flandersfocus on THE DUTCH SPEAKING PART OF BELGIUM press review weekly, does not appear in July • number 13 • 6 April – 12 April 2002 INTRODUCTION fla Moral philosophy in r la ndr u e s • s f u o c c he invasion by Israeli o u f s • o troops of Palestinian ar- n T n Catholic primary education r f e l eas and the accompanying a d n n d a l e f violence have also affected r f s u a • n 11 April Flemish Minister able. The CD&V had put forward f o s k u our country. In Brussels, Ofor Education Vanderpoorten a phasing-out scenario, whereby there is one pro-Palestinian (VLD) unveiled her Education De- children who already attended demonstration after the other. On 7 April as cree XIV. In principle it had al- moral philosophy classes at the many as 25,000 demonstrators took to the ready been approved by the Flem- time of the take-over could contin- streets. The demonstration passed off fairly peacefully. Quite unlike the demonstration ish government and is now moving ue to do so until they left the in Antwerp the previous Wednesday, which on to the Flemish Education Coun- school. That the party feels strong- mobilised some 2,000 to 3,000, mainly Mo- cil (Vlor) for its advice. In this de- ly about this is clear from its threat roccan, foreigners. After the demonstration cree the most striking item was the to leave the round-table confer- – for which the organiser, the Arabic-Euro- decision to no longer force munici- ence on education, in which par- pean League, had not even asked the City Council for permission – had been broken palities to organise primary educa- ties, schools, parents and teachers up, a hard core of youths decided to march tion. Municipalities can allow are addressing the reorganisation on the Jewish district. With the predictable their schools to be taken over by of Flemish education (FF). result: a massive pitched battle with the po- community or Catholic education lice and much vandalism and looting in the networks. But if the Catholic edu- KIM HERBOTS • DE MORGEN • 12 APRIL area around the station. That the demon- stration was nothing more than a pretext for cation network takes over a mu- a number of troublemakers and looters was nicipal school, it is obliged to con- CD&V education specialist Luc evident from the fact that even several tinue to offer the existing moral Martens is unhappy that Minister shops owned by Muslims were looted. Sev- philosophy lessons. For the Christ- Vanderpoorten refused to wait for enty-five hotheads were rounded up and ian Democratic CD&V the new the results of the round table on ed- Antwerp’s Public Prosecutor announced a ruling in the decree is unaccept- policy of zero tolerance. Antwerp City Coun- ucation and has already made a cil, but also several Muslim organisations, number of social choices in the Ed- among them the Federation of Moroccan CONTENTS ucation Decree. On Monday the Associations, were harsh in their condemna- CD&V bureau will debate whether tion of the disturbances. Antwerp’s Mayor, Economy to continue its participation in the Leona Detiège (SP.A), promptly increased Employers call running down of nu- round table. For Martens the Flem- the police presence in the Jewish district and around the city’s 20 or so synagogues ten- clear energy studpid 2 ish government is quietly busy fold. Detiège is also hoping to avoid new Biotechnology finds capital in switching from municipal educa- disturbances through intense dialogue with the US 2 tion to community education. He is the local Jewish and Muslim communities. CVC Capital takes over Massive 3 convinced that through the obliga- That this had to happen in of all places a city tion to continue to offer moral phi- such as Antwerp that is plagued by far-right extremism, does not make things any easier Politics losophy in municipal and provin- for her. Meanwhile, the Vlaams Blok again Majority parties in favour of non- cial schools after a take-over, take- found a reason to convene an extra meeting binding referendums 3 overs by free education are de facto of the municipal council. The Flemish press Language courses for ambassadors 4 precluded. Furthermore, the offi- was also unanimous in its condemnation of What about Flemish foreign policy 3 cial community schools may no the troublemakers. De Financieel-Economis- che Tijd warns that the boundary between The new VLD stragegy 4 longer make use of catholic educa- simple crime and ideologically inspired vio- Flemish budget control and tion syllabuses, which currently lence is sometimes rather vague and can re- sustainable investments 6 happens in many municipal sult in an explosive cocktail. De Standaard schools. Martens is angry with the points an accusatory finger at the organis- Social Policy Education Minister for taking this ers, who above all smashed in their own windows, those of the Palestinian cause. De Sabena pilots become desperate 6 option now without waiting for the Morgen, however, warns against continuing Onkelinx in favour of four-days- results of the round-table confer- to systematically ignore the social and polit- week 7 ence on education. ical complaints of the immigrant communi- ties out of fear of the Blok. Because then we Culture create the hate and crime we are claiming to be fighting, claims the paper. The art derby of the low countries in Ghent 7 I Frank Vandecaveye | editor in chief focus on FLANDERS • 6 April- 12 April 2002 • Number 13 2 economy NUCLEAR POWER by 25%. For the consumer, this translates to around 25.5 euros per VEV calls running down of person. With the extra costs, this could increase to 52.5 euros or 210 nuclear energy stupid euros per annum for a family of four. For VEV Managing Director ccording to the Flemish Em- supplied by nuclear power stations. Philippe Muyters the planned clo- Aployers' Association VEV, the At the same time, electricity con- sure is therefore evidence of an ill- detrimental effects of the running sumption in Belgium rose annually considered policy. down of nuclear energy from 2015 by 3.09% over the past ten years. In a reaction Olivier Deleuze (Eco- are enormous. The electricity bills The Flemish government also lo), Federal State Secretary for Ener- of businesses and individuals will wants to give each family 100 kWh gy, says that in future the average rise sharply. Belgium will have to free and obtain 5% of our energy electricity bill in Belgium will in import electricity in bulk, making from green current gradually by fact fall by 100 euros. Belgian elec- it less independent economically. 2010, mainly from wind turbines. tricity is one of the most expensive And last but not least: by switch- The energy from these is much in Europe. Here, bills are 20% high- ing to natural gas- or coal-fired more expensive and these costs will er than in other countries. ‘With power stations CO2 emissions will be passed on. In the Kyoto Protocol, deregulation, exactly the opposite double or triple. This means the Belgium undertook to gradually will happen of what the VEV is say- electricity will emit around half of limit its CO2 emissions. If classic ing. And if the VEV wants to be the the 129 million tonnes of CO2 al- gas- or coal-fired power stations are mouthpiece of the nuclear energy lowed by the Kyoto Protocol, says introduced, emissions will increase lobby, that's its affair,’ says the VEV (FF). and we will have to buy our ‘clean- Deleuze. air quota’ from poorer countries PAUL VERBRAEKEN • such as Russia, which will obvious- GAZET VAN ANTWERPEN • 11 APRIL ly also be reflected in electricity bills. According to the VEV, simply For the VEV it is all very clear. In closing the nuclear power stations 2000, 57.1% of our electricity was will push up the price of electricity I BIOTECHNOLOGY times in recent years, but at no time Biotechnology seeks and has the site in Ghent employed more researchers. And many for- finds capital in US mer PGS people are now spread throughout other biotech compa- nies, of which Ceres and CropDe- nly a few weeks after the take- companies was a problem here. The sign are the most conspicuous. Oover of the Mechelen biotech number of big Flemish multina- Their main competitors are proba- company Tibotec-Virco by the tionals is small. For the time being bly the internal departments of the American pharmaceuticals giant we must reconcile ourselves to the large German and American agro- Johnson&Johnson, the biotech fact that American rescue ships are chemical companies. On the other company Ceres from Malibu, Cali- the best solution once the money hand, these are also necessary al- fornia entered into a co-operation has run out. And yet the large num- lies. After all, interest from multi- agreement with the American ber of Flemings in plant biotechnol- nationals guarantees contracts and chemicals group Monsanto. Ceres ogy is a fact. In the US Ceres is valuable deals. This duality is pre- is a company with Flemish roots leader, in Europe it is CropDesign. cisely the raison d'être of the small and Flemish capital (KBC, GIMV) And let us not forget that - in terms biotech companies. that specialises in genetic research of employment - the former PGS in plants. It was established by has not been wiped off the map. Walter de Logi, a former employee PGS has changed owners several I of the Ghent biotechnology com- pany Plant Genetic Systems (PGS).