Welcome to Belgium!

Most people love an underdog – and Ghent, Belgium’s quirkiest city, could well be described as one. Frequently overlooked in favour of its plush sister, tourist-favourite Bruges, which draws in visitors with its chocolate box good looks, Ghent, by contrast, has the feel of a real, working city, but is similarly blessed in terms of…

Chocolatiers and fashion designers have collaborated to bring dresses made of chocolate to a Brussels catwalk. One creation, by designer Giovanni Biasiolo and chocolate maker Jean-Christophe Hubert, used 8kg of chocolate – not far off the 6kg the average Belgian eats in a year – while another, by Peruvian Ricardo Davila, featured a staff and…

Belgium is getting its first female prime minister. Budget and Civil Service Minister Sophie Wilmes will succeed Charles Michel, who has served in an acting capacity since an inconclusive election in May. He’s taking office as president of the European Council, which involves chairing meetings of European Union leaders, on Dec. 1. Continue reading on Bloomberg

Mr. Rik Daems, who generously supported & spoke at our BLCC Belgian Business Seminar in November 2019, has been elected President of PACE, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, for 2 years. Succeeding the former President Mrs. Liliane Maury Pasquier from Switserland, Mr. Daems was full of praise for her in his inaugural…