“Nothing compares to the metropolitan anarchy that Brussels radiates,” I once was told. I agree. And I’m grateful for the chance to write about this perpetual work in progress.
The fusion of Brussels police zones is a deeply politicised debate, but how do local police differ from their federal counterpart? And how do they coordinate?
"I promised myself never to go into politics. But after a while I found myself becoming cynical and decided I should try to change things." Frédéric De Gucht now is kingmaker.
How bad could it get? is normally a rhetorical question. But in Brussels it's being tested in reality.
Without a coherent strategy, Belgium's scramble to hit the 2% target could end up an expensive shot in the foot.
Beyond police forces struggling to maintain order at street level, Belgium's judicial authorities are "facing a tsunami of cases with a paper boat."
Belgium is supposed to be the country of compromise. But Georges-Louis Bouchez is on a mission to shake things up.
"Do you really think that Putin is shaking in his boots? No, he’s laughing his head off!" The former Greek finance minister was scathing about Europe's rush to rearm.
De Wever hopes to boost defence spending almost at once. But he'll have a hard time putting his money where his mouth is.
Funding aside, the Defence Minister's greatest challenge will be persuading the public to renew their views on Belgium's modest military.
The official response to recent drug violence has been scrambled and "You'll just have to live with it" only perpetuated the perception of incompetence.
Notoriously volatile, energy-intensive, and some would say useless, cryptocurrencies are nonetheless gaining in popularity – worldwide and in Belgium.
Belgium's nuclear withdrawal serves as a warning that in affairs of national energy security, emotions should be left at the door.
If Arizona had a difficult birth, Belgium's new government now faces a baptism of fire as it attempts to deliver the slew of socio-economic reforms.
A record-breaking neutrino has been detected by a vast telescope 3.5km deep in the Mediterranean Sea. These "cosmic messengers" hold the key to understanding our Universe.
. Officials in Brussels are adept at deflecting responsibility, explaining the limits of their authority, which never seem to quite encompass the problem at hand.
Faith in the police has been stretched by the spate of shootings last week, which continues a long trend. Can confidence be restored?
"The apparent indifference of politicians is jeopardising everyone’s security. Without a government and urgent action by the authorities, an entire population is at risk of falling into extremism."
"Impunity is the enemy of the rule of law," said the new public prosecutor as gangs wage war on Brussels streets.
Brussels mayors insist that merging police zones will endanger the effectiveness of police forces. But with every shooting, this argument loses weight.
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