News

Work pays: Parliament approves major tax reform

10 July 2026

“People who work should clearly be better off because of it.” With that objective in mind, Parliament has approved the tax reform put forward by Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s government. Following the pension reform and the decision to limit unemployment benefits in time, this marks the N-VA’s …

Francken on new defence deal: “After 20 years, Belgium finally has air defence again”

8 July 2026

On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken, together with Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz, signed a landmark defence agreement. Belgium and the Netherlands will jointly procure a layered air defence system. “After 20 …

Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt opens new return centre: “There’s no point travelling on to Belgium”

7 July 2026

This autumn, a new European return centre will open in Nazareth-De Pinte for people who entered the European Union through another Member State before travelling on to Belgium. Under EU rules, the first Member State where an asylum seeker arrives is responsible for processing their asylum …

Verstraeten quits Anderlechtse Haard inquiry committee: “A sham investigation”

6 July 2026

Brussels MP Gilles Verstraeten has resigned from his role as rapporteur of the parliamentary inquiry committee investigating Anderlechtse Haard. According to him, the committee was never given a genuine opportunity to uncover the truth due to political obstruction, an unrealistic timetable and the …

Van Bossuyt steps up crackdown on welfare fraud: Public welfare centres to verify foreign property and related income

3 July 2026

The federal government is taking another step in the fight against welfare fraud. At the initiative of Minister for Social Integration Anneleen Van Bossuyt, the Council of Ministers has approved a measure allowing Belgium’s Public Centres for Social Welfare (CPAS/OCMWs) to call on specialised …

Theo Francken unveils SHIELD, Belgium’s National Defence Plan: “Security starts with preparedness”

29 June 2026

“National defence is no longer solely the responsibility of the armed forces. With the SHIELD Plan, we are ensuring that every level of government works together to better protect our citizens, our infrastructure and our institutions.” With those words, Minister of Defence Theo Francken presented …

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