found here.
And before I let you go, I wanted to highlight a few great stories you might have missed over the weekend.
Anas wrote about how fear of homophobic violence changes the way queer people move through Brussels after a group of young men shouted homophobic insults at a Flemish influencer, Jonathan Medart, who filmed himself walking through Ghent with his boyfriend last week.
Several members of the LGBTQ+ community spoke to Anas about their experiences in Brussels. Read about them here.
We also have a few great magazine stories for you. Dominique Soenens wrote about Belgium’s laughing gas problem, Paul Meller talked to the people who are unwrapping the Palace of Justice, and Tim King teaches you more about the building that houses Belgium's National Bank.
For comments, tips or suggestions to improve our coverage, drop me an email at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
Have a great week!
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. Wages set to grow just 0.89% this year – why are pay increases slowing in Belgium?
Businesses are uncertain about Belgium's economy and are looking at ways to increase employee pay without baking in these costs in the future. Read more.
2. The architecture of money: The history and hidden passages of Belgium’s National Bank
The National Bank of Belgium was designed to project permanence, with a monumental headquarters that has loomed over central Brussels for decades. But the institution – and the city around it – has kept changing. Read more.
3. Belgium’s laughing gas problem is no joke
Cheap, colourful and marketed like a party accessory, nitrous oxide – laughing gas – has become one of Belgium’s most visible drugs. From rave culture to exploding waste plants, Brussels is struggling to contain the fallout. Read more.
4. How fear of homophobia changes the way queer people move through Brussels
Queer people in Brussels describe the everyday calculations they make to feel safe while moving through the city. Read more.
5. US Ambassador Bill White to meet Foreign Minister Prévot over leaked document
A leaked internal document from Belgium's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Belgium should no longer consider the United States, led by President Donald Trump, as a reliable ally. Read more.
6. Flemish budget talks suspended after minister and staffer become unwell
The Flemish government will not meet the deadline to present its annual budget, as the negotiations have been suspended after one of the ministers became unwell. Read more.
7. Teenage son arrested for killing his mother and sister near Brussels
Police discovered the bodies of a 51-year-old woman and her 20-year-old daughter near the town of Denderleeuw, just outside of Brussels. Read more.
