flandersfocus on THE DUTCH SPEAKING PART OF BELGIUM press review weekly, does not appear in July • number 1 • 7 January – 13 January 2005 Major diamond dealers step INTRODUCTION From 12 to 22 January the 84th Motor Show will be held at down from High Diamond Heizel in Brussels. Febiac, the federation of the motor industry and organiser of the show, Council expects as many as 750,000 visi- tors. On 11 January the official opening took place in the presence of Prince Filip and Premier Verhofstadt and a whole host of VIPs. While the Prince let himself be led from one impossibly fter the departure of Peter Meeus also not re-elected. Following the expensive racing car to the next, the Premier str- Aas Director-General of the changes the influence of the major dia- ressed in his speech the importance of environmen- tally friendly technology. Finance Minister Reynders Antwerp High Diamond Council, the mond firms in the Board of Directors was also able to announce an environmentally Council appears to be losing represen- has been significantly reduced (FF). friendly first. The EU Commission has allowed Bel- tativeness again. On 12 January, only a gium to cut the duty on biofuel. From 1 May ‘biodiesel’ will be available here, a cocktail of fossil few days after the resignation of Meeus, MARC BALLIEU • GAZET VAN ANTWERPEN • and biofuels, for the same price as ordinary diesel. Dilip Mehta, the Indian boss of 13 JANUARY Biodiesel will initially contain only 2.45% biofuel, but Antwerp’s biggest diamond firm Rosy from 2007 this quantity will be increased to 4.29%. That same year petrol containing bioethanol, the Blue, resigned as director. In an The two major players are now no environmentally friendly alternative for petrol cars, announcement Mehta said that major more and as a result Antwerp risks will also become available. players are clearly no longer welcome. dropping into the ‘third division’ as a That perhaps did not make much of an impression on those present. Just like road safety, environmental He is referring to the resistance of the diamond city. There have been rum- friendliness is not the first thing that interests the small diamond dealers to the predomi- blings for months in the High Dia- average potential buyer, according to a Febiac nance of the big firms, the sightholders. mond Council. The Board of Directors spokesman in De Standaard (12 January). The cus- tomer is interested in comfort, luxury and prestige Claim Pluczenik, the representative of includes representatives of dealers, in- and since the motor show is first and foremost a the international Pluczenik group, was dustry, diamond exchanges, banks, dia- showroom, these are also the most important sales mond producers and the government. arguments. Perhaps an even greater sales argument is price. In CONTENTS The representatives of the smaller that respect the car sector is beginning increasingly traders refused to allow major firms to resemble the textile sector, fears De Tijd (12 Janu- Politics such as Rosy Blue and the British De ary). The motor show month of January appears to be becoming the bargain month. European car man- A purple passion in the Federal Beers to try and determine the High ufacturers in particular are trying to get the better of Parliament 2 Council’s policy. That resulted in legal each other with special campaigns and super-dis- Fons Borgignon succeeds Rik Daems as action. The Association of Cut Dia- counts of 20% and more. In this way they are trying to buy a share of the market, but are actually bring- VLD parliamentary party leader 2 mond Dealers (Vereniging van Hande- ing the entire sector into difficulties, the paper laren in Geslepen Diamant, BVGD) claims. After all, the bargains are not unconditional. Economy, environment and budget policy mainly targeted Dilip Mehta. His ap- Shrinking margins are transferred to the supplier firms of the car manufacturers and to dealers. That Antwerp Diamond Council rudderless pointment as representative of the explains, for example, the loss of plastics supplier for after departure of Peter Meeus 3 dealers was not carried out correctly, car interiors Recticel in 2005 or the halving of the Household waste will no longer be they claimed. Mehta had enough and number of car dealers in recent years. De Tijd fears that car manufacturers themselves will be next. Then dumped 3 stepped down. The Indian accuses his there will be no choice but to follow the textile pro- Daily purchases give the impression fellow dealers of ‘closing their eyes to ducers to the low-wage countries. of a higher cost of living 4 the economic reality. The HRD risks Nonetheless, manufacturers should not complain about the interest from consumers. In spite of the Belgacom acquires 91% of Telindus 6 becoming an organisation that contin- growing traffic queues each year, the high fuel Federal budget is balanced again 6 ues to dream of yesterday. When the prices, the speeding cameras and the 30 zones near schools that spoil the pleasure of driving, Belgians do wind blows, some look for air-raid not appear moved to leave their cars at home. There Social Policy shelters, others build windmills.’ is a fascination with them against which fiscal incen- Dewael wants stricter application of law tives and free public transport are clearly no match. In a year when the government abolished the tax on aid to illegal immigrants 6 www.diamonds.be benefit for off-road vehicles by prohibiting them Van Velthoven wants quota for the from being registered as light goods vehicles, more recruitment of immigrants 6 than ever have been sold. The aura of the automobile appears unassailable and that also leaves its traces in the family budget. After the home, it still remains the Media and Mobility second biggest expense item. Record year for use of public transport 7 VRT boss Mary fuels media war 7 Frank Vandecaveye | editor in chief focus on FLANDERS • 7 January -13 January 2006 • Number 2 2 POLITICS FEDERAL PARLIAMENT his political ‘friends’. For a great many of his fellow party members, Daems' A purple passion in amorous escapades are a grateful rea- son to give him the coup de grâce. For parliament far too long Rik has remained the eter- nal political promise. Daems issued a press statement that he could no longer carry on in the der to fare better at the next poll. After given circumstances and at the same time withdrew as Parliamentary the municipal elections not much more Party Leader should be expected of the Federal Gov- ernment, which has to have the 2007 budget prepared by 10 October. On the or a whole week the rumours the new couple embodies the love of evening of 8 October the campaign for Fbuzzed about that Premier Verhofs- the Liberal and Socialist parties for each the 2007 elections will be kicked off. tadt (VLD) was looking for a top job for other and the reconciliation between his party's Parliamentary Party Leader the Flemish and Walloon Communi- ■ in the Federal Chamber, Rik Daems. ties. But De Tijd also regrets the ero- The directorship of the Federal Invest- sion of the rule that the private lives of ment Company and the Federal Partici- politicians are not reported in the Fons Borgignon suc- pation Company was mentioned. media (FF). Everyone was still in the dark regarding ceeds Rik Daems as the reason for this sudden change of Opinion VLD party leader in career. Had Daems had enough of poli- tics now he was no longer a minister? STEFAAN HUYSENTRUYT • DE TIJD • the Federal Until on 10 January Daems himself 11 JANUARY Parliament spoke openly of his failed marriage in the family magazine ‘Dag Allemaal’ There was an exception to the unwrit- and that same day Le Soir reported on ten rule: if the private life affected the FF EDITOR his new relationship with Walloon political actions of the man/woman in Socialist MP Sophie Pécriaux, and sev- question, it could be reported. In recent On 13 January, in the presence of Party eral hours later VTM added that she years the media have given an increas- Chairman Bart Somers, the VLD MPs was pregnant by him. At 5 o'clock ingly broad interpretation to this excep- appointed Fons Borgignon as their new Daems issued a press statement that he tion. Parliamentary Party Leader until the could no longer carry on in the given Once again the continued political end of the legislative period in 2007. circumstances and at the same time activity of Rik Daems is the official rea- Borgignon was the only candidate. withdrew as Parliamentary Party son for the ups and downs of the man's De Standaard (13 January) sees in Leader. VLD Chairman Bart Somers love life appearing in the media. But the Borgignon a consensus figure with ex- claims that at no time did his party real reason is the high entertainment perience who can bring about peace. apply any pressure and that it will con- value of the amorous escapades of the Fons Borgignon is Chairman of the Jus- tinue to respect Daems’ privacy. VLD man from Leuven. Newspapers, tice Committee and is respected as a Commentators have their own view. radio and TV stations are governed by well-grounded lawyer. De Standaard (11 january) claims that circulation, audience and viewing fig- Younger, more ambitious MPs such as in the end he was forced to resign ures. Juicy stories boost these figures. Bart Tommelein or Hilde Vautmans because he kept his closest entourage Information has evolved into infotain- were also tipped as successors in the guessing about the true facts right to ment; democracy has deteriorated into press, but that would have meant that the end.