Selling policy to the masses requires lots of energy and good marketing. Not only must the change be something that people can get behind, it needs to be made catchy in a way that resonates across the board.
There's no shortage of ideas that make political or social sense, but without a robust banner to express their essence, their complexity makes them vulnerable to criticism or deliberate obfuscation by opponents. Whilst some of the most recognisable campaign slogans have brought us some of the most notorious administrations, policy promotion in Belgium is hampered by the tricky language divide.
This often means that we end up with "bad" English taglines to sell an initiative to a multilingual audience. Some of the chosen mantras wouldn't make it past an apprentice spin doctor in the UK – I have already shared my views on "Embracing openness" as a bid for foreign business. But others are at least more obvious and should get by purely on the merit of what they aim to achieve.
Take "Good Move": though lacking in literary flair (and falling short of the tricolon rule of thumb), it's pretty clear what it means in the context of transforming Brussels mobility. The City is eager to thin out car traffic by making alternative transport modes more appealing. So now that the weather is doing a large part in promoting public or active transport (biking/rollerblading/crawling etc), it is curious that the Good Move plan introduced last year is facing growing opposition.
Resistance to the updated traffic plans isn't new; wherever the changes have been brought in angry residents have set about undoing them. But protestors against the city's overarching vision gathered on Sunday to dispute the method rather than the objective. Though no one would contest the aim of improving a neighbourhood, locals are frustrated with these efforts rendering their life more difficult.
Irritation with the City's policy has seen it branded "taboo" and has led some municipalities to come up with their own arrangements to bring the results as those promised by Good Move, but with explicitly not Good Move packaging. Which, conveniently, is a tricolon. Hey @BruxellesMobilité, how's that for an improvement?
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. 'Good Move is now taboo': What next for the Brussels mobility plan?
Some 200 anti-Good Move protestors, coming from several Brussels municipalities, gathered on Sunday afternoon on the Place du Conseil in Anderlecht to call for the abolition of the new mobility plan of the Brussels-Capital Region. Read more.
2. New 'metropolitan' park to connect centre of Brussels with canal district
A large-scale "metropolitan" project that will link the canal to the centre of Brussels aims to bring unity to what is currently a fragmented area with the addition of a park. Read more.
3. 'Brussels solution': Improvised terrace of iconic bar goes viral on social media
In the absence of a terrace due to the prolonged construction site on the road, the KFK Hope bar (formerly Kafka) in the Brussels city centre found a creative solution to its problem – and now a photo is going viral on social media. Read more.
4. Belgium's business boom: One in three employers plan to increase workforce
More than a third of Belgian employers plan on increasing their total number of workers over the coming months, raising hopes that Belgium's economic predicament isn't quite as dire as some experts had previously suspected. Read more.
5. Nearly 100 illegal firearm offences in first three months of 2023 in Brussels
Illegal firearms are increasingly circulating in the Belgian capital, Sudinfo reports. Since the start of the year, Brussels authorities registered 96 offences relating to illegal weapons. Read more.
6. Metro line 3: Palais du Midi won't be rebuilt until 2029, Brussels Mayor predicts
In a meeting of the Brussels town hall administrators on Monday evening, the city's mayor Philippe Close stated that he does not expect the Palais du Midi to be rebuilt by 2029 despite the metro line 3 project depending on its renovation. Read more.
7. Hidden Belgium: Kanaal
The Belgian interior architect and antique dealer Axel Vervoordt creates stunning minimalist interiors that merge sober architecture with unique objects. His clients include Calvin Klein, Bill Gates and Robert De Niro. Read more.
