flandersfocus on THE DUTCH SPEAKING PART OF press review weekly, does not appear in July • number 47 • 10 December – 16 December 2005

Belgacom and France Telecom INTRODUCTION In election years, as we know, parties are more eager in their battle it out for Telindus desire to create a profile for themselves and are not easily tempted into making compro- mises, with the result that few hen France Telecom made a BERT BROENS • DE TIJD • 16 DECEMBER important decisions are taken. After the federal elections of W friendly counter-bid for network 2003 and the regional elections of 2004, 2005 there- company Telindus on Wednesday 15 For weeks the Belgacom camp was fore had to provide for a respite. The Federal Govern- December, most papers thought that a quoted as saying that EUR 13.50 was ment has taken advantage of this to push through its Generation Pact, a first cautious reform of the career- higher bid from Belgacom was unlikely fair. Behind the scenes it was even end arrangements and the social security system. For (see p. 2). With its bid price of EUR 15.8 whispered that that price was already the government, the reward appears to have been reaped. The bill was approved in Parliament in the per share, France Telecom was offering on the high side. Why Belgacom now night of 15/16 December. Trade unions and employ- 17% more than the EUR 13.50 offered wants to pay so much more is not im- ers now only have to agree on a few terms and con- ditions governing the regulations for early retirement. by Belgacom. The difference was too mediately clear. Bellens probably But the union opposition to the pact seems to have great, and most observers thought mainly wants to prevent France Télé- subsided. The generally militant socialist union an- that Belgacom CEO Didier Bellens com, the owner of Mobistar (the sec- nounced that it was abandoning general strikes. In the political parties the feverish autumn has mainly would concede defeat. However, on 15 ond largest mobile-phone operator af- caused some collateral damage within the socialist December the Belgacom board of direc- ter the Belgacom subsidiary Proximus) movement, where parties (SP.A and PS) and union have often locked horns. The coalition partner, the tors decided to make a counter-bid of from playing a more dominant role on Liberal VLD, has recorded a minor success with the EUR 16.60 per share. That is 1 cent the Belgian market. Generation Pact. And it was high time, too. In 2004 above the statutory minimum for a It is now a question of waiting and see- the party experienced a divisive internal battle on im- migrants’ voting rights and a little later saw its Prime counter-bid. The difference between ing how France Télécom reacts. The Minister fail in his attempt to keep the first and second Belgacom bids French group has three options: it can the courier company DHL in . In the opinion polls the VLD took a nose dive. Now it appears to means that Telindus’ value has been withdraw its bid, let it run, or raise it. have regained its self-confidence and according to upped by a quarter. The new bid is valid According to Luk Van Eylen, some papers is already preparing for the municipal until 6 January (FF). spokesman for the stock exchange su- elections of 2006 and – the big test – the federal elec- tions of 2007. pervisory authority CBFA, the French The way things are looking at the moment, writes De bid does not automatically lapse be- Standaard (14 December), we are heading for a ti- CONTENTS tanic struggle between Verhofstadt and the Flemish cause of the new offer from Belgacom. Minister-President (CD&V) for the prime ‘The Telindus board of directors has to ministership. Leterme is the man of New Realism and Economy, tax and social policy give its opinion on the two bids next his popularity is perhaps the main asset in the elec- toral campaign of the CD&V-N-VA alliance. He will in- France Télécom outbids Belgacom 2 week,’ he says. But if France Télécom evitably also be the target of campaigns orchestrated ABVV shifts action to index 2 withdraws, Telindus only has to exam- by his political opponents. This can be done, for ex- ample, so the paper says, by putting his leadership An airport for the Scheldt Delta 3 ine the still hostile bid from Belgacom. qualities to the test within his government. The fact KBC becomes sole owner of K&H Bank 3 A possible counter-bid would have to that VLD MPs ranted and raved so conspicuously in the fuss kicked up over the law on penalties for juve- Inbev close to takeover in China 3 be made by 4 January at the latest, and nile offenders, the speed limit for lorries and the ser- A Flemish tax cut 4 would have to be at least 5% higher. It vice cheques for child minding (pages 5 and 6) should Eur 150 million for job projects 4 won’t be coming from the British tele- be viewed in the light of this strategy, in the paper’s view. The VLD wants to create the impression that as com group BT. BT lodged a counter-bid leader of the , Leterme is not Agriculture and Mobility for Telindus, just like France Télécom, able to put the house in order in his government within a reasonable period. Just before it all got com- Leterme examines support for manure but the Belgian company opted for the pletely out of hand and the VLD were accused of rab- treatment 5 French offer. ‘For BT it’s over. They de- ble rousing ( 14 December), Guy Verhofs- Quarrel about speed limit for lorries 5 cided from the word go not to get in- tadt appeared on the scene, like a ministering angel, with a compromise. He can step in because in the volved in a bidding war,’ a source close three disputed matters a part of the competency lies Justice, social welfare and foreign policy to the British group was quoted as say- with the federal authorities. Leterme was able to limit the damage by pointing out that who scores is not Dispute about juvenile criminal law 6 ing. important, as long as there is good management. But Service cheques for child-minders 6 for Leterme the road to 2007 is still a long one, the Freya Vanden Bossche criticises Dutch Table page 4. paper concludes. In the meantime the situation that applied when the Flemish Government was formed is cabinet: insult or not? 7 still applicable today: the three parties currently in of- fice are condemned to get along, for there is no alter- native. Media and culture VRT receives media council report 7 ■ Frank Vandecaveye | editor in chief A play about eurocrats 7 focus on • 10 December - 16 December 2005 • Number 47 2 ECONOMY AND SOCIAL POLICY

TELECOM & IT 15.80 per share. Belgacom would there- fore have to offer EUR 16.59 or more, a Telindus: France Télécom price that values Telindus at EUR 594 million. That is EUR 111 million more outbids Belgacom than what Belgacom was initially pre- the reference shareholders and the company's board of pared to stump up. directors support the bid Most observers assume that Belgacom is not prepared to make such an effort. n its battle for network specialist BERT BROENS • DE TIJD • Belgacom does not have a tradition of I Telindus, Belgacom is now facing a 15 DECEMBER costly takeovers, something that al- formidable opponent. France Télécom ready became apparent with the failed is offering EUR 15.80 per Telindus According to specialists, theoretically bid for the Czech telecom company share, 17% more than the EUR 13.50 Belgacom has three possibilities. Cesky Telecom. What is more, Telin- offered by Belgacom. It should come as The telecom group can for the time be- dus has in the meantime become a no surprise that it is the French telecom ing let its hostile bid, which took effect very troubled dossier. group, of all companies, that is making on 5 December, run through to 20 De- Belgacom set its prey and the political a counter-bid. The family of John cember and publish its result. The and economic public at large against it Cordier, the founder of Telindus, the Telindus shareholders who brought in by aggressively launching a hostile bid reference shareholders and the compa- their securities can withdraw them for another listed company. There ny's board of directors support the bid, again, but also sell them to Belgacom. were rumblings even in the company's whereas they had previously rejected However, the chance of the latter oc- own board of directors and in the fed- Belgacom's offer. Moreover Telindus curring is very slim, given the substan- eral government, which controls Bel- has historical links with France Télé- tial mark-up offered by France Télécom gacom. com. Together they secured the second on Belgacom's bidding price. The Bel- So it looks as though Belgacom will Belgian mobile telephony licence for gian group will then have no option but end up acknowledging defeat. If Belga- Mobistar in 1995. Today France Télé- to conclude that it has got nowhere com quits, Telindus will not automati- com holds 52% of Mobistar and Telin- near the intended 75% of Telindus, and cally fall into the hands of France Télé- dus 4.62%. France Télécom's bid thus that the bid has failed. That will proba- com. A third bid is still possible, for values Telindus at EUR 566 million. bly lead to the withdrawal. The second example from the British telecom Thanks to the support of the reference scenario, in which Belgacom withdraws group BT. However, this would neces- shareholders, France Télécom is its bid, has the same effect. Previously sarily also be a hostile bid, and would already sure of 19.82 % of the capital in Belgacom could not throw in the towel. therefore stand less chance. Telindus is Telindus. Belgacom and France Télé- Now, with a counter-bid, it can. already supporting France Télécom's com are chiefly interested in the range The third way out amounts to Belga- move and cannot back a second bid. of network solutions that Telindus com bettering France Télécom's bid. www.belgacom.be offers to companies. Both operators Legally this would mean making a www.francetelecom.com have an insufficient range of network counter-bid at least 5% higher than the www.telindus.be solutions (FF). French group's offer, which is EUR ■

SOCIAL AGREEMENTS

in addition to the matter of wage de- ABVV shifts action against railment, there will still be adjust- ments for the Generation Pact. The trade unions are asking, among other Generation Pact to index things, for an acceptable arrangement for the equated periods and a broad def- ince the Christian union ACW indi- EVELYNE HENS • DE TIJD • 14 DECEMBER inition of stressful professions. The S cated that it no longer agreed with employers are prepared to engage in general strike action, the militancy in The federal government asked the so- that debate, but in exchange are de- the ABVV has also diminished. ABVV cial partners to adopt a position on the manding concessions from the unions secretary Verboven warns, however, wage derailment before Christmas. on the wage derailment. ‘We have to that his grassroots are remaining Wages in Belgium are rising this and seek a balance between the matters,’ watchful. The debates on periods given next year by 2.1 % faster than German, says Pieter Timmermans, director-gen- equal status that count for a career giv- French and Dutch wages. This means eral of the VBO. The ABVV is not pre- ing entitlement to early retirement and that the wage gap in respect of the pared to do that. The trade union re- on the stressful professions that allow neighbouring countries runs to 2.9 % jects any debate that goes towards early retirement more quickly, are still since 1996. wage forfeiting, unwarranted wage re- pending. However, for the time being The Christmas timing will not be met. straint or meddling with the index. the union is shifting its area of action to The senior negotiators of the social The ABVV also regards the imposition the defence of wage indexing. For next partners will be seeing each other next of all-in wage agreements, as suggested week trade unions and employers will week for exploratory discussions. The by NBB governor Guy Quaden last be negotiating on the wage derailment meeting was put off until the rumpus week, as unacceptable. vis-à-vis the neighbouring countries. over the Generation Pact had died (FF). down. Nevertheless, on the negotiating table, ■

focus on FLANDERS • 10 December - 16 December 2005 • Number 47 ECONOMY 3

AIRPORTS IN FLANDERS isting or a new airfield, and where it should be sited. These are matters for An airport for the Scheldt the business community to decide on. The private sector will be responsible Delta area for building and running the airport and making it profitable. The Flemish A regional airport would save Flemish, Zeeland and Antwerp companies a Government's sole ambition is to keep lot of time, says minister Peeters the existing regional airports open un- til they can be handed over to the pri- vate sector. At most it wants to con- he solution-in-the-making for the Antwerp companies a lot of time, says cern itself with safety and security. T noise pollution around the airport the minister. It will be the task of the Not every economic intersection or of Zaventem will have considerable Flemish airport committee to ascertain every city of any size in Flanders needs adverse effects for Flemish companies what the specific assignment of such an an airport. However the Scheldt Delta, in the provinces of East Flanders and airport would be: passenger transport, which is of incalculable economic im- Antwerp (Antwerp), says Public Works cargo or both (FF). portance to Flanders and the Southern Minister (CD&V). At a , does. An airport with op- meeting of the NEDwerken of the KRIS BARREZEELE • DE TIJD • 10 DECEMBER timal spatial planning without stifling Scheldt Delta and Antwerp Euregion, environmental and traffic restrictions. he therefore argued in favour of a The Flemish Public Works Minister An airport right in the economic heart large regional airport. The Scheldt Kris Peeters (CD&V) has replied in the of the Low Countries, which meets the Delta Euregion embraces Dutch Zee- affirmative to the question raised by real needs of the business community land (Vlissingen), Zeeland Flanders the Dutch Chamber of Commerce for from this area and is not, like Zaven- (Terneuzen), the north of the provinces Belgium and , as to tem, tributary to the whims of arro- of East and (Ghent and whether Flanders and Zeeland still gant Brussels city politicians. ) and the port area of the needed a (regional) airport. Minister www.ministerkrispeeters.be Antwerp Left Bank. A regional airport Peeters did not comment on whether would save Flemish, Zeeland and this regional airport should use an ex- ■

BANKS BREWERIES Inbev close to KBC becomes sole owner of takeover of large Chinese brewer Hungarian K&H Bank FF EDITOR

According to the New York Times, In- he Flemish provider of combined ity stake in the Hungarian K&H Bank bev, the Belgian-Brazilian beer group, Tbanking and insurance services is the first dossier successfully com- with its head office in Leuven, has of- KBC is paying EUR 510 million for a pleted. The situation of fellow share- fered EUR 636 million for the Chinese 40.2% stake in the Hungarian K&H holder ABN AMRO is not dissimilar. brewing company Fujian Sedrin Brew- Bank. This means that KBC will hold The Dutch bank announced that it ery. Inbev has thereby reportedly made 99.6% of the shares. KBC announced wanted to dispose of a number of non- the highest bid for the eighth largest that it was now also buying out the core-business activities, among other Chinese brewer, and been given prior- minority shareholders in the other Cen- things to finance the takeover of the ity over Heineken and Anheuser- tral-European subsidiaries CSOB (Czech Italian merchant bank Antonveneta. Busch. The acquisition still has to re- Republic), NLB (Slovenia) and the insur- Because KBC had a preferential right of ceive the approval of the Chinese ance company Warta (Poland) (FF). purchase, the transaction is no sur- authorities. According to De Tijd (10 prise, although for some analysts, the December) it is known that InBev re- NICO TANGHE • DE TIJD • 13 DECEMBER price is. According to an ABN AMRO gards China as strategically important. spokesman, the Dutch bank recorded a China is now already the largest beer With a 20% contribution to the profit in capital gain of EUR 200 million. That market in the world, although the per- the third quarter, Central Europe is means that KBC has paid 2.3 times the capita consumption there, at 19 litres KBC's signboard to the outside world. book value. On the other side of the per person per year, is appreciably Because the economy there is growing coin, however, is the fact that the lower than the 80 litres a year in Eu- much faster than in the Belgian domes- takeover immediately contributes to rope. On the down side are the low tic market, the bank-cum-insurer is con- KBC's profit. price of beer and the mediocre margins. stantly looking for ways of expanding its Analysts expect that KBC will also in- Currently Inbev is already the third market share in this promising region. crease its existing interests in Poland, largest brewer on the Chinese market Because new acquisitions in Central the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The and, with 28 production plants there, and Eastern Europe are relatively main targets include the Polish insur- chiefly in the southern provinces of costly, KBC already announced at the ance company Warta, the Czech CSOB Jiangsu, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hubei beginning of this year that it would and the Slovenian NLB. and Hunan, has a market share there of concentrate on buying out the minority www.kbc.be 10%. Sedrin is market leader in another shareholders in the existing sub- www.khb.hu southern province, Fujian. sidiaries. The acquisition of the minor- ■ ■

focus on FLANDERS • 10 December - 16 December 2005 • Number 47 4 TAX POLICY AND SOCIAL POLICY

FLEMISH TAX POLICY cut is being introduced in three steps. In 2007 blue-collar workers, white-col- A Flemish tax cut lar workers, the self-employed, civil servants and the liberal professions are When fully implemented, the easing of the tax and premium burden will only eligible if they have an annual net cost half a billion euros a year and is one of the showpieces of the Flemish taxable income of less than EUR coalition agreement 21,000. The income brackets are deter- mined in such a way that one million Flemings will be able to benefit from rom 2007 one million working great supporter of the tax cut, had to the tax cut in the first stage, already F Flemings with an annual taxable acknowledge that it would cost more feeling the effect of the cut in 2007. income of up to EUR 21,000 will be than had been estimated (FF). The money will be set off against the receiving a tax reduction of EUR 125 advance corporation tax. Anyone earn- per year. This will be raised to EUR 150 BART HAECK • DE TIJD • 10 DECEMBER ing less than EUR 5,500 a year will not in 2008 and to EUR 200 in 2009. What receive the rebate, because the govern- is more, in that year the tax rebate will When fully implemented, the easing of ment wants to help get more people apply to all working Flemings. Budget the tax and premium burden will cost into work, says Dirk Van Mechelen's Minister Dirk Van Mechelen (VLD) half a billion euros a year and is one of spokesman. In the next few weeks the wants to use this tax cut to make work- the showpieces of the Flemish coali- Flemish Government will be asking ing more attractive. The measure was tion agreement. By having anyone who for an opinion from the Council of approved in the Flemish Government is in employment pay less tax, the State, whereupon it will table the draft on 9 December. It does not apply to Flemish Government wants to make decree for the tax cut in the Flemish those receiving benefit, since the whole working more attractive, so that there Parliament. purpose of it is to make working more is a greater difference between a first www.dirkvanmechelen.be attractive again. However, the VLD, a wage and a benefit payment. The tax ■

JOB MARKET is perfectly sensible to draw on part of that money now, according to CD&V EUR 150 million more for and SP.A. The VLD was on the defensive, since jobs in Flanders yesterday it was forced to concede that the tax cut cost more than had been es- timated, with the result that the bal- n addition to the tax cut, the Flemish (private investors ed.) for this is not ance in the political breakdown of the I Government is setting aside an extra forthcoming, so the funds must come budget had been broken. That was put EUR 150 million for the creation of out of the budget. right by setting aside money for pro- more jobs. It wants to invest around a In the corridors Zaventem is called a jects which unofficially bear a CD&V third of this amount in the region CD&V project. So Frank Vanden- or an SP.A label. around the airport of Zaventem. broucke (SP.A) wants ‘a few forceful Employment Minister Frank Vanden- measures’ to see to it that the labour www.ministerfrankvanden- broucke will be using a second instal- market operates in a swifter and more broucke.be ment of EUR 50 million to organise the effective manner: a hefty cut in wage labour market more effectively. A third costs for the over-50s who want to measure is aimed at the employment of come back to work, in addition to the the unskilled, the disabled, immigrants already announced plan to combat and older people. The intention is to youth unemployment in the major ■ award employers a grant if they recruit centres. He also wants to see more im- someone from these difficult labour- migrants working and also wants va- market niches. The extra budget comes cancies to be filled more quickly. One largely from the federal government, line of thinking is to extend the exist- Top ten of Belgian companies (Trends 30,000) which is transferring EUR 182 million ing Job-Kanaal that gives immigrant ranking of 2004 based on net profit (million euro) in surplus revenue to Flanders. The reg- applicants extra opportunities and to total profit of Belgacom companies: 1,192,034 eu istration fees on the sale of immovable have certain vacancies offered to job- property (a Flemish tax) again repre- seekers of foreign extraction for three exxonmobil petrol & chemistry 2,027,300 sented a windfall this year (FF). weeks via a closed circuit. suez-tractebel 1,421,641 Vandenbroucke wants to hold talks on hewlett-packard c.c. 1,037,085 this with the social partners next electrabel 956,071 GUY TEGENBOS • • week. He also wants to give them the proximus belgacom mobile 648,000 10 DECEMBER certainty that the negotiations on the vlaamse Flemish measures that have to run par- The EUR 150 million is intended for allel with the Generation Pact are ‘se- huisvestingsmaatschappij 634,587 socio-economic projects such as the rious’. He can only say that convinc- sidmar 607,351 START plan for the development of ingly if there is money for it. And there belgacom 544,034 new companies around the airport of is. There are still ‘buffers’ in the Flem- ucb 444,123 Zaventem. The ‘alternative financing’ ish budget, so it emerged last week. It janssen pharmaceutica 422,771

focus on FLANDERS • 10 December - 16 December 2005 • Number 47 AGRICULTURE AND MOBILITY 5

MANURE SURPLUS support. The question is: is this in keeping with the competition rules? Leterme examines support That's what it's all about.’ The Flemish delegation has also learnt for manure treatment that manure treatment which also falls under the heading ‘generation of alter- Flemish farmers can dispose of the manure surplus, by exporting it or pro- native energy’ (bio-energy) has a cessing it. If neither of these options is successful, a reduction of their greater chance of receiving support. livestock is inevitable. So as yet there is no talk of an agree- ment with the European Commission s a result of the European Com- BERNARD BULCKE AND GUY TEGENBOS • on a possible project. ‘And anyway, A mission's decision that the whole DE STANDAARD • 10 DECEMBER there is no project yet’, says principal of Flanders should be designated as a private secretary Joris Relaes. ‘We vulnerable area, from now on only very Joris Relaes: ‘We went to the European haven't yet decided whether we want limited manuring of fields can be car- Commission's agriculture services to to introduce this subsidisation’. Such a ried out in the whole of Flanders. This obtain clarity on a number of possible proposal will be ready at the earliest will result in the manure surplus in measures for getting rid of the manure half way through next year, and quite Flanders growing from 18 to 32 million surplus. Manure treatment is one of possibly later. Only then can an official kilos of nitrogen. Flemish farmers can those possibilities. In the past Flanders procedure be started up with the Euro- dispose of this manure surplus in two had come up against a ‘no’ from the pean Commission for the green light to ways, by exporting it or processing it. If European Commission for specific pro- be given for the government aid. neither of these options is successful, a jects for the subsidising of manure http://Europa.eu.int/comm/commis- reduction of their livestock is treatment, since they were not in sion_barroso/dimas inevitable. Joris Relaes, principal pri- keeping with the competition rules. www.yvesleterme.be vate secretary to Agriculture Minister But the Commission has now con- Yves Leterme (CD&V), visited the firmed to us that there is absolutely no European Commission's agriculture objection in principle to support to in- services to sound out the chances of a vestments for manure treatment. In European subsidy for manure treat- Brittany there is one such company ment (FF). that received permitted investment ■

MOBILITY

he said. Vande Lanotte said that he was SP.A and VLD quarrel about prepared to talk about economic com- pensation for the transport sector. A phone call between Vande Lanotte speed limit for lorries and Prime Minister Verhofstadt (VLD) if the 80 km/h limit is not introduced, both the Federal and Flemish Gov- (De Standaard, 14 December) deliv- ernment have a serious problem, SP.A chairman Vande Lanotte said ered the solution. A working group in- cluding various representatives from the governments, the Belgian Institute FF EDITOR nological research into air pollution. for Road Safety and the transport sec- According to the VLD there is nothing tor have to examine the measure's eco- he matter of the speed limit for lor- about such a speed limit in the coali- nomic costs and costs associated with T ries is also causing quite a rumpus tion agreement. For that matter the the traffic situation. They will submit in the Flemish Government coalition. party has serious doubts about the con- their report in three months' time. Here again the VLD is at loggerheads clusions of the studies on which Van with the SP.A. According to Transport Brempt is basing herself. The VLD says www.ministerkathleenvanbrempt.be Minister Kathleen Van Brempt (SP.A), that a lowering of the speed limit also an 80km/h speed limit for lorries could means that these lorries would be on bring down the number of traffic fatali- the road for longer, and that the trans- ties by 8%. When this measure is com- port sector would be faced with a hefty bined with a speed restrictor, a ban on bill. They were backed in this latter overtaking and enforcement, the num- criticism by the CD&V. ber of deaths could even come down by The Liberals also threw their heavy ar- as much as 15%, claims Van Brempt, tillery into the fray, in the shape of sen- basing her assertions on a study by the ator Jean-Marie De Decker. He imme- Regional Office for Road Safety, which diately wiped the floor with the was presented in the Flemish Parlia- transport policy of SP.A ministers Van ment. A second advantage of such a Brempt and Landuyt, and called Minis- measure, so Van Brempt announced, is ter Van Brempt a liar. For SP.A chair- that it would entail a reduction of CO2 man Vande Lanotte, this was going too emissions of between 5 and 15%. Here far: if the 80 km/h limit is not intro- the minister based her claims on a duced, both the Federal and Flemish ■ study by the Flemish institute for tech- Government have a serious problem,

focus on FLANDERS • 10 December - 16 December 2005 • Number 47 6 JUSTICE, SOCIAL WELFARE AND MEDIA

JUSTICE RADIO AND TELEVISION

Compromise on juvenile VRT receives Media criminal law rejected council report FF EDITOR FF EDITOR punishable by more than three years' imprisonment. The CD&V is fiercely After lengthy discussions the VLD and opposed to a referral to criminal courts The Flemish Media Council, which ad- the CD&V have agreed on the matter because, so the party says, only 16% of vises the government on media affairs, of the law on sanctions for juvenile of- young offenders who are referred on regards VRT CEO Tony Mary's plans fenders. A bill drafted by Federal Jus- are actually punished. The third coali- for eight additional digital theme chan- tice Minister (PS), tion partner, SP.A, refused to take nels as unrealistic. Mary and his man- which has already been approved in sides. In the end a compromise was agement team had asked the govern- Parliament, stipulates that in the case found after all, on 12 December, with ment for an extra budget of EUR 200 of serious offences juvenile offenders Federal Prime Minister Verhofstadt million for their plan. But according to will be referred to the normal courts (VLD) setting himself up as a mediator the media report the Flemish market is for adults. But Flemish Welfare Minis- with the Francophones. Verhofstadt too small for this and the project is not ter Inge Vervotte (CD&V) does not proposes making the juvenile courts financially viable. The report, which agree with this. Together with her competent (chambers for minor of- calls on scientific research and a sur- counterpart from the Government of fences would be installed in the juve- vey among the public, should serve as the French-speaking Community, she nile courts), but the penalty would re- a basis for the negotiations on a new wants juvenile courts to be given pow- main the same as for adults. All management agreement for the com- ers to punish juvenile offenders. Ver- Flemish parties in office were able to ing five years between the Flemish votte claims that for this she has the live with this compromise and the Government and the VRT manage- agreement of all the Flemish coalition matter was passed on to Federal Minis- ment. partners, including the VLD. However, ter Onkelinx. But that was without The Media Council does feel that the the latter party denies this most em- reckoning on the government of the VRT should digitise its image archive phatically. Flemish Economic Affairs French Community, which was unable and improve its existing range by in- Minister Fientje Moerman (VLD) to go along with the consensus that troducing interactive services. The lodged a written protest in the form of had been found on the Flemish side. In council is also of the view that the a letter to Minister-President Leterme. the event of a lack of consensus be- VRT is currently attaching too much The VLD took the view that Vervotte's tween the community governments, importance to the viewing figures. In proposal leads to a ‘light’ criminal law. the Onkelinx draft will not be the future more attention should be After all, in her proposal, the juvenile amended, reports De Tijd (14 Decem- paid to the diversity and quality of the court could only hand out limited ber). programmes offered and more should penalties, namely a maximum of be invested in information, culture and three-fifths of the penalty for offences ■ education. As regards financing, the council argues in favour of a higher al- CHILD-MINDING location, but certainly not an increase in advertising revenue. Although the Third problem:service cheques for opinion is not binding, Media Minister child-minders Geert Bourgeois was able to endorse it. In contrast to the direction that the Dutch public broadcasting corporation he liberal VLD want it to be possi- stated that he wanted to adapt the wants to take, Bourgeois continues to T ble for parents also to call on non- Royal Decree on the federal service- define the VRT's assignment in broad specialised child-minders deployed by cheque system and make ‘child-mind- terms: education, culture and informa- temping agencies for crèche services ing service cheques’ tax deductible. tion, but sport and entertainment all and paid with service cheques, outside Minister-President Leterme is assum- the same. The VRT is also satisfied the normal hours of the institution- ing that Verhofstadt also wants to with the report, because extra funds alised day nurseries. SP.A and CD&V make efforts to have the extra revenue are requested and the public broadcast- regard the scheme as too expensive. from the child-minding service ing corporation's assignment is left un- They opt for collective crèche services cheques flow back to Flanders. This re- touched. and have questions about non-profes- lates to the unemployment benefits sional child minding. It appears that saved and the tax and social security the compromise will consist in the contribution that the federal govern- extension of more regular crèche ser- ment receives from the child-minders vices and the use of additional service working in the service-cheque system, cheques (FF). less the tax deduction for the service cheques. The scope of the cost recovery MARK DEWEERDT • DE TIJD • 14 DECEMBER effect is estimated at between EUR 1.5 and 15.8 million. However, Verhofstadt For the extension of the service-cheque denied that he had promised to have system to include child minding, the revenue flow back to Flanders. Prime Minister Verhofstadt (VLD) ■ ■

focus on FLANDERS • 10 December - 16 December 2005 • Number 47 FOREIGN POLICY AND CULTURE 7

FOREIGN POLICY here in left-wing circles,’ says inter- viewer Max Van Weezel, putting the Freya Vanden Bossche remarks into perspective. Among other things Van den Bossche criticises the criticises Dutch cabinet tough austerity measures. ’With those measures you're undermining con- despite vanden bossches mocking remarks on their appearance, the Dutch sumer confidence and then things go government decided to concern themselves with more serious business from bad to worse’. And she had criti- cism for the social policy. ‘A society of arely a few months after Foreign preferred to concern himself with more winners is being created in which B Affairs Minister , serious business. However, Vanden some people are falling overboard. In now it is Federal Deputy Prime Minis- Bossche maintains her criticism of the Belgium we reject that kind of division ter Freya Vanden Bossche (SP.A) who policy pursued by the Balkenende gov- of society’. apparently cannot avoid letting fly at ernment (FF). Whilst Freya Van den Bossche contin- the Dutch cabinet of Jan Peter Balke- ues to stand by her intrinsic analysis, nende. In an interview with Vrij Ned- LIESBETH VAN IMPE • DE MORGEN • she is aware that the attacks on some erland, she called the Dutch ministers 14 DECEMBER members of the cabinet are wounding, stuffy, narrow-minded and frumpy. On and that she was therefore best advised a previous occasion De Gucht had IIn an interview with the weekly Vrij to retract them, stated a short two- called Balkenende a combination of Nederland Deputy Prime Minister paragraph communiqué. She further Harry Potter and an overly well- Freya Van den Bossche (SP.A) makes an clarified things in De Morgen: ‘You say behaved and rigid bourgeois. Vanden unusually fierce attack on the Dutch things like that in a half bantering tone Bossche realised that she had gone too government of . of voice in an interview, but you don't far, and offered her apologies. There She criticises the austerity measures realise how hard it sounds on paper. I will not be any diplomatic row between and blames Balkenende for a ‘heartless’ shouldn't have gone personal; that's Belgium and the Netherlands, as policy. ‘Does that man desperately pointless and does not fit into my duty. occurred at the time between De Gucht want to avoid being re-elected as Prime But I hope the Dutch understand that I and Balkenende. Vanden Bossche's Minister?’ But she also makes some am well aware of that.’ Dutch colleague for budgetary affairs, personal attacks, targeting Dutch min- Gerrit Zalm, compared her interven- isters. tion to a Belgian joke, and Balkenende ‘She's saying what is also being said ■

THEATRE own little bubble, with a new best friend every week. A play about Brussels Mutual impregnation between Euro- crats is quite common, although the eurocrats hierarchy in the office is seldom bro- ken out of it. Interns have their own The technique of Blythe is resolutely journalistic. Interviews in the street etiquette and I also spoke to cleaning or in trains are edited to support the story line staff. They have another different view of the senior-level staff, as do the nor- mal Brussels residents who live ocumentary theatre is the trade- WOUTER HILLAERT • DE MORGEN • amongst the Eurocrats in the European D mark of the British actress Alecky 15 DECEMBER quarter.’ Blythe. She gained sudden popularity As well as a social portrait, I only came when she brought the longest act of kid- Blythe: ‘I always choose worlds with here for 6 months is also a collage of napping in recent British history to the which I'm not familiar myself, in order the engaging ‘euro-English’ that has stage with ‘Come out Eli’. With I only then to open these up for others. There taken on a form of its own among so came here for 6 months she has pro- has to be an element of surprise. All many nationalities. ‘Because it's duced her first performance outside you need is a good story. The rest is a copied so accurately on stage, you get Great Britain. In it, she paints the pic- question of editing. I always try to find not only a very funny effect, but also a ture of the Eurocrat who arrives in a good balance between the story that I story about how we communicate.’ Brussels and ends up staying longer myself want to tell and entertaining Life as it really is, in other words. than planned. Her technique is res- quotes.’ www.kvs.be olutely journalistic. Interviews in the Therefore in her interviews with Brus- street, in trains or in bars are edited lat- sels Eurocrats, Blythe did not set out to er, and in the meantime she devises a find out about their political experi- story line to go with them. The end ences, but rather aimed to discover the result is somewhere between theatre person behind the suit and tie. ‘I and stand-up-comedy. In London she mainly concentrated on their social won a Time Out Award for her accessi- contact, when they go and have a beer ble, unpretentious theatrical approach. when they finish work. Then you no- In ‘I only came here for 6 months’ she tice that there's a lot of loneliness, paints a social portrait of the Brussels combined with a strong feeling of Eurocrat (FF). homesickness. They shack up in their ■

focus on FLANDERS • 10 December - 16 December 2005 • Number 47 8 CULTURE

• 20 to 23 December: deFilharmonie with • Until 30 April: Pain, exhibition, Museum Dutch Chamber Choir, Anna Korondi, Ghuislain, Ghent; Diary soprano, Jan Kobow, tenor, conductor: www.museumghuislain.be Philippe Herreweghe, Weihnachtsoratori- • Until 26 February: The Trans-Siberian um by JS Bach; Carolus Borromeus Church, Express: fascinating facts about the route to Antwerp; info: www.defilharmonie.be Vladivostock, KMSKG, Cinquantenaire, MUSIC, DANCE, THEATRE • 31 December and 1 January: New Year Brussels; info: 02/742.72.11 • Until 31 December: Der Fliegende with Jacques Offenbach by the Orchestra • Until 8 January: Sabena, Air Nostalgie, Holländer by Richard Wagner, director: of the Opera conducted by Claire Gibault, Photo Museum, Antwerp; Guy Cassiers, De Munt, Brussels; mezzo-soprano: Delphine Haidan, Ghent info: www.fotomuseum.be 03/242.93.00 info: www.demunt.be 02/229 12 00 and Antwerp; info: www.vlaamseopera.be • Until 5 February: Europalia Russia: • Until 23 December: Semele by WF Haen- Katharina Prospekt, The Russians by the del, Opera in 3 acts, libretto after Meta- Fashion designer duo A.F Vandervorst, Fashion Museum, Antwerp www.momu.be morphoses by Ovidius, conductor: Michael EXPO Hofstetter, director: Robert Carsen, • Until 31 December: Rubens, Jordaens and Flanders Operahouse, Ghent; • From 5 February onwards: The memory of Van Dyck, Arentshuis, Bruges, info: www.vlaamseopera.be Congo, the colonial period, exhibition, info: www.brugge.be, 050/44.87.12 • 19, 20,21 and 22 December: Wim Van- Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren); • Until 29 January: Exhibition: Toys in girls’ dekeybus (dance) with Puur; De Singel, info: www.175-25.be hands, Toy museum, Mechelen, Antwerp; info: www.desingel.be • Until 31 December: Master pieces from info: 015/55.70.75 03/248.28.28 the Dutch treasure room, KMSK, Antwerp; www.speelgoedmuseum.be • 20 December: Akademie für Alte Musik info: www.kmsk.be Until 5 February: The Blue Rose – Berlin.Rias Kammerchor conducted by • Until 2008: Art at the Frontline 1914- Symbolism in Russia, Museum of Elsene; Daniel Reuss with Weihnachtsoratorium 1918, Royal Army and Military History info: 02/515.64.22 by JS Bach; De Singel, Antwerp; info: Museum, Brussels; info: 02 737 78 33 • Until 4 December: Information/Transfor- www.desingel.be 03/248.28.28 www.klm-mra.be mation, Extra City, Antwerp; • 20 December: The Russian Sirin Choir, • Until 31 December: Art nouveau and info: 0484/42.10.70 Bozar, Brussels; info: www.bozar.be Design 1830-1958, Royal Museum for Art • Until 31 December: Extravagant, redis- • 21 and 22 December: Vincent Dunoyer and History, Cinquantenaire, Brussels; covery of the Antwerp Mannerists; KMSK, and Vanity with Shortcuts: Cadavre info: 02/741.72.11 www.kmkg.be Antwerp; info: 03/238.78.09 Exquis, Kaaitheaterstudio’s, Brussels; • Until 23 December: The art nouveau www.museum.antwerpen.be/kmska info: www.kaaitheater.be 02/201 59 59 front as a complete work of art, Museum • Until 8 January: Something, exhibition, Zuiderpershuis, Antwerp; for Architecture, Brussels; Sixty anonymous photographs. Something info: www.zuiderpershuis.be info: 02/642.24.75 that turns up without being invited, Bozar, • 19 and 20 December: Georgian National • Until 31 December: Between Photo and Brussels; info: www.bozar.be Ballet, Concertgebouw, Bruges; www.con- Film, exhibition, KMKG, Cinquantenaire, • SMAK exhibitions: Until 8 January: Sergej certgebouw.be Brussels; info: www.kmkg.be Bratkov and Sven ‘t Jolle. Until 15 January: • 22 December: Capella Saint Petersburg Other Smak exhibitions: Giovanni Anselmo, Carsten Nicolaï and with choir, Fragments from Russian • Until 9 January: Panamarenko, retrospec- Rindfleisch/Rapedius, SMAK, Ghent, Operas, Concertgebouw, Bruges; www.con- tive, KMSK, Brussels; info: 02-508.32.11. www.smak.be (0)9 221 17 03 certgebouw.be www.fine-arts-museum.be • 17 December to 26 February: Intertidal, • 21 and 22 December: Swan Lake, 4 acts, • Until 18 December: Iconocity, exhibition Vancouver Art and Artists, exhibition, dance by Raimund Hoghe, Kaaitheater, by Aglaia Konrad, Photographic impres- MUHKA, Antwerp; info: www.muhka.be Brussels; info: www.kaaitheater.be sions of Peking, Kaïro, Chicago, Mexico • Until 31 December: the Rijksmuseum • 23 December: Collegium Instrumentale City, De Singel, Antwerp; comes to the Scheldt. masterpieces from Brugense and Capella Brugensis , Jubileum- info: www.desingel.be Holland’s most famous art museum, KMS- concert: Die Jahreszeiten by J. Haydn, Con- • Until 22 January: Avant-garde from Rus- KA, Antwerp; certgebouw, Bruges; sia 1900-1935, exhibition, Bozar, Brussels; info: www.museum.antwerpen.be/kmska www.concertgebouw.be info: www.bozar.be www.europalia.be • Until 31 December: The KMSKA hosts: Le • 21 and 23 December: A ceremony of car- 02/507.85.95 Tour de France, a journey through the ols by Benjamin Britten, Vaughn Williams • Until 22 January: From Tsar to Emperor: French art in its collections, KMSKA, and Elgar, Flanders Opera, Antwerp and 300 objects that illustrate the period of Antwerp; Ghent; info: www.vlaamseopera.be Russian history from Ivan the Terrible to info: www.museum.antwerpen.be/kmska • 26 and 27 December: The Nutcracker by Catherine the Great (1547-1796), Bozar, Pjotr Tchaikovski, Choreography Vassili Brussels; info: www.bozar.be Vajnonen performed by the Sint-Petersburg www.europalia.be 02/507.85.95 Ballet; Concertgebouw, Bruges; www.con- Send your email-adress to certgebouw.be [email protected] and recieve a password for www.focusonflanders.be

Editor in chief: Frank Vandecaveye •Translation: Eurologos • Advisory panel: Luc Demeester (Lannoo), Rik Van • Printing: Drukkerij Lannoo nv, Tielt Cauwelaert (director Knack), Wim Coessens (Man- • Responsible editor: aging director, De Morgen), Frans Crols (Director, Luc Demeester, Marke Trends), Jan Denaeyer (Information Officer, Focus on Flanders provides a weekly •48 issues Flemish Community), Mark Deweerdt (Journalist, overview of articles from the Flemish press • Subscription rate printed edition + 2 e-mail De Tijd), Michael Stabenow (Correspondent, editions + password to search the archive and appears in English, French and German. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), Luc Standaert (www.focusonflanders.be): 233 euro (Journalist, Belang van Limburg), Jan Van Doren This newsletter is published by Uitgeverij • Either transfer the sum to account no.: (Deputy Director, VOKA-VEV), Bernard Bulcke Lannoo nv, Kasteelstraat 97, 8700 Tielt 472-1010001-19 with the KBC in Roeselare (De Standaard) Or give us the number and expiry date of your cred- •With thanks to: Concentra nv, De Vlijt nv, de and can also be obtained by e-mail. The it card (Visa/Eurocard): Vlaamse Uitgeversmaatschappij nv, De Persgroep website www.focusonflanders.be contains Telephone: 051/42.42.99 nv, Uitgeversbedrijf Tijd nv and Roularta Media an electronic archive of published articles Fax: 051/40.11.52 Group nv and their editorial teams for supplying E-mail: [email protected] the articles.

focus on FLANDERS • 10 December - 16 December 2005 • Number 47