Belgium swears in new government headed by Elio Di Rupo Sad to see that Didier Reynders -- once named one of the best finance minister of Europe -- is still in the government. He should have left as far as I'm concerned. He has been looking for a "top job" for about 16 months on the European and International stage but he hasn't found one yet, so my best guess is that he hopes in the time that's left to rule (about 2 years) he'll network and secure a job that way. The Women Wing of the Flemish Christian-Democrats is also very upset, because CD&V's chairman hasn't selected any women as minister... Very strange indeed, since Christian-Democrats were on the forefront to emancipate women -- not to mention 60% of CD&V voters are women... So, I present the new Belgian government, known as Di Rupo I From left to right: (1) Vincent Van Quickenborne (VLD): Minister Of Pensions, Vice-PM (2) Laurette Onkelinx (PS): Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health, Vice-PM (3) Didier Reynders (MR): Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade & European Affairs (4) Elio Di Rupo (PS): Prime Minister (5) King Albert II: Head of State (6) Steven Vanackere (CD&V): Minister of Finances & Sustainable Development, Vice-PM (7) Johan Vande Lanotte (SP.a): Minister Of Economy, Consumer Affairs & North Sea, Vice-PM => Janpor's former professor! (8 Joelle Milquet (cdH): Minister Of The Interior, and Vice-PM --- next line (9) Monica De Coninck (SP.a): Minister Of Work => Janpor's mother's (fomer) boss! (10) Paul Magnette (PS): Minister Of Public Companies, Science Policy & Development Aid (11) Annemie Turtelboom (VLD): Minister Of Justice (12) Sabine Laruelle (MR): Minister Of Middle Class, SMB's, Entrepeneurs & Agriculture (13) Olivier Chastel (MR): Minister Of Budget & Aministraditive Simplification --- same line, but now the Secretaries of State (14) Servais Verherstraeten (CD&V): Secretary of State For State Reform & "Regie Der Gebouwen" (= all buildings in ownership of the Federal state, e.g. museums, opera houses, etc.) (15) Hendrik Bogaert (CD&V): Secretary of State for Public Employees & Modernization Of Public Services --- next line (16) Maggie De Block (VLD): Secretary Of State For Immigration, Asylum & Integration (17) Melchior Wathelet (cdH): Secretary Of State for Environment, Energy, Mobility & State Reform (18 Philippe Courard (PS): Secretary Of State for Social Affairs, The Family & Disabled Persons (19) John Crombez (SP.a): Secretary Of State To Battle Social And Fiscal Fraud To all, the best of luck!
Your country is (*)(*)(*)(*) efficient, janpor....so it took 19 month to form a government....are you sure you need it? Why finance useless structure, if everything was ok without it?
541 days. Is that Belgian influence rubbing off on indecisive Merkozy explaining why it's taking such an unconscionable time to act to resolve the Eurozone crisis?
LMAO! I'm just happy we, finally, have a *real* new government since 2007. Sure we had interim-government under Verhofstadt III (went to EU Parliament), then Leterme I (fell over Fortis Affaire -- was broadcasted live on TV on program "Villa Politica" which airs the Plenary Council every thursday from Federal Parliament, it won an International Prize of Journalism), then Van Rompuy I (became first European President), Leterme II (fell over BHV),... but they didn't do anything. Now Leterme is Vice-President of OECD! Hopefully he'll become President of OECD in forseenable future!
Also,... Paris,... Why the mandarine? Do you celebrate Saint Nicolas? I only thought they did so in French Flanders?! All I can say that our house currently is packed with mandarines (4 wooden boxes! ), speculoos and chocolate figures!
If Belgium is to be something, it ain't effecient! I understand where you're coming from, KGB_Agent! We have numerous governments: (1) Federal Government (2) Flemish Government (= Flemish Region + Flemish Communnity) (3) Government Of The Walloon Region (4) Government Of The Francophone Community (5) Government Of The Germanophone Community (6) Government Of The Brussels-Capital Region --------- Then we still have the Provinces: West-Flanders, East-Flanders, Antwerp, Flemish-Brabant, Walloon-Brabant, Hainaut, Limburg, Luxemburg and Namur. They all have some sort of an Assembly too, and a Governor. --------- Then we also have local governments: town councils, city councils, etc. --------- Then we got social sector: trade-unions and empoyer organizations need to work out affairs themselves on their own, the government only steps in when they aren't able to work out a compromise --------- Lots of stuff I'm not mentioning, e.g. civil society has responsabilities too: trade unions need to take care of some basic services too, e.g. paying-out unemployment benefits Anyways, I, like everybody else, never really felt we hadn't had a Federal government -- our country is a well-oiled machine. Costly? Yes. I think we could safe some money, but on the other hand -- democracy isn't free either.
To be honest, I am happy for you, too. And having Leterme heading the OECD can only be another improvement, in my book. I'm a smoker. I crave for vitamin C in the winter. And as you may know I am not a very religious person. I will celebrate Christmas, etc. - no problem - but don't ask me to pay a tribute to Christian values. I might even visit a couple of churches, just to see how well they are decorated for the end of year, but that's about it. The mandarine segment* represents my general craving for goodies in such times, such as Saint Nicholas when I am usually offered Marrons Glacés - I love them! *It also looks like a smile with a bit of imagination
Did I hear them say , they all fly Balloons in the south or was it that the Flemish call the southerners Baboons? All very confusing . All I know is that they have the most ineffective bore in Europe , Herman Rumpy Dumpy . Always a good Christmas quiz question , apart from Rumpy Dumpy , name one real Belgian man . And for one million Belgian pesos , name three --- probably half the population Just musing privately .
Janpor, I thought you were an anti-nationalist and all about dissolving European National Governments in favor of listening to the dictates of a dictatorial EU parliament that hates Democracy when it gets "in the way" of the benevolent rule of the technocrats?
I don't really see why we needed a federal government in the first place. Seems to me that it would be better if the two communities just went their separate ways. Now we've just thrown together another wishy-washy, ineffective government that is not only supposed to bridge two completely different democratic systems, but also contains all of the traditional parties. That's right, every traditional ideology is represented (socialist, liberal and christian-democrat). Yes, this is sure to be a stable coalition. SiliconMagician, Belgian nationalism in the proper sense does not exist.
