News

Working should mean a better pension: House approves cap on credited non-working periods

17 July 2026

“Today, periods spent working and periods not worked count equally towards pension accrual. We are finally putting an end to that unfairness,” says Pensions Minister Jan Jambon. The unlimited crediting of non-working periods has led to absurd situations in which employees who worked for many …

18,443 Belgians declared unfit for work until retirement without reassessment: “Shocking”

17 July 2026

Nearly six years after the COVID-19 crisis, 18,443 people on long-term sick leave are still covered by an exceptional arrangement under which their incapacity for work was automatically extended until retirement age, without an individual medical reassessment. This emerges from Health Minister …

Priority scheme for Dutch-language education in Brussels becomes stricter

16 July 2026

Parents wishing to benefit from the priority scheme for Dutch-speaking families in Brussels’ Dutch-language education system will now have to demonstrate that they can read, write, listen to and speak Dutch at B2 level. The Flemish Parliament approved the stricter rules under an expedited procedure …

Minister Van Bossuyt halves Brussels Deal: "No blank cheque for Brussels homeless shelters"

16 July 2026

The federal government is further scaling back the temporary Brussels Deal. Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt is scrapping around 700 additional reception places, on top of the roughly 300 places that were already phased out earlier. As a result, capacity will be reduced from 2 …

Jambon on a year and a half of the De Wever government: "Reforms that safeguard our prosperity"

15 July 2026

Eighteen months into the De Wever government, Deputy Prime Minister Jan Jambon looks back on the administration’s record in Het rapport van de Wetstraat, the political podcast of HLN. Despite a challenging budgetary climate, Jambon says he is satisfied with a series of fundamental reforms that had …

Francken: "Defence investment must strengthen our own industry and drive innovation"

14 July 2026

The federal government has approved a draft bill establishing a robust legal framework for companies, research centres and knowledge institutions developing defence-related technologies and manufacturing capabilities. The aim is not only to strengthen Belgium's military capabilities, but also to …

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