Czech authorities in March sanctioned the Prague-based Voice of Europe website over claims that European politicians had engaged with the outlet, using their influence to discourage support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Two of the channel’s executives — including Viktor Medvedchuk, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — were hit with sanctions. … Read more
In 2022, those working on the report failed to find consensus on the notion of apologies to be made to the former colonies. Some claimed this would have led to financial reparations, even though one of the political recommendations states that the “recognition of Belgium’s role is sincere and necessary. It does not, however, imply … Read more
The problem is of course far from new, given Brussels’ role on the international stage. “It is said that espionage is the second oldest profession in the world,” he said. Therefore, European coordination is key and continuously improving, said Van Tigchelt, who currently chairs meetings of the EU’s justice ministers as his country holds the … Read more
I registered for the last EU election, do I need to register again? No. If you applied to be on the electoral roll in the past (for example, ahead of the 2019 EU election) and your application was approved, you are automatically registered as a voter for all European elections in the future. Can I … Read more
The minors, aged 15-17, were questioned by a judge in Dendermonde, East Flanders, who reported concrete plans to attack a concert hall in Brussels “within a few weeks.” The prosecutor’s spokesperson could not confirm the name of the target to POLITICO, but local media cited Le Botanique, a cultural center and music venue in the … Read more
In Belgium, the land of chocolate, waffles and exorbitant rates of taxation, the expat tax dream is over. This month, the country’s special expatriate tax regime — available to people hired from abroad and which was introduced in 1983 — came to an end. From now on, only those earning over €75,000 gross (the exception is people … Read more
EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders is hoping to become the next secretary-general of the Council of Europe, the international human rights organization, which would mark a hiatus in his career in EU politics. The news, which was first reported by Belgian media outlets Le Soir and De Tijd, was confirmed to POLITICO by a Belgian official … Read more
Former Qatargate judge Michel Claise may run in the Belgian elections, local media La Libre reported on Saturday. Claise, an investigating judge who recused himself in mid-2023 from the European Parliament corruption probe, may join the federal list of Défi, a French-speaking centrist party with two seats in Belgium’s federal parliament. Claise declined to comment when contacted … Read more
