News

Brussels budget: government tries to sidestep parliamentary scrutiny, N-VA calls for postponement

16 March 2026

“Dirk De Smedt (Anders) is taking liberties with the democratic rules: parliamentary deadlines are not being respected, and it is impossible for both Parliament and the Court of Audit to do our job properly.” Brussels N-VA group leader Gilles Verstraeten is calling for the debate on the Brussels …

Jan Jambon: “Keeping pensions affordable for our children”

15 March 2026

In an in-depth interview with VTM Nieuws, Pension Minister Jan Jambon responded to the controversy surrounding the recent pension reform. He firmly rejected claims that the measures specifically target women and stressed the urgent need to safeguard our pension system for the future. Not a fight …

Theo Francken at defence fair BEDEX: “Those who want security must invest in technology, production and innovation”

12 March 2026

Brussels is hosting the very first edition of the Brussels European Defence Exhibition & Conference (BEDEX) this week. Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken officially opened the international defence exhibition yesterday at Brussels Expo, together with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Prime …

Eva Demesmaeker on pension reform: “Women will have to work a bit longer, but the same goes for men”

11 March 2026

MP Eva Demesmaeker defended the pension reforms proposed by Minister Jan Jambon during an interview on De Ochtend on Radio 1. She stressed that the reform is necessary to keep the system financially sustainable and that it does take the reality of working women into account. A sustainable system …

MEP Assita Kanko welcomes pragmatic agreement on EU Talent Pool

10 March 2026

Member of the European Parliament Assita Kanko has expressed strong satisfaction with the law adopted today on the EU Talent Pool, which she helped negotiate. The online platform will match jobseekers from outside the European Union with hard-to-fill vacancies for which no suitable candidates can …

Maaike De Vreese: “We must increase the pressure on transmigration and human smugglers”