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An idiot’s guide to Belgian politics

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

Here’s what you need to know to avoid looking like a fool when talking politics in Brussels.By BARBARA MOENSin BrusselsIllustration by Lorenzo Conti for POLITICOThis article is part of the Brussels guide special report.When a country holds the world record for time taken to form a government, you know its politics is complicated. So whether you’ve just arrived in its capital or just want to appear a bit smarter with your local neighbors, here’s what you need to know about politics in Belgium. Gimme the basicsThe next time Belgians go to the ballots is on June 9, 2024. That day, they’ll vote for their regional and federal representatives as well as in the European Parliament election. Belgium is a federal state, so whether you’re trying to find a school for your kids, report a hole in your street, or need a license plate for your car, it helps to know which government to turn to.* And in Belgium, there are plenty of governments. Power is divided between...

Fields (and bars) of dreams. How to watch sport in Brussels

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

Here’s what you need to know to avoid looking like a fool when talking politics in Brussels.By ALI WALKERin BrusselsPhoto by Stephanie Lecocq/EFE via EPAThis article is part of the Brussels guide special report.Brussels isn’t a huge sports town like Melbourne, London or Boston, but it’s still possible for fans to get their hit.Our guide to the city’s sporting landscape starts with football, endorsed by the EU as an important part of the European way of life (just ask Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, himself a big fan of Greece’s Aris FC).So where to go?While Anderlecht have been the historically dominant football team in Brussels, over the past few years Union Saint-Gilloise have emerged as the hipsters’ club of choice, while also usurping Anderlecht on the pitch.Five years ago, it was possible to turn up on matchday at USG’s cute little stadium in the leafy Forest neighborhood and pay at the gate to get in. Now, with USG perennially contending to win the Belgian ...

How to drink in Brussels like a pro (as in professional, not as in alcoholic)

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

The best places to drink and be seen in the EU Quarter.By EDDY WAXin BrusselsIllustration by Pete Ryan for POLITICOThis article is part of the Brussels guide special report.It’s impossible to say what flows more freely in the EU Quarter of Brussels: rain or booze. But only one of those substances has a proven track record of making the EU capital tick — and that’s why if you learn to drink like a pro then the relationship-building that’s central to making a successful career in Brussels should take care of itself.The Brits are gone and so is former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker who famously enjoyed a tipple, so there is probably less bubbly in the Brussels bubble than there once was, especially after the havoc that COVID wrought on bars and pubs. In 2023 the era of the liquid lunch is over, and classic watering holes such as the Old Hack and the Coolock near Schuman, En Stoemelings in Place de Londres, O’Farrell’s on Place du Luxembourg, and Monk in Sai...

Everything you always wanted to know about online dating in the Brussels bubble (but were too afraid to ask)

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

A generalized, non-scientific, potentially useless (but hopefully fun) guide to Brussels’ online dating world.By GIULIA POLONIin BrusselsIllustration by Andrew Bannecker for POLITICOThis article is part of the Brussels guide special report.Welcome to Brussels, where your dreams of endless bureaucratic processes and slow, incremental change brought about through compromise come to life!As the home of the EU institutions and a lot of lobbyists, Brussels’ social life revolves around one main activity: networking. This applies to both professional life and personal life — which can, at times, overlap (it’s a small world). The time-honored way to make friends/lovers if you work in or around the Brussels bubble would be to head out on a Thursday — it’s not a Friday, a more traditional big night out, because no one in the bubble works on Fridays — to Plux — that’s Place du Luxembourg, the square in front of the European Parliament. (Plux is a bit like the Mos Eisley cantin...

Sounds of Brussels. Why the city is a musical hotspot

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

From the biggest concert halls to your local bar, you’ll never starve for a musical interlude.By LEYLA AKSU and PAUL DALLISONin BrusselsIllustration by Nicole Chui for POLITICO“On n’a pas les tours de New YorkOn n’a pas de lumière du jour, 6 mois dans l’annéeOn n’a pas Beaubourg ni la SeineOn n’est pas la ville de l’amour, mais bon vous voyezEt sûrement que dès ce soir le ciel couvrira une tempêteMais après l’orage avec des bières, les gens feront la fête”— Opening lines of “Bruxelles je t’aime” by Angèle.“So, at the weekend, I stumbled across a little festival in a square, and there was some fantastic Senegalese folk music” is quite likely a sentence that’s been said in Brussels during the past few weeks.That’s because the city has a wonderful array of music, found everywhere from the biggest concert halls to your local bar. Jazz and hip-hop and all genres are plentiful, and the big acts come here too (though remember that the F...

Arrive at Gare du Midi, then run! How to navigate Brussels

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

From confusing and dangerous train stations to scooters dumped in a pile, Brussels has all your transport needs covered.By JOSHUA POSANERand HANNE COKELAEREin BrusselsIllustration by Lucas Burtin for POLITICOThis article is part of the Brussels guide special report.Welcome to Brussels, where getting around can be as mind-bending as the city’s famed surrealist art.While the EU capital is flush with trains, trams, buses, metros, and even the odd pre-metro (basically a tram masquerading as a subway), there are a few things fresh arrivals should know before boarding Brussels’ sprawling public transport network.First things first … don’t judge the city by its principal international train station, Gare du Midi.No, not the central station — believe us, many a befuddled first-time visitor makes that mistake. Brussels has a magnificent, if congested, Victor Horta-designed Central Station (located yards from the majestic Grand Place and all the chocolate, waffles and fries one could ev...

Bloody architects! The good, the bad and the ugly of Brussels

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

OPTICSLove it or hate it, Brussels architecture is anything but boring.By SARAH ANNE AARUP in BrusselsIllustration by Max Erwin for POLITICOThis article is part of the Brussels guide special report.In Brussels, the expression “schieven architect!” — or “twisted architect!” — was once a common insult.That’s because back in 1860, the young Belgian state bestowed upon architect Joseph Poelaert the task of designing the monstrously huge Palace of Justice to serve as its main courthouse. It was the largest building constructed in the world during the 19th century.A large swath of the Marolles quarter was torn down to erect the palace, thus giving rise to the Brusseleir insult “schieven architect.” It’s not just the Palace of Justice that has proven divisive. The city’s architectural landscape is both weird and wonderful — once defamed, the eclectic beauty of Brussels’ buildings is now being rediscovered.Unlike Paris’ strict beige Hausmanian unity, the EU capital’s architecture...

Walk this way: Touring Brussels on foot

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

A guide to some of the city’s hidden gems — and not a peeing boy in site.By KETRIN JOCHECOVÁin BrusselsIllustration by Flora Bai for POLITICOThis article is part of the Brussels guide special report.It’s hard to be a tourist in a city you know like the back of your hand.But one of the joys of Brussels is that it’s home to a lot of hidden gems. So we’ve come up with a walking tour of the city that takes in a few of them, some of which may be new to you even if you’ve lived here for years.And if you’re an actual tourist, or have just moved here, it’s a handy list of places to visit after you’ve ticked off the obvious sights such as the Grand Place and various peeing statues. Here’s a list of 10 go-to places in Brussels, ranked in an easy-to-follow manner, from central recommendations to the ones located a bit outside. We recommend taking public transport or a bike at some point.A few notes before you put on your sensible walking shoes: ...

Dwindling donations alarm Ukraine’s frontline hospitals

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

Kris Parker is a freelance journalist currently reporting on Ukraine. His work has appeared in outlets including the Nation, OpenDemocracy and the Euromaidan Press.ZAPORIZHZHIA— Every day brings new challenges for Mykhailo Danilyuk. The 34-year-old surgeon has been operating on wounded patients since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, splitting his time between three hospitals.“Today, we had only 10 soldiers and 20 civilians. Yesterday, we had 48 soldiers and 40 civilians. And I don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” he said during a cigarette break outside Zaporizhzhia’s Hospital Number Five.“The only reason we’re still alive is because volunteers help us with supplies.”Russia’s invasion sparked a large wave of international support for Ukraine, with governments, nonprofits and volunteers rushing to assist the embattled nation as Ukrainian society quickly mobilized to defend itself.Of course, as hospitals responded, a key challenge was to ensure they had necessary s...

Leading Egyptian opposition politician targeted with spyware, researchers find

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A leading Egyptian opposition politician was targeted with spyware multiple times after announcing a presidential bid — including with malware that automatically infects smartphones, security researchers have found. They say Egyptian authorities were likely behind the attempted hacks. Discovery of the malware last week by researchers at Citizen Lab and Google’s Threat Analysis Group prompted Apple to rush out operating system updates for iPhones, iPads, Mac computers and Apple Watches to patch the associated vulnerabilities.Citizen Lab said in a blog post that attempts beginning in August to hack former Egpytian lawmaker Ahmed Altantawy involved configuring his phone’s connection to the Vodaphone Egypt mobile network to automatically infect it with Predator spyware if he visited certain websites not using the secure HTTPS protocol. Citizen Lab said the effort likely failed because Altantawy had his phone in “lockdown mode,” which Apple recommends for iPhone users...