Controversy as National Conservatism conference banned

Introduction

“Super Sunday” Elections & Prime Minister Alexander De Croo's Defeat

On 10th June 2024, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced he would not seek reappointment following a significant defeat for his party, the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD), in Belgium's regional, national and European elections. De Croo’s announcement came after his party's dramatic loss, securing only 5.8% of the vote, a sharp decline from previous years.

The elections, referred to as "Super Sunday," saw over 8 million Belgians cast their votes. The right-wing New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), led by Bart De Wever, emerged with a clear victory with 18.6% of the votes, marking a rise of more than 2% from 2020. The far-right, pro-separatist Vlaams Belang also made significant gains, achieving 15.4% of the vote, an increase of 3.5%.

De Croo visited King Philippe at the royal palace in Brussels on 10th June 2024 to formally submit his resignation, as foreseen by the constitution. He will remain in office as a caretaker prime minister until a new coalition government, potentially involving seven parties, is formed. This process is expected to be lengthy, possibly taking several months.

Russian Interference in the European Parliament

On 12th April 2024 Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo revealed that Russia is allegedly attempting to influence the forthcoming European elections to weaken support for Ukraine across Europe. As part of the investigation, Belgian police, with assistance from French authorities, conducted searches on 29th May 2024 at the European Parliament office and the Brussels residence of a parliamentary staffer. The investigation examined alleged Russian payments to MEPs to disseminate pro-Russian propaganda. Belgium’s federal public prosecutor’s office confirmed that the searches are part of a broader case involving interference, passive corruption, and membership in a criminal organisation related to Russian meddling. Authorities in several countries, including the Czech Republic and Poland, identified a Russian-backed network that paid European politicians to influence political outcomes. This network allegedly used the Voice of Europe website to spread anti-Ukraine narratives and sway public opinion.

Peaceful Assembly

Farmers’ protests in Belgium

Since the beginning of 2024, Brussels has become the unofficial capital of farmers' protests, attracting farmers from across Europe to voice their concerns. These protests are driven by what farmers perceive as excessive bureaucracy, unfair trade practices, rising costs of energy, stricter environmental regulations, and the influx of cheap imports from Ukraine.

At the beginning of June, before the European elections, protests resumed with renewed force. On 4th June 2024 hundreds of tractors drove into Brussels from all across Europe, supported by far-right party "Flemish Interest" and organised by the Farmers Defence Force (FDF).

Kurdish Protests

On 24th March 2024, tensions between groups of Kurdish and Turkish origin escalated in Belgium. According to media reports, the conflict was sparked by a convoy of Kurds from Leuven displaying symbols that provoked disputes with people of Turkish descent. This led to physical violence against a Turkish man and triggered several clashes in the town of Heusden-Zolder in the Limbourg region. The disturbances resulted in injuries to six individuals, and the police deployed a helicopter and water cannon to manage the situation.

In reaction to the incident, the following day, on 25th March, more than 200 people gathered at Place du Luxembourg in Brussels around midday to protest against racism and brutality. The demonstration saw several moments of tension with the Belgian police, who responded with tear gas and anti-riot vehicles. During the protest, participants chanted slogans denouncing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, labelling him a "fascist" and a "dictator." A large poster of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and a Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) flag were also part of the demonstration's visual elements.

Following a police crackdown on two Kurdish news channels (see below in Freedom of Expression section), 400 people protested on the Place Poulaert in Brussels to denounce “an attempt at suppressing press freedom”.

Anti-Racism Protests

On 24th March 2024, thousands of individuals took to the streets of Brussels to celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and advocate for equal rights. After the tragic shooting of South African peaceful protestors by police on 21st March 1960, the United Nations decided to assign this day to commemorate the fight against racial discrimination. This demonstration was coordinated by numerous organisations, the largest group participating being “Stap tegen Racisme,” backed by over 170 civil society organisations. Participants also included the ABVV and ACV trade unions, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, 11.11.11, Saamo, Jong Groen, and Collectif des Sans-Papiers, along with various youth and political organisations.

Anti-Fascist Protests

Just before and right after the elections held on 9th June 2024, anti-fascist organisations called for protest against the far right and against police violence, and for human rights and solidarity. They also expressed support for the Palestinian people and the regularisation of undocumented migrants and denounced the “right-wing radicalisation of the French-speaking liberal party MR”.

Pro-Palestinian Protests

During the reporting period several pro-Palestinian protests were held and encampments set up on campuses. Different groups of protestors united in the common desire to stand up for Palestine.

On 8th May 2024, staff members from European Union institutions held a silent march in Brussels to mourn the lives lost in Gaza and to criticise the perceived erosion of European values. Symbolic "body bags" were placed to represent the death of international law, the EU Treaties, and the Genocide Convention. Demonstrators observed a minute of silence, and no political flags or affiliations were displayed.

In May 2024, several campuses started seeing occupations and sit-ins demanding that the universities cut ties with Israel. Encampments were set up in Ghent, Brussels, Liege, Antwerp and Leuven. In some instances, students have also received the support of staff and teachers. On 13th May 2024, police clashed with pro-Palestinian student protesters at universities in the Netherlands and Belgium, where students demanded an academic boycott amid Israeli attacks on Gaza.

On 19th May 2024, thousands marched in Brussels to demand the end of violence in Gaza. The protest was organised by a wide array of civil society organisations. On 28th May 2024, demonstrators in Brussels protested against the recent attacks in Rafah and the perceived use of disproportionate force by authorities during previous protests. The protest, which included students from the Free University of Brussels, was met with a forceful police response involving tear gas, water cannon and batons. Additionally, unannounced protests near the embassy of Israel were followed by police violence. Allegedly, protestors made hateful remarks against the mayor and the State of Israel.

On 4th June 2024, around 500 students at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) protested against the presence of historian and former Israeli ambassador to France, Elie Barnavi, at a university conference. They criticised Barnavi’s remarks justifying Israel’s attacks on Gaza as “rightful and necessary,” chanting that Israel is a terrorist state and accusing ULB of complicity. Protests demanding that academic institutions sever ties with Israel have continued at universities in Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Liege since the beginning of the month.

At the end of June, the students in Liege, Antwerp and Etterbeek decided to end their occupation of buildings peacefully. In Ghent, Leuven and Ixelles, the situation has often been more tense. On 24th May 2024, students and Fossil Free activists occupied the university's rectorate in Ghent and climbed onto the roof of the building and waved Palestinian flags. Some windows were daubed with red paint. The Rector decided to call in the police, who arrested 10 activists, who later denounced the police action as disproportionate.

Prison Officers Strike Over Overcrowding and Staff Shortages

Prison officers in the Brussels-Capital Region initiated a two-day strike on 22nd May 2024. This follows previous strikes by officers in East Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Limburg, and West Flanders. From 23rd May 2024, staff in Antwerp Province also joined the 48-hour walkout. The strike actions, which started on 1st April 2024, highlight ongoing issues of overcrowding and staff shortages in Belgian prisons.

Union representative Eddy De Smedt highlighted the critical overcrowding in Belgian jails, with 12,150 prisoners being held in facilities designed for only 10,770. The urgency of the situation was underscored by a recent incident in Antwerp's Begijnenstraat prison, where a 41-year-old inmate was tortured by fellow prisoners for several days. The victim, who had been sexually assaulted and also suffered severe burns, was hospitalised in critical condition. This horrifying event, which went unnoticed by staff and was filmed by the attackers and shared on social media, has intensified calls for immediate action to address the systemic issues in Belgian prisons.

Students’ and teachers’ protests

On 16th April 2023, at the call of the Federation of French-speaking students, students rallied in various cities against the reform of a decree modifying the conditions of access to higher education, claiming it would make studies unaffordable for many. Students have been protesting against this reform for several months.

On 23rd April 2023, 5,000 teachers protested in Brussels to denounce their excessive workload, the alarming shortage of teaching staff and to demand reduced class sizes. Ahead of the elections, they expressed a desire for political parties to hear the needs of the education sector when negotiating the formation of the governments of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and the Flemish Community. Three weeks later, at the call of the three largest trade unions, another large teachers’ protest took place, in Leuven, against the new measures currently being discussed to reform education in Flanders. They denounced the proposed 38-hour week and the reform of the leave system.

Freedom of Expression

NatCon conference scandal

On 16th April 2024, Brussels became the epicentre of controversy as the NatCon (National Conservatism) conference, scheduled to take place at the Concert Noble conference hall, faced a series of challenges, including a ban and police intervention. The NatCon conference was expected to host a gathering of leading figures from the populist Right, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, and ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage. However, the conference faced significant opposition from the public and civil society, including the Belgian Human Rights League (LDH) and anti-fascist organisations. Concert Noble also withdrew its support for hosting the event, raising concerns about security and public safety.

The socialist mayor of Sint-Josse, one of Brussels’ municipalities, eventually banned the gathering by special ordinance. He also ordered police in the area to immediately intervene to stop the conference, which had already begun. The police stormed the venue just as Nigel Farage had begun to speak, forcing him off the stage.

Organisers of the NatCon conference challenged the ban in court, arguing that it infringed on fundamental rights such as freedom of assembly and expression. On 17th April 2024, Belgium's top administrative court ruled that the ban violated the country's constitutional right to peaceful assembly. The conference was subsequently permitted to continue on its second day.

Police raid office of two Kurdish news channels

During the night of 23rd April, the premises of two Kurdish media organisations - Sterk TV and Medya News - based in Denderleeuw (East Flanders) were searched by the police. According to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, the searches were carried out at France's request, as part of an investigation into the financing of terrorism. Several employees were reportedly handcuffed during the operation, doors were forced open and technical equipment and computers were seized. In a statement, the two Kurdish media outlets called the police operation an “illegal and undemocratic” attack. “In the face of all forms of oppression, our pen will continue to write and our camera to film the truth”, concluded Sterk TV and Medya News. A few days later, a protest was organised in Brussels to denounce this police crackdown.

Belgian Prime Minister Files Complaint Against Radio Presenter for Inciting Violence

In May 2024, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo lodged a police complaint against a local radio presenter who allegedly encouraged listeners to shoot De Croo. The complaint follows remarks made by the presenter on Waregem1 radio station on 16th May, seemingly inciting violence against De Croo in the wake of the recent attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

In response to the controversy, Radio Waregem1 issued an apology and suspended the presenter responsible for the remarks. The station acknowledged the inappropriateness of the comments, characterising them as a misguided attempt at humour.

MEP Tom Vandendriessche's Controversial Remarks Spark Investigation Demand

During a plenary session in Brussels, MEP Tom Vandendriessche of Vlaams Belang stirred controversy with his remarks on the EU migration pact, accusing it of promoting the deliberate replacement of the European population and the erosion of European civilization. Following Vandendriessche's speech, MEP Sophie in 't Veld of Volt called for an investigation into his remarks, alleging the use of Nazi language. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola responded that the institution would consider the matter. Vandendriessche vehemently denied using Nazi language.

Tom Vandendriessche is a Belgian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and a prominent figure in the far-right Vlaams Belang party. Recently, he secured a court victory against Meta, with a Belgian judge ruling that the social media company must pay him over €27,000 for a "shadowban" from 2021 that had limited the reach of his Facebook page.

As of June 2024, Vandendriessche is under investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). The investigation, which began following a complaint from a former employee, was revealed in a Politico article on 5th June 2024. Despite receiving a notification about the inquiry about a year prior, Vandendriessche claimed he had not received any recent updates from OLAF and maintained that the investigation is a politically motivated smear campaign designed to undermine his candidacy in the June 2024 European Parliament elections. On 9th June 2024, Vandendriessche was reelected.

European Court of Human Rights Upholds Headscarf Ban in Flemish Schools

On 16th May 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) upheld a ban on headscarves in secondary schools across Flanders, Belgium's northern region. The ban, which prohibits the wearing of visible religious symbols, including the Islamic veil, during school hours, had been challenged by three young Muslim women. The court's decision affirmed the Flemish education system's policy, which permits the wearing of headscarves only during religion classes but requires their removal during other classes to maintain a secular environment in public schools. The ban applies uniformly to all visible symbols of belief, not just the Islamic veil, as clarified by the ECtHR.

LGBTQI+ Rights

On 17th May 2024, Brussels hosted a high-level conference on LGBTQI+ rights at the Résidence Palace. This event, aimed at fostering international collaboration, highlights Belgium's commitment to equality, as the country ranks third on ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map. The next day, 200,000 people participated in the Pride march in Brussels.

Belgium has recently improved the legislation to achieve more equal rights for the LGBTQI+ community: banned conversion therapies and enacted the "Stop Femicide" law, strengthening protections for LGBTQI+ individuals and victims of gender-based violence. The new Criminal Code now considers motives related to gender identity and sex characteristics as aggravating factors in crimes. Belgian citizens can change their name or gender without restrictions. Since 2024, LGBTQI+ advocacy groups have received federal funding, and 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of same-sex marriage legalisation in Belgium. The third federal action plan continues to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTQI+ people.

Despite this progress, a report by the European Fundamental Rights Agency reveals persistent challenges. Over half of LGBTQI+ individuals in Europe faced hate-motivated harassment in 2023, up from one-third in 2019. Discrimination remains prevalent in employment, education, healthcare, housing, and social life.