Belgium in Brief has had a hiatus but Belgian affairs have been rumbling on. In the political arena, government formations are falling into place – a refreshingly swift process in Wallonia and Flanders whilst a Federal Government is taking shape. Brussels will take a bit longer.
Meanwhile schools have broken up for summer holidays and the bustle of Belgium's capital has subsided. Those still in the city are sporting seasonal attire: shorts with umbrellas.
And though the media has lately been animated by football and a rollercoaster presidential race, Belgium is quietly building towards National Day. The bunting is lining Brussels streets and traffic is being diverted as preparations are made for military parades and public parties.
Of course, readers of The Brussels Times couldn't have missed our National Day coverage, in which we took the opportunity to delve into deeper questions of identity, being Belgian, dining Belgian, and how this unassuming landmass has become home for so many expats who were pulled into its orbit and grew to love the peculiarities that escape explanation.
Though 21 July is hardly an outpouring of patriotism, with festivities generally muted in a country famously fractured, the complexity that runs through national affairs, language communities, and culture is enthralling. Could Belgium even provide an unlikely model for how stark differences in political persuasion and background can actually make a nation stronger, rather than irreparably divided? Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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. From refugee to Belgian: The long road to nationality and belonging
"I've lived in Belgium for longer than in my country of origin, and I think I'd find it hard to live anywhere else now." Read more.
2. Street closures and parades: Traffic and transport changes on Belgium’s National Day
The police have warned people to avoid travelling to and around the capital by car as it will be closing off streets and tunnels for the event. Read more.
3. What to do in Brussels this weekend: 19 – 21 July
From neighbourhood jazz to one of the biggest folk festivals in Europe and beer-BBQ bonanzas, here's what's on in Brussels (and further afield) this weekend! Read more.
4. Up to 30°C in Belgium on Friday, rain forecast on National Day
Today will be a beautiful summer day in Belgium, and temperatures in Brussels may even reach 30°C. However, the sunshine and heat are again not expected to last. Read more.
5. The secrets of dining like a Belgian royal
From pickled ox tongue and beef in champagne sauce to Leonidas chocolates and speculoos biscuits: the diet of the Belgian royal family has changed a great deal during their almost 200-year dynasty. Read more.
6. Le Chou: Charles Michel’s Final Week In Office, A Diary
EXCLUSIVE Extracts From Charles Michel's Diary Read more.
7. Vive la Belgique? Leve België? Why there is plenty to celebrate after all
“You might find the Belgian model very complicated. But these arrangements have worked well so far.” Read more.
