While visiting a workshop of people making face masks, Federal Minister Koen Geens, struggled to put on his mask, of which images quickly started circulating on social media.
For a VTM news report, Geens, who is responsible for providing the population with face masks, visited one of the workshops in which they are made in Leuven in the Flemish Brabant province on Thursday.
The last image of the report, of Geens trying to put on a mask properly, quickly spread on social networks, accompanied by jokes and references to the National Security Council.
Expert: ja zouden we misschien ook geen aandacht moeten schenken aan de jongeren tussen 18 - 22 jaar? Nationale veiligheidsraad: pic.twitter.com/f24LIH7Twj
— Kip Clijsters (@waterkiek) April 30, 2020
Translation: "Expert: maybe we should also pay some attention to youth between the ages of 18 and 22 years old? National Security Council:"
Some politicians did not hesitate to comment on the images, seeing them as a perfect illustration of the federal government's mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis. "Nothing but praise for the Belgian management [of the crisis]," tweeted the youth section of the rightwing N-VA party.
"Niets dan lof voor de Belgische aanpak!" De Belgische aanpak: pic.twitter.com/8pZj8917Ov
— Jong N-VA (@Jongnva) April 30, 2020
"This is how Belgium is handling the coronavirus crisis," tweeted Tom Van Grieken, president of the far-right Vlaams Belang party, referring to the three monkeys who hear nothing, see nothing and say nothing.
Hoe de Belgische regering de coronacrisis aanpakt: ??? pic.twitter.com/cFJi6WLXh4
— Tom Van Grieken (@tomvangrieken) April 30, 2020
"Dear Tom, when I get something beautiful, I am grateful for it, and I try to put it on, even if my ears are too big," Geens replied on Twitter. "Those ears come in handy when I hear you in the Chamber, or heard you this morning, pleading for solidarity," he added.
Beste Tom, als ik iets moois krijg, ben ik daar dankbaar voor, en probeer ik het aan, al blijken mijn oren er dan te groot voor. Die oren komen wel van pas als ik je in de Kamer hoor, of je deze ochtend voor solidariteit hoorde pleiten.
— Koen Geens (@Koen_Geens1) April 30, 2020
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
