BxlConnect May 2014 by BxlConnect

THE 2014 EU ELECTIONS: ANALYSIS AND GUIDE

THE BELGIAN START-UP SCENE - INTERVIEW WITH SVEN DE CLEYN FROM IMINDS

ART DIVING WITH DENIS MAKSIMOV

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English - Speaking Resources, Contacts, Deals and Offers in Brussels

Piazza Schuman What YOU can do to help embellish the heart of Europe's capital

CONTENT Dear Readers, BxlConnect is a free monthly magazine and useful resource guide for the expat and English-speaking community in Brussels. In this month’s issue, Belgian Philosopher Philippe van Parijs discusses the possible revival of the Schuman roundabout and what could be done to this historical public space, a symbol at the heart of the European quarter that has been left uncared for. Additionally, we provide an analysis and guide to the Belgian and EU elections later this month. Both are held on Sunday the 25th on what has been named the “mother of all elections”. To the uninformed, Belgian citizens are by law required to vote or may be fined. It is worth remembering that there is no nation-wide voting. Flemish voters can only vote for Flemish politicians and Francophones for French-speaking ones. The 2014 EU elections for a new European Parliament is the biggest democratic exercise in the world (after India) whereby 400 million people can cast their vote. You can also find interesting articles and interviews with local and international artists, business people and politicians. We wish you a great month ahead. If you have any suggestions or feedback, we would be happy to hear from you on info@bxlconnect.com Kind Regards, The BxlConnect Team

PVP’s Monthly Column Piazza Schuman!

Art Diving With Denis Maksimov

Visit Brussels Awards 2014 – The Results

The 2014 EU Elections: Autoworld Museum – Welcome Home – A New Analysis and Guide Interview with Museum Film about Brussels in Director Sebastien De Transition Baere

Banksy’s Bites

Derek Blyth’s Hidden Secrets of Brussels

Belgian Football History

The Belgian Start-Up Scene - Interview with Sven De Cleynfrom iMinds

Snapshot of Current EU Affairs

The 2014 Belgian Elections

On the Cover “Piazza Schuman” by Elena Ivanova (artbrandink.com) Publisher BxlConnect sprl Rond Point Schuman - 6 - Schumanplein 1040 Etterbeek 02 234 63 17 info@bxlconnect.com

Taking off on a Mental Mini-Break

Editor Jonadav Apelblat (jonadav@bxlconnect.com) News Editor Martin Banks Contributing Editors Derek Blyth, Philippe Van Parijs, Denis Maksimov, Diana Goss, Bore Kedober and Melissa Rancourt

Interview with Comedian Lewis Black

Interview with Roby Lakatos, the Fastest Fingered Fiddler in the World

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X-Pat Makeover

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Design and Art Direction Marija Hajster Placing an Ad Please contact us on: info@bxlconnect.com for information about advertising opportunities. If you would like to publish a small classified ad, you may do so directly through our website: www.bxlconnect.com

Days out in Belgium

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PVP’S MONTHLY COLUMN Philippe Van Parijs is a philosopher and a Brusseler. He teaches at the Universities of Louvain, Oxford and Leuven.

PIAZZA SCHUMAN! What YOU can do to help embellish the heart of Europe’s capital

“How can you expect Europeans to love their Union and its capital if the public space that is meant to symbolise it is nothing but a sordid roundabout along a motorway?”

ow can you expect Europeans to love their Union and its capital if the public space that is meant to symbolise it is nothing but a sordid roundabout along a motorway? Back in February 2001, Romano Prodi, then President of the European Commission, suggested turning Rond-Point Schuman into “the European meeting point, the piazza of the continent, if you like. It should give Europeans a sense that they’re visiting the heart of Europe.”

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The Belgian authorities seemed to share his opinion. In November 2001, the first plan for the European Quarter was published at the initiative of Isabelle Durant, federal transport minister. It proposed that transit traffic should go through a tunnel under the roundabout. Two years later, deputy prime minister Laurette Onkelinx, declared in the federal Parliament: “I have asked my services to conduct studies in order to move the traffic underground under Avenue de Cortenbergh and

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“Make Schuman roundabout largely car-free and turn it into a genuine meeting place for the whole neighbourhood”

Rond-Point Schuman. Given the prospect of all European summits being organized in Brussels, a solution was indispensable.” Study after study took place, the neighbourhood committee expressed its support and the regional authorities confirmed theirs. Thus, in July 2010, Brigitte Grouwels, the Brussels Minister of public works expressed her determination to “make Schuman roundabout largely car-free and turn it into a genuine meeting place for the whole neighbourhood”. The office of the Minister-President even organized an international competition to reshape the surface of the roundabout, and a project was selected in November 2011. In January 2013, it was rumoured that Beliris, the federal service in charge, was finally on the verge of officially requesting a permit to construct a tunnel between the existing road tunnel and the prospective railway tunnel under the Avenue de Cortenbergh. But nothing happened. Why not? Apparently because of the prohibitive additional cost involved, due to a new European

directive on the safety of long road tunnels. Thirteen years after President Prodi’s exhortation, the miserable roundabout is no closer to becoming a piazza. Ten years after Minister Onkelinx’s declaration, the “indispensable” solution is still nowhere in sight. What can be done to overcome this impasse? Perhaps — if it would really do the trick, — find a cheaper alternative that would dispense with the new tunnel and make transit traffic go through Montgomery. In all events, the Brussels and federal governments must honour their commitments and allocate the resources needed. But it is also high time that the European Union should realize that it is now far more than an international organisation that happens to have located the bulk of its administration in Brussels, just as NATO did in Evere: it has now become a democratic political entity with a genuine capital. This gives the EU some rights over our city, but also some obligations, including that of contributing financially to the quality of the neighbourhood in which it has so massively settled.

“The European Union should realize that it is now far more than an international organisation that happens to have located the bulk of its administration in Brussels. It has now become a democratic political entity with a genuine capital. This gives the EU some rights over our city, but also some obligations, including that of contributing financially to the quality of the neighbourhood in which it has so massively settled.” 5

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PVP’S MONTHLY COLUMN

“Let us set up a “Piazza Schuman Fund”, to be fed by crowd-funding, today’s high-tech analogue of yesterday’s public subscriptions.”

By way of stimulation and support for what needs to be done top-down, a bottom-up initiative is no less appropriate. One century ago, affluent Brusselers did not pay high taxes. It is nonetheless to their contribution — in the form of voluntary “public subscriptions” — that Brussels owes the embellishment of many of its public spaces, for example through the erection of monumental fountains. Affluent citizens did not mind giving up a small part of their private consumption in order to create public spaces that they could enjoy and take pride in. Today, a growing proportion of Brusselers — EU civil servants, diplomats and many others — find themselves in a situation comparable to that of the Brussels notables of a century ago: they are affluent enough but pay little or no income tax to the local authorities. I know quite a few of them who do not feel entirely comfortable about this. They may therefore welcome the following suggestion. Let us set up a “Piazza Schuman Fund”, to be fed by crowd-funding, today’s high-tech analogue of yesterday’s public subscriptions. This would enable European Brusselers to contribute directly to the qualitative improvement of Europe’s capital. It would also be a tangible message from Brussels’ European citizens to the regional, federal and European authorities: please urgently do whatever is needed to ensure that this spot, which

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is constantly appearing on millions of TV screens, can generate more affection than repulsion. Who wants to take such an initiative? Who has ideas for improving it and making it happen? Who wants to simply come along and dream with others about what Schuman and its surroundings could become? Perhaps a handful of enthusiastic European Brusselers tired of living in their bubble? Perhaps some candidates for the regional, federal or European elections of 25 May? Perhaps yourself? If this is the case, I suggest we meet on Saturday 17 May around 12.30 on Rond-Point Schuman, where a “fête du pain” will be taking place on the occasion of the open day of the European institutions. Whether with or without rain (4.4% of the time in May), I shall be there with an orange cape, in recollection of William of Orange, arguably the greatest Brusseler of all times. His motto is alleged to have been: “There is no need for hope in order to undertake, nor for success in order to persevere.” Reactions and suggestions are welcome at piazzaschuman@bxlconnect.com There is a petition at www.bxlconnect.com/ piazzaschuman for anyone who would like to express their support for this initiative.

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The Museum of Broken Relationships

The exhibition in Brussels From

16 | 06 | 2014

Turn it into a piece of art until 18 | 05 ! More info

www.brokenships.com

Red wig July 2007 – March 2008 Along with clothing and CDs I’d left at her apartment, my ex-girlfriend sent me this wig I had never seen before...

Broken Relationships - Annonce Agenda 185x127mm-V04.indd 1

LIFE NOT DEATH Performing at Le Bouche à Oreille - Rue Félix Hap, 11 1040 Bruxelles T : +32 2 742 29 21 - info@ bao.be - www.bao.be On 27 May at 9pm With: Thierry MATHELIN: Performer Claudio DOS SANTOS: Actor Mira HELMER: Actress Caroline DUJARDIN: Actress Nganji LAEH: Camera Catherine SERMET: Author Bruno MARIANI: Photo Created by: Catherine Sermet & Thierry Mathelin

Have you ever had your heart broken ? Do you own an object that won’t let you forget ?

02/04/14 10:24

"Life Not Death" Because the end of the world is inevitable? During one hour we create the silent place to hear the voice who says. Life on Mars? From Sibelius to Pharcyde, The principal character is a "frozen Sea Urchin". Sometimes he is on the road, Around the stage, a video wall, voices. A resolutely optimistic experience.

ART DIVING

Brussels

Denis is a creative polymath, political expert and contemporary art critic, working in Brussels, Berlin and Moscow. He was born in Russia and resides most of the time in Brussels. His website - www. denismaksimov.com

WHAT TO SEE?

Art Diving with Denis Maksimov Aesthetics & Politics / May 2014 Welcome to the third edition of Bxlconnect’s section ‘Art Diving’, devoted to art and interdisciplinarity: a composition that is crucial for intellectual reflection and enlightenment. This month’s issue discusses the phenomenon of aesthetics as part of philosophical and political discourse. The central problem of aesthetics, a definition of beauty, has influenced other branches of philosophy significantly. No doubt, the ’aesthetic angle’ is one of the key dimensions that shape our zeitgeist. The essay ‘Politicisation of Aesthetics / Aestheticisation of Politics’ explores the problematics of the essence of beauty and political power. For feedback, ideas for projects or offers of collaboration, please write to me via denis@bxlconnect.com.

Andrew Crane is back: ‘Shades of Grey’ and book launch at Gallery151 // runs from April 10 to June 10 Mon - Sat, 12 pm - 7 pm @ Chaussee de Wavre, 151 free entrance London-based abstract painter Andrew Crane is back in Brussels’ Gallery151 with new paintings in the framework of the show ‘Shades of Grey’. Crane’s oeuvre has a consistent style of draft-like

Have a good May, Denis

chalkboard exercises of the melancholic state of mind. The viewer is invited to interpret the works in his or her own way. Freedom of the emotional reflection provides a space for the spectator: there is no imposed meaning or pushed-through idea. The melancholy of a free and engaging mind makes the work of Crane accessible and inspiring in a democratic fashion, leaving aside all potential suspicions of traditional abstract art elitism. Don’t miss the launch of the painter’s new book, put together in cooperation with the gallery - ‘Un-knowing’. You are more than welcome to attend the book launch on Friday, May 23, starting at 18:00.

Images: courtesy of Gallery151

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The Penthouse by Harlan Levey Projects // runs from April 26 For info on opening hours and the program, please visit www.hl-projects.com @ Hotel Bloom!, Rue Royale 250 free entrance

The Penthouse offers art aficionados more than a usual exposition: the 2-floor space presents conceptual art works and performances. In the framework of Art Brussels (which will be extensively covered in the next issue of BxlConnect alongside analysis of Art Paris and Art Cologne), The Penthouse project presents works of Marcin Dudek, Steven Schepens, Sanam Khatibi, Michel Lorand and

other contemporary artists, including the ‘Dying Breed’ performance of Petr Davydtchenko. The space offers a beautiful view as well: the geometry of the Brussels Botanic garden can be examined from the cosy terrace. The Penthouse will soon have a lineup of the event for the upcoming year - stay tuned.

Images: by Denis Maksimov at Penthouse by Harlan Levey Project

Visual Report: Art Cologne 2014 // 48th edition of the fair, April 10-13 @ Messeplatz 1, Köln, Germany 48th edition of Art Cologne overwhelmed spectators with contemporary conceptualism and abstractionism.

Images: by Denis Maksimov at Art Cologne, follow @denismaksimov on Instagram for live art updates.

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Visual report: Art Paris 2014 // March 27-30 @Grand Palais, Paris, France

Chinese contemporary art occupied almost a half of the exhibition space in Grand Palais this year. The curators paid a great homage to an extensively growing art market. Liu Bolin, Chinese artist whose fame comes from striking photos of him dissolving as a chameleon on the colorful background, was honored as special guest of the fair.

Images: by Denis Maksimov at Art Paris, follow @denismaksimov on Instagram for live art updates.

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ART DIVING ESSAY

Politicisation

of Aesthetics

Aestheticisation of politics by Denis Maksimov

In the 1930s, one of the core Frankfurt School members

Art and politics are profoundly connected. Politics can be

Walter Benjamin introduced the idea of “politisation of

called “art” in relation to its main research question and

aesthetics”, the notion of the impossibility to separate art

the remaining biggest mystery - the phenomenon of pow-

and beauty from ideology. He also contemplated on “aes-

er. Beauty is in the center of the concept of aesthetics. It

theticisation of politics”, a situation when life is regarded

can certainly be described as a form of a power.

as a work of art and politics as an art practice. It was a decade that saw the rise of fascist regimes, culminating in its ugliest form with the Nazis in Germany. All kinds of inclinations from the strict ideological standard on what

Niccolo Machiavelli, the father of political consultancy, was probably the first author to elaborate the idea of politics as an artistic endeavour.

is beautiful was labelled as “degenerative”. The idea of art

Renaissance (in a broad, not strictly tied to any historic

as “political” was then taken towards a very negative limit

period sense of the world) men are the initial social group

and art was regarded as a mere propaganda and mechan-

which institutionalised the link between politics and art

ical part of engineering of the ideology.

through established studying practices in the universities.

ART DIVING ESSAY

Since its official birth as

Louis XIV had institutionalised symbiotic connections

an independent discipline

between art and political power via the foundation of the

in the 19th century, “Polit-

French Royal Academy of Arts. In times when the Church

ical Science” is nested in

had started to lose its grip on society and was hampered

the family of “humanities

by Reformation, the Sun King set the standard for the ap-

and arts”.

proach of the Western civilisation. He gave a standard of

Egyptian pharaophs, Persian kings, Roman emperors as well as other dictators and rulers long before them were practically using forms of art as a tool to communicate dominance. The same was made by religion through the concept of the divine power. Biblical canons and icons would have to carry only a limited set of meanings and messages, strictly encoded in the holy books. The power was then shared

“aesthetic” from a perspective of glorifying the one who possesses the political power. The idealistic approach, rooted in the philosophy of Plato’s eidoses (reflection in our copycat world), was therefore challenged from a very utilitarian perspective. Numerous portraits of Louis and the biggest monument to his glory - Versailles - are the textbook examples.

among political, military and religious chiefs (sometimes

Art was put on institutional service to the political regimes.

being the same person), with a primary focus on the latter

Official art academies were established almost in all major

as the concept of divine, aesthetic and beautiful being inter-

capitals of Europe, setting the universal canons and plac-

connected. God was the only true eternally lasting beauty,

ing political duty symbols and classic subjects from an-

and holy was synonymous to beautiful.

cient Greek and Roman cultures. Channeling dominance

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and aristocratic authority became the primary functions of the academies. Another example of the interconnectivity between art and politics is the usage of art by global powers in the 20th century. Research and Development Corporation (RAND), the leading strategic think tank in the US during the Cold War, and the Central Intelligence Agency of the USA (CIA) used American abstract expressionism to fight Communist ideology in the 1950s and 1960s. Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko were perhaps not aware why CIA worked very hard to promote their works abroad. Abstract expressionism as a style of free-thinking “land of the free and home of the brave” was presented in contrast with the rigid “social realism” of the Soviet Union. It was proving the point of a flourishing creativity in the US in comparison with a dry and “kitschy” culture in the Soviet Union. Interdependence of political history and art history is explicitly evident - art, like a mirror, reflects the political modernity. Political freedom is reflected in the artistic freedom. Bourgeois revolutions in England and Holland brought the first wave of democratisation in art: Dutch schools of still life, landscape painting and mass scenery broke the standards at the time. Humanism of the Italian Renaissance resulted in works of art by geniuses such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Romanticism and realism undermined the French Academy after the French

Revolution, alongside with the idea of impersonification of power. These are just a few examples, the list is as long as the storyline of humanity. There are many angles in the analysis of the connection between aesthetics and politics. Can political propaganda be artistic? To what extent does Joseph Nye’s concept of “soft power” involve the idea of beauty? Is neutral art without reference to any political landscape possible at all? How does the exhibition space, created by the work of both the artist and curator, become a platform for political discourse? The research will go on as long as the political animal walks the Earth.

Pollock, Jackson - "One: Number 31", 1950

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ARTICLE

VISIT BRUSSELS Awards 2014 – The Results The VISIT BRUSSELS Awards ceremony recognizes and rewards the very best tourism initiatives in Brussels. The goal remains the same: each winning activity must significantly improve the quality of welcome we give to visitors and thereby contribute to the international reputation of our destination. The recently announced 2014 award winners for each category are:

New concept in town Brussels Light Festival From the 31st of October to the 3rd of November 2013, the canal district in Brussels hosted the first edition of the Brussels Light Festival, a free light show. The public discovered original light installations, outstanding performances and a real winter barbecue. The Brussels Light Festival proved to be a draw for people from Brussels and further afield and offered a truly international show of light.

Evening experience Museum Night Fever 2013 Museum Night Fever is the major annual event of Brussels’ museums. During this festive night, around 20 museums open their doors between 7pm and 1am. In 2013, 23 museums participated and a fantastic "extramural" program brought the various institutions and their surroundings to life.

Most noted exhibition Kandinsky & Russia The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium devoted a major exhibition to the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, the father of abstract art. More than 150 works from several major museums in Russia plunged

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the visitor into the period 19011922, two critical decades in the artist’s career. The exhibition set out to get across the Russian context behind the artistic upheaval embodied by the creation of the first abstract work.

International event Europalia. India For its 24th edition, Europalia International showcased the cultural riches of India. Over 200 cultural institutions exposed visitors to Indian artists and Indian works of art. Over a four-month space of time, dancers, musicians, authors, writers and directors, as well as Indian cuisine and Indian art imbued Brussels with the flavours of India.

Best gastronomic concept Les Filles "Les Filles” is a culinary concept combining different activities that aim to tantalise your tastebuds (with traditional, sustainable and/or organic produce) in a great setting.

New event location Palais 12 The creation of Palais 12 is part of the NEO project that sets out to turn the Heysel plateau into a modern, multi-

functional district. For over 30 years, the music and event scene was calling out for a large capacity venue in Brussels. A former hall of the Brussels Expo, Palais 12, redeveloped into a concert hall and events venue, finally comes up with a response to this request. With a modular layout (from 2,500 to 18,000 seats), it can host a whole range of shows and events and its acoustic quality has already been confirmed by many artists and industry professionals.

Hotel newcomer Funkey Hotel This hotel is located in Schaerbeek in a building dating from the early 20th century, and already has a long history behind it. Based on the theme of childhood and play, the address is somewhere between a hotel, a youth hostel and a guesthouse.

International congress 14th European AIDS Conference The scientific program of the European AIDS conference consisted of plenaries and sessions focused on the latest medical research in the field of HIV. More than 800 abstracts from over 70 countries were submitted and roughly 3,300 delegates attended the conference.

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GROUP S

Creation of enterprises Payroll provider Social Fund for the self employed Legal assistance

HIRING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN BELGIUM : BENEFIT FROM REDUCTIONS IN SOCIAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTIONS ! Associations, companies and self-employed employing workers in Belgium can enjoy reductions in social security contributions for the first 5 workers. 1 st hiring

2nd hiring

3rd, 4th and 5th hirings

1,500 € for the first 5 quarters

1,000 € for the first 5 quarters

1,000 € for the next 4 quarters

400 € for the last 8 quarters

400 € for the last 4 quarters

If you would like to find out more about this reduction or other ways to reduce your labour costs, contact us Group S – International Department Tel: + 32 (0) 2 507 18 81 Email: international@groups.be www.groups.be

HUGUES THIBAUT, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS MANAGER

ARTICLE

The 2014 EU Elections: Analysis and Guide By Martin Banks

“It is the second biggest democratic exercise in the world (after India), 400 million people can cast their vote for a new European Parliament”

he countdown has started. . . there are just weeks to go until the first polling stations open for the 2014 European elections. In the second biggest democratic exercise in the world (after India), 400 million people can cast their vote for a new European Parliament. The 751 MEPs taking up their seats in July will not only set the course of European policies for the next five years but also elect the leader of the EU’s executive body, the European Commission President. The Parliament insists that the 2014 elections in May are different. But why? Well, the increase in the Parliament’s powers since 2009 has finally started to make itself felt as the European Union sought to pull through the economic crisis and MEPs drew up legislation, such as on effective budgetary discipline, the winding down of failing banks and caps on bankers’ bonuses. The Parliament says the elections will therefore allow voters to contribute to strengthening or changing the di-

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rection that Europe takes in tackling the economic crisis and in many other issues affecting people’s daily lives. Another key difference from past elections is that, for the first time, the composition of the new Parliament may determine who leads the next European Commission, the EU’s executive body, which initiates legislation and supervises its implementation. Under the new rules, EU government leaders, who will propose a candidate for the post of the future Commission President, must do so on the basis of the election results. The Parliament will elect the new Commission boss by a majority of the component members, meaning at least half of the 751 MEPs to be elected (376). European political parties have already put forward their can-

“The elections will allow voters to contribute to strengthening or changing the direction that Europe takes in tackling the economic crisis and in many other issues affecting people’s daily lives”

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didates for this leading position in the EU before the elections, thus allowing citizens to have a say over next Commission chief.

MEPs between 22 and 25 May (the exact date to be decided by Irish Government).

The Parliament insists that the leader of the political group that wins the most seats in the May 22-25 direct elections in the 28 member states should be chosen to lead the executive Commission.

Parliament has produced an infographic (http://www.elections2014. eu/en/news-room/infographics) where you will find an overview of key facts for each country.

However, this remains slightly unclear as the EU treaty says it is up to the European Council of national leaders to nominate a candidate taking account of the elections and after holding consultations. What is clear, though, is that the new political majority emerging from the elections will shape European legislation over the next five years in areas from the single market to civil liberties. The Parliament - the only directly elected EU institution - sees itself as a linchpin of the European decision-making system and has an equal say with national governments on virtually all EU laws. Voters, it argues, will be more influential than ever. Each member state has its own electoral laws and each one decides on what day its citizens will go to the polls during the four-day election period from 22 to 25 May. For example, British voters will turn out on 22 May to elect their 73 MEPs. Irish voters will choose their 11

The results from all 28 states will be announced on the evening of Sunday 25 May.

"As the European Union seeks to pull through the economic crisis and EU leaders reflect on what direction to take in future, these are the most important European elections to date.”

There have been 766 Members of the European Parliament since Croatia joined the EU in July 2013 but this number is being scaled down at the 2014 elections to 751 and will stay at that level in future. These MEPs will represent over 500 million citizens in 28 member states. The seats are allocated among the various states, by the EU treaties, on the basis of ‘degressive proportionality’, meaning countries with larger populations have more seats than smaller ones but the latter have more seats than strict proportionality would imply. One Brussels based EU insider said, “As the European Union seeks to pull through the economic crisis and EU leaders reflect on what direction to take in future, these are the most important European elections to date.” “They not only allow voters to pass judgment on EU leaders’ efforts to tackle the Eurozone crisis and to express their views on plans for closer economic and political integration; they are also the first elections since the Lisbon Treaty of 2009 gave the European Parliament a number of important new powers.” Of the 13 European political parties, five have nominated a candidate to succeed the current Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

ARTICLE tally on the same basis put UKIP and Labour neck-andneck to win. Farage, whose anti-European Union party has never won a seat in the U.K. Parliament, is capitalizing on the success of his recent TV performance in two broadcast debates against Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg. That momentum risks bruising Cameron in the EU and local council elections, which consistently attract lower turnouts than general elections. The next one of those is a year away.

The centre-right party, The European People’s Party (EPP) has nominated Jean-Claude Juncker, former Luxembourg prime minister and former Eurogroup president. The social-democratic party, The Party of European Socialists (PES) candidate is Martin Schulz, current president of the European Parliament. The Liberals and Democrats have opted for Guy Verhofstadt, former Belgian prime minister and current Liberal group leader in the EP. The Greens have nominated a duo of current MEPs, French José Bové and German Ska Keller, while the European Left have put forward Alexis Tsipras, leader of the Greek SYRIZA party. Opinion on the elections, of course, varies from one member state to another. In considering whether they are important, Robert Stadler, the publisher of the Griechenland-Zeitung, a Greek newspaper, is cautiously optimistic. He said, “The EU elections in May will be an important test of opinion regarding Greece’s reform and austerity policies. The elections for the EU Parliament are only important because one can test and get an idea of the domestic balance of power. The opposition radical left wants to convert the elections into a referendum. It’s possible that if there’s a positive result for the left, they could increase the pressure for early elections. But the government will try to interpret it totally different. They will say that European elections are European elections and not elections for the national parliament. There will certainly be a radicalization of the political rhetoric as the elections approach. At the moment, it looks like there are two different political poles.” In the UK, polls show that prime minister David Cameron remains in third place as the UK Independence Party erodes his support. Among people certain to cast ballots, the party led by Nigel Farage had the backing of 34 percent, compared with 27 percent for Labour and 20 percent for the prime minister’s Tories, according to a YouGov Plc (YOU) poll in the Sunday Times. A ComRes

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In Belgium, meanwhile, thoughts have turned to other issues affecting a group often overlooked at election time... the disabled. An initiative has been launched that wants to break down the barriers that still exist between the right to vote and people with disabilities. Belgium not only chooses the members of the European Parliament, but also for the general election. For this reason, the Socialist Association for People with Disabilities (ASPH) has created a website www.levotepourtous.be that offers information to both professionals and individuals with disabilities. There one can find answers to several questions: Belgium, how does it work? The European Union, what is it exactly? Can you fill out a ballot sheet? A survey shows that 22% of respondents with disabilities had difficulty to vote, while 31% claimed to have had trouble in understanding the instructions for voting. As ever, the focus will be on turnout for these elections: In 1979, nearly 63 percent of voters in the bloc cast ballots. In 2009 only around 43 percent voted in a much-enlarged EU with many more countries. Political scientist Robert Verkamp finds that trend worrying. What he’s most concerned about is not whether one in four or five citizens stay at home come election day; Germany’s voter turnout is still relatively good compared to other countries in Europe or worldwide. What he sees as a big problem is that there is a certain group of people who don’t cast their vote at all anymore. “The non-voters we’re dealing with are people who have quit active participation in democracy for good,” he explained.

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French MEPs expect a record abstention rate in the country’s local elections to be repeated in the forthcoming elections for the European parliament, which could result in significant gains for the extreme-right Front National. It is a story that is likely to be repeated elsewhere not least in the UK where voting in Euro elections falls to as low as 20 per cent... two in ten of the electorate. So, looking beyond the election, what policies will the EU pursue over the next five years? How will it spend taxpayers’ money? Answers to these questions will depend on the balance of power in the European Parliament and the individual chosen to lead the next Commission. In drafting their manifestos, the European political parties have each emphasised further stabilisation of financial systems, particularly in the euro area, the need

elections to the parliament *takeDirect place every five years and have been held since 1979. The May vote will elect representatives to the 20142019 parliament. Turnout has fallen at every election *since 1979, dropping to 43 percent in 2009, despite four countries - Greece, Cyprus, Belgium and Luxembourg having compulsory voting.

to boost Europe’s competitiveness in a global economy and measures to stimulate job creation are set to remain high on the agenda for a few more years.

Consumer protection and environmental issues are also likely to require the attention of the Parliament, as will the trade and investment agreement with the US, that the new parliament will have to either adopt or reject. The EU budget will equally figure prominently because the new intake of MEPs will have to review the long-term budget for 2014-2021, looking at its size, the way it is funded and what it is spent on.

Britain and Italy 73 and the smallest countries - Cyprus, Malta, Estonia and Luxembourg - just 6 seats each.

the election results in making their nomination, and the Parliament must approve it by a majority.

The European Parliament meets The process suggests that which*in two locations, Brussels and Stras- * ever party group comes out on top bourg in France. Full sittings of the parliament take place on average once a month in Strasbourg.

EU member states use different *voting procedures for the elections,

in the elections will have the strongest claim to having their candidate become the Commission president, a powerful job overseeing legislation affecting the entire EU. of the European Parlia*mentMembers can participate in to the discus-

although most use some form of proportional representation, which means small parties that may not have a large presence nationally can sometimes win seats in Europe.

sions and debates (i.e. speak, listen, read and write) in any of the EU’s 24 official languages.

year’s election is expected to * Under the Lisbon treaty, the Par*seeThis a rise in support for parties on liament has the power of co-decision, the far-left and far-right, partly in reaction to the economic crisis in Europe. Low turnout also tends to give greater influence to non-mainstream parties.

meaning its approval is required to bring into force almost all EU legislation. As a result, the Parliament has a major say in everything from trade policy to financial regulation.

After May’s elections, EU leaders will propose a candidate to be the next Commission president. Under EU rules, they must take into account

The number of parliamentary seats assigned to each member state is based on population, so Germany gets the most seats (96), France 74,

“The non-voters we’re dealing with are people who have quit active participation in democracy for good … in the UK, voting in Euro elections falls to as low as 20 per cent... two in ten of the electorate”

are five major political blocs *in There the current parliament, grouping MEPs from several countries under one banner. The largest is the EPP, followed by the Socialists and Democrats, the Liberals, the Greens and the European Left. a bloc, parties must have *wonToatform least 25 seats across at least 7 countries. Creating a bloc gives parties greater influence in parliamentary debates and in committees.

INTERVIEW

Autoworld Automobile Museum

Interview with Museum Director

Sebastien De Baere By Bore Kedober

Sébastien de Baere Museum Director at Autoworld since Jan 2011 When was the museum set up? THE AUTOWORLD AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM IS LOCATED IN PARC DU CINQUANTENAIRE IN BRUSSELS AND WITH OVER 250 AUTOMOBILES ON DISPLAY, AUTOWORLD TAKES THE VISITORS THROUGH AN IMPRESSIVE JOURNEY OF THE VARIOUS STAGES IN AUTOMOBILE HISTORY. WE MET WITH THE MUSEUM DIRECTOR SEBASTIEN DE BAERE IN ORDER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM, ITS CURRENT EXHIBITIONS AND FUTURE PLANS.

The building which we are housed in dates back to 1880. It was 50 years after the declaration of independence of Belgium, hence the name “Parc du Cinquantenaire” – (Fifty year anniversary). As a young nation, full of pride, Leopold the II took inspiration from the Arc de Triomphe and the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris and wanted to erect similar avenues here in Brussels. The building that we are housed in was initially used for large events and world fairs. In 1902, the first Belgian motor show exhibition was showcased here. In 1986, Autoworld as we know it today was created.

How many visitors do you receive per year? Last year a record number of 140 000 visitors came to our Museum. About 40% of them are tourists and the rest from Belgium with a large amount of expats living in Brussels frequently visiting us. With over 50 car brands from different countries and each with their own history, the cars have a special place in the hearts of the visitors and we often find strong emotional connections to the various models and brands. We are proud to be a private museum and do not receive any subsidies from the government. This means we can be independent, make fast decisions and be in touch with the interests of the visitors in order to stay modern and current. We show the evolution of the automobile history and feature each month a new temporary exhibition on themes from different eras and brands. This means that our visitors regularly come back to us as there is always something new to see. Each two years we hold a major temporary exhibition. The last one was on the history of Porche. It attracted 56 000 visitors in 6 weeks.

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Do you own the cars or rent them? We have a special agreement with the Mahy collection which includes over 950 different automobile vehicles. Ghislain Mahy was a prominent Belgian automobile industrialist and here at Autoworld we exhibit approximately 200 vehicles from his collection.

a leading industrial automobile manufacturer. We had over 200 different car brands and we are proud of this heritage and contribution to the automobile industry. The new permanent zone will show the history and evolution of many of these Belgian brands.

a strong indicator that electrical cars will become more and more commercialized in the coming years.

What does the future hold for the automobile industry? I believe that the industry has accepted the challenge to change and to be more sustainable. It is evident when you look at the marketing campaigns. No longer do you hear about the horse powers but on CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.

Tell us a bit about your next exhibition. The next temporary exhibition will be on Maserati and a celebration of 100 years since the first Maserati was produced. We will bring over 40 Maseratis to the museum and it promises to be special. We are also opening a new permanent zone dedicated to the Belgian automobile industry, its past, present and future. After WW2, Belgium was

The automobile industry is one of the biggest industries in the world and there are many stakeholders involved, not least from the big oil companies. However, I think we are in a transition period in the point of history towards the electrical car of tomorrow. Almost every car brand now has some hybrid car in their models. Ferrari and Porche have created hybrid â&#x20AC;&#x153;supercarsâ&#x20AC;? and overall we see more electrical cars being tested on the racing tracks. The fact that we are seeing so much hybrid R&D investment in the racing cars is

Practical Info Autoworld Jubelpark 11 1000 Brussel Tel: +32 2 736.41.65 www.autoworld.be Opening hours: From 01.04 to 30.09: 10:00 > 18:00 From 01.10 to 31.03: 10:00 > 17:00 Weekend 10:00 > 18:00

INTERVIEW

NEW FILM

ABOUT

Tom was born in Gent and studied film art in Brussels which he has made his home city since more than 20 years. After finishing his studies he became engaged in audiovisual art, installations and film management. He always dreamt about directing his own films.

Our interview took place at a nice bar at Parvis de Saint Gilles which is a good example of the positive changes which have taken place in Brussels. About 1, 5 years ago this small street became pedestrian and its many bars attract a lot of young people from the trendy neighborhood.

We started talking generally about feminism. Tom grew up in a family with many siblings and a mother whom he describes as a feminist champion in a conservative environment and this has obviously influenced him.

“I love Brussels,” Tom says, but judging by his film it looks more like a love-hate relation. When he moved from Gent to Brussels, he almost received a cultural chock but since then he has learned to like and appreciate the city like many other new-comers and expats. In his view Gent is a nice and homogeneous

“Welcome home” is his first fictional feature film which he has written

BRUSSELS IN TRANSITION “His film shows an almost brutal transformation of Brussels”

Welcome Home is a promising film debut about Brussels and the people living there. After having been selected in 2012 for first feature competitions at international film festivals in Venice and Montreal, it was recently screened in Brussels. BxlConnect met the film director Tom Heene to discuss his film.

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and directed. Without disclosing too much of the content for new spectators, the film takes place during one long day in Brussels and is made up of three inter-linked parts. The film was positively received at the film festivals which shows that you don’t necessarily need to recognize the street scenes from Brussels to appreciate it. The film can be understood as a film about a city in search of its identity like the female main character, Lila, is doing. The fact that the film is open to interpretations makes it a fascinating debut film.

city, while Brussels is diverse and multi-cultural. But his film shows an almost brutal transformation of Brussels or so it at least appears to the foreign visitor in the film who makes a brief stop in the city to look for the house where he lived as a student 40 years earlier. Many buildings in the “European quarter” have been torn down and replaced by new buildings or squares. Despite the changes, the returning visitor manages to find his way in Brussels, partly thanks to his guide Lila who volunteers on

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the airbus from Zaventem to show him around. BxlConnect has already published articles about Brussels as a city where the inhabitants speak three main languages, French, Flemish and English. Tom’s film is a good example of this since the actors make use of all three languages. “It would be more correct to describe Brussels as multi-lingual,” Tom says. “You hear a lot of different languages in the streets.” At home he speaks French and Flemish with his wife and little son. While French still dominates in Brussels, followed by Flemish, English has strengthened its position, he explains. He was himself positively surprised to hear traffic information in all three languages. Although originally planned as one long film, it’s based on three separate short films which were filmed during the same period, with the same crew and with Lila performing in all three parts. The film was supported by the Francophone and Flemish cultural depart-

ments in Brussels in what appears to be a joint cultural project. “It’s almost impossible for an unknown director to get funding for a feature film,” Tom explains. “By dividing the film, we could apply for funding for each part from different sources.”

fight,”Tom says. “Does Lila want to separate from Benjamin and live on her own because she doesn’t love him any longer or is independence and individualism more important to her than love? It’s up to the spectator to judge. Some love Lila – others hate her.”

Not that there was that much funding. The film was made on a low budget and must be considered as a risky enterprise which required a lot of enthusiasm by Tom and his crew.

Lila accidentally meets a group of young people who work for the European Commission as stagiares and newly employed. The group is on their way to a party. Again, Tom’s characterization of them is likely to evoke strong feelings:

For Tom, the architectural changes in Brussels are for the better but this isn’t the only aspect of Brussels Tom wants to show us. Later on in the film, a two-fold drama develops with Lila in the center which shows a colder side of Brussels. After a stay abroad, Lila returns to her former boyfriend, Benjamin. This part of the film is likely to evoke strong feelings among the spectators. Is Lila the female hero of the film? Compared to the boyfriend, she values her independence and doesn’t appear as very emotional. “The film describes a post-feminist

“I have met all types of people in Brussels so in the film I wanted to describe different attitudes ranging from aggressiveness to compassion. I also chose ordinary people. They happen to find themselves in a difficult situation of their own making and the question is how they are coping with it.” Tom’s first film is a film on dualism in more than one way. He has now started to work on a new film, also taking place in Brussels, but we’ll have to wait patiently to its premier to learn more about it.

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BANKSY’S BITES

Midtown Grill and Bar The World Cup is coming so what better excuse to sit down to some really delicious food and watch some games on the big screen? One ideal place is the Midtown Grill and Bar located in the Marriott Hotel in downtown Brussels. It is well worth seeking out not least during the footy as it will show games on screens in the very pleasant bar which overlooks the restaurant. The menu has a great choice, including some of the tastiest prime US steak this side of Manhattan. For the adventurous there´s even the chance, at a very affordable price, to combine a black Angus beef with lobster. It´s called "Surf and Turf" and is highly recommended! Other options include seafood, chops and Flemish Carbonade or chicken waterzoi, two Belgian classics. There´s also a burger menu where the burgers are paired with Belgian beers like Chimay and Hoegaarden. You can even

watch the loving care that goes into each dish from seats situated directly overlooking the open kitchen. It is all part of a policy to try and use and promote the best of Belgian produce - an admirable objective at a place which includes many nationalities among its clientele.

Martin Banks is a British journalist and has worked in Brussels since 2001. He covers a wide range of topics from EU affairs to cuisine and sport.

Everything is expertly overseen by French-born head chef Arnaud Pinter with the help of staff like Andrei Barrion, who came to Belgium from his home in the Philippines ten years ago and is now forging a successful career with the Marriott Group. Open daily for lunch and dinner, there´s are also parking spaces nearby for restaurant guests, a very useful facility in this part of town. In fact, you could say a visit to this terrific 70-seat restaurant takes you on a mini "journey" to the Big Apple. Brussels may lack a Statue of Liberty but, here, you will find the best steaks and meat in Brussels.

Rue Auguste Orts 3, 1000 Brussels | Tel 02 516 9090 | www.marriott.com/brussels

Zinc Looking for inspirational ideas on how to spend Mother’s Day this month? If so, look no further than this splendid restaurant and bar. After a successful launch at Easter, it is again running a special brunch on Mother’s Day with a buffet serving more than 40 hot and cold items. Served between noon and 3pm on 11 May it comes with a welcome aperitif, bottomless tea and coffee and free parking. Beware: the first brunch was so popular that reservations are essential. Actually, the very pleasant 86-seat Zinc is certainly well worth a visit, irrespective of time of year. It also serves an equally delicious “Tasting Belgium” menu, featuring some of the best cuisine this country offers. The most recent one includes items such as eel stew with green herbs and Ardennes ham croquettes while May’s version

promises to promote the new asparagus season. It’s all about showcasing and highlighting Belgian specialities but doing so with a modern ‘twist.’ The menu changes monthly and is available only in the evenings. The a la carte choices are just as mouthwatering and, with dishes such as cuckoo of Mechelen, this also tries to promote the “best of Belgium.” If tasty and inventive burgers are your thing you are at the right place as that is something of a house speciality. There’s even a ‘beer of the month’ so something for everyone! The fine dining in very relaxing surroundings is all expertly overseen by its Belgian restaurant manager Peter Stroobants, who previously worked in Asia, and its French-born head chef. Highly recommended!

Avenue des Olympiades 6, Brussels | Tel 02 337 0836

DEREK BLYTH’S HIDDEN SECRETS OF BRUSSELS Derek Blyth is the former editor in chief of The Bulletin and author of the bestselling The 500 Hidden Secrets of Brussels. He picks out ten of his favourite hidden secrets every month for BxlConnect.

A French magazine listed this as one of the most beautiful museums in the world. And it is. The only problem is that the opening hours are maddening. It’s just about impossible to visit at a weekend, or during lunchtime. But persevere and you will find yourself more or less the only visitor in a perfectlypreserved 19th century art gallery built for the romantic painter Antoine Wiertz. We love to sit here on an empty bench in front of a huge painting of a dying Greek god while the rain patters on the glass roof. But we wish the opening hours were just a bit more generous. Rue Vautier 62, Ixelles www.fine-arts-museum.be

WIERTZ MUSEUM

This is a cool new hotel in a tall town house just beside Gare Centrale. Designed by the Barcelona architects Castel Veciana, it has a relaxed lounge with Nordic elements like wood stools and bare light bulbs and a quiet breakfast room with rows of tables that can be used for co-working or to host a meeting. The bedrooms are furnished in loft style with bare brick walls and rugged wood desks. Some even have little balconies with inspiring urban views. Perfect if you are looking for somewhere to recommend to friends. Rue des Colonies 10, Central Brussels +32 (0)2 504 99 10, www.le9hotel-central.com

9HOTEL CENTRAL The Cantillon brewery in Anderlecht, not far from Midi station, is the last surviving traditional Gueuze brewery in the city. A few years ago it was struggling to survive but beer drinkers in the US and Britain are beginning to appreciate this unique sour beer. The cobwebs you see are essential to the brewing process, as is the big open tank in the attic where fermentation happens. The building is a beautiful 1900 industrial relic, and the owner offers you a free glass of Gueuze before you leave. Musée Bruxellois de la Gueuze, Rue Gheude 56, Anderlecht Tel 02 521 49 28, www.cantillon.be

WEDNESDAY MARKET ON PLACE DU CHATELAIN

BRUSSELS GUEUZE MUSEUM Each Wednesday, the fashionable Place du Châtelain is the setting for one of the city’s most charming street markets. Among the stallholders, you will find a dedicated mushroom seller, a French woman who can tell you exactly the right moment to eat a particular cheese and a pastry chef who once made cakes for Harrods. The market has recently become a popular place to meet for an after-work drink, but Ixelles commune plans to close down the informal wine bars because of complaints from the neighbours. Just when summer comes along. Place du Châtelain, Ixelles

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L’EAU CHAUDE This old Marolles café was recently taken over by a cooperative, but it has kept all of its original charm. With its timber-lined interior, brown tiled floor and orange tables, it could almost be a bar in an Ardennes village. Under the new owners, the kitchen now turns out wholesome vegetarian food. They also stock interesting Belgian beers from small breweries like Brasserie de la Senne and Dupont. But watch out when you come to pay. Ni ne akceptas kreditkartjon, it says on the blackboard in old Brussels dialect – we don’t accept credit cards. Rue des Renards 25, Marolles +32 (0)2 513 91 59

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BELVUE MUSEUM GARDEN

Photo by: Vanmala Vongkingkeo

The BELvue Museum, once a grand hotel, has a secret enclosed courtyard where you can eat lunch sitting at a metal table under ancient trees. The self-service café offers a choice of 12 healthy sandwiches made with tasty baguette bread and excellent salads produced by a cool catering company called Green Attitude. Place Royale 9, Central Brussels Tel 02 545 08 09, www.green-kitchen.be

The Sunday market on Place Flagey has the usual things – vegetable stalls, cheap clothes, a big truck selling chickens roasted on the spot, but it also has a Champagne bar and sometimes a stand where people from a bright young startup sells T-shirts printed with QR codes that can be programmed to link to your Facebook page. Place Flagey, Ixelles

PLACE FLAGEY MARKET

This fantastic little cupcake shop looks like a 1950s kitchen complete with formica table, pale pastel cupboards and a tiled floor. The Italian owners, Antonio and Betulla, greet you warmly with a dusting of flour on their faces. Their fun little cupcakes are displayed in the window on glass stands. They are baked in the oven in small batches, so sometimes there is nothing left when you turn up except a few crumbs. You can sign up for a baking class or ask them to do the catering for a kids’ party. Rue de l’Arbre-Bénit 26, Ixelles 02 852 66 39, www.lacucinadellezie.com

The Muntpunt city library reopened in 2013 with an inspiring new interior on six floors designed by B-architecten. As well as stocking books in 55 languages, it organises jazz concerts, rap sessions, documentary film screenings, book readings, cookery workshops and children’s activities. The library café is a relaxed spot to sit with a coffee and a newspaper from 8am to midnight.

MUNTPUNT

LA CUCINA DELLE ZIE

Place de la Monnaie 6, Central Brussels +32 (0)2 278 11 11, www.muntpunt.be

French couple Marie de Moussac and Aymeric Watine opened this striking new concept store in 2013. The interior is by the Brussels architect Julien De Smedt, who created an eccentric retail space with bare concrete floors, a wooden bridge and cacti fence. The shop stocks clothes for men and women, along with jewellery, books and design magazines. Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains 31, Central Brussels +32 (0)2 503 60 71, www.siblingsfactory.com

SIBLINGSFACTORY 27

EU AFFAIRS SRIAFFA UE

Snapshot of current EU Affairs

Four years of painstaking work and intense negotiation ended successfully for MEPs when the European Parliament finally approved key legislation on financial trading. It is expected to bring better protection for investors and greater access to capital for small businesses.The so-called MIFID 2 legislation (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive) passed its final legislative hurdle at the last Strasbourg plenary session before the current European Parliament ends. It updates the EU's main regulatory structure for trading financial products such as shares, bonds and commodities, which were originally drawn up before the financial crisis. New rules acknowledge the lessons of the crash for aspects such as market structure, high-frequency trading, investor protection and position limits.

compulsory for MEPs to declare their financial interests online. Since the inception of the committee in 2012, all MEPs have to declare publicly if they receive other sources of income or if they attend events paid for by a third party. Karim said: "The Parliament is making big steps in the right direction and the committee that I currently chair has been spearheading these improvements.”

The German government would be moving in the wrong direction if it reduced the retirement age to 63 and would be setting a bad example to other EU states, says the country’s EU commissioner Gunther Oettinger. Oettinger says Germany should instead raise the retirement age to 70. UK Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim believes that transparency and openness in the European Parliament is improving, but more work needs to be done. He, along with the European Public Affairs Consultancies’ Association (EPACA), welcomed the European Parliament’s adoption in plenary of the report on the modification of the Transparency Register’s inter-institutional agreement. Karim is currently chair of the Advisory Committee on the Code of Conduct which has been instrumental in making it

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The European Union must create an energy union to secure its supply and reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said. Tusk's energy blueprint would establish a single European body that would buy gas for the whole 28-nation bloc.

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MEPs have approved a new EU funding programme which could help win over thousands of new customers around the world for traditional products such as Scottish smoked salmon. The new scheme will fund programmes to promote high quality agricultural products in Europe and in fast-growing economies around the world such as China and South Korea. It will see a major increase in funding, from over €50 million across the EU in 2014 to over €165 million in 2020. Projects funded under the new scheme will aim to increase awareness about the high quality of these products and the traditional methods used to make them, with a specific focus on winning over new customers in highgrowth markets abroad. 70-80% of funding for each programme will come from the EU, with the remainder being paid for by the individual producer or group of businesses.

Prominent MEPs have already signed-up to the Politics for People campaign. These include: Ska Keller, joint European Commission President candidate for the Greens; Gabi Zimmer, leader of the GUE-NGL bloc; Evelyn Regner from the Socialists Group; Monica Macovei from the European People's Party; and Corinne Lepage from ALDE; with over 40 MEPs signed-up in total. “Seven out of 10 European citizens are concerned about the excessive influence of industry lobbying on EU decision-making here in Brussels, and rightly so. Too many of our laws have the fingerprints of big business lobbyists all over them – from climate to public health to trade. We need MEPs who will defend the public interest and stand up for people over profit”, said Olivier Hoedeman from Corporate Europe Observatory, a steering committee member of ALTER-EU. The UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage has defended his party's controversial election campaign ahead of the May European elections as "a hard-hitting reflection of reality" after the posters were called "racist". One billboard depicts a man dressed as a builder begging for spare change next to the words: “EU policy at work."

The European Parliament has voted to support revised rules on the dimensions of heavy goods vehicles that will enable manufacturers to produce safer lorries. The legislation will allow for cabs with improved visibility, especially important for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in urban areas. The new regulations, approved by the European Parliament in Strasbourg, aim to improve cab design to increase all-round visibility by removing blind spots which endanger vulnerable road users. Demand for better visibility from the wheel of trucks have grown following a series of accidents claiming the lives of pedestrians and cyclists – particularly in big cities and including several high-profile cases in London. Another part of the approved report calls for the EU Commission to provide a review by 2016 on the cross border circulation of longer and higher 60-tonne trucks – so-called mega-trucks.

Several MEPs have recently signed a letter to the Slovakian Prime Minister expressing concern at the treatment of Hedvika Malinova. Ms Malinova is a Hungarian speaking Slovak citizen who claimed to have been assaulted in Slovakia in August 2006 after being overheard speaking Hungarian in public. But the case took an unexpected twist when Slovak authorities claimed Ms Malinova was lying and charged her with perjury. Legal proceedings have been ongoing. Ms Malinova subsequently moved to Hungary and applied for Hungarian citizenship. But the case has been symbolic for Hungarian language campaigners in Slovakia. The three MEPs signing the letter are Inaki Irazabalbeita, François Alfonsi and Tatjana Zdanoka. The gap between Yes and No to Scottish independence is narrowing, according to a ICM survey for Scotland on Sunday. The No vote has dropped from 46 percent to 42 percent over the past month while the Yes vote has remained steady at 39 percent.

The Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) and others are launching their campaign to urge candidates for the upcoming European elections to “stand-up for citizens and democracy against the excessive lobbying influence of banks and big business”.

ARTICLE

BELGIAN FOOTBALL HISTORY By Martin Banks

elgium hopes to become the first non-South American side to win the World Cup on the continent. The team had a strong qualifying campaign, remaining unbeaten. For Belgium, it is their first World Cup since 2002, notwithstanding, they are still 5th in the World rankings. This team is considered the strongest Belgian team in history, with Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Machester City captain Vincent Kompany among their ranks. Belgium’s national team has a long history that dates back to 1904 with their first official game against France. Since then, Belgium has earned itself a reputation as a strong second tier team. While they don’t often win major championships, they are a challenging team to meet during competition. The Red Devils had an excellent track record in the 1980’s and throughout the 90’s. Since then however, the team didn’t qualify for two consecutive World Cups, once in 2006 and then again in 2010. Belgians have been frustrated with the team’s progress but remained loyal and hopeful. Maybe their time will come in Brazil this summer? Football, of course, is one of the most popular sport games in Belgium. The first official football game in Belgium was played in 1904 when they played in a draw against France. Prior to the official match, the Belgium national team played several times against the Netherlands, one of the games was on April 28, 1901. That time Belgium beat Netherlands 8:0 but that game cannot be counted as it was played with the help of several Englishmen on the Bel-

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“IT MIGHT SEEM FANCIFUL. IT MIGHT EVEN SEEM ABSURDLY RASH TO EVEN SUGGEST IT. BUT BELGIUM DO HAVE A SHOT AT WINNING THE WORLD CUP.” gium side. But it developed a tradition for “Devils” and “Oranges” to play together twice a year. Over the decades, Belgium established itself as a strong team that might not win but would not give up easily either abroad nor at home. A defensive tactic of using the off-side trap created by Pierre Sinibaldi, a French coach, became a key-strength of the team for a very long time. Belgium’s most successful period began in 1980 when the team managed to come second during the European championship in 1980. The years of 1980-1990 are considered to be the golden decade of the national team. Coach Guy Thys was the one to establish a reputation of a strong and stubborn team. The squad then was accompanied by world class football stars such as a goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff or one of the best strikers Luk Nilis. Tremendous speed and well-planned game plans made Belgium one of the most dangerous teams in the world to play against. Back in 2002 the Belgium national team made it to the quarter-finals of the World Cup against Brazil and it could have won the match but for a disallowed goal that seemed to surprise the Brazilians too. In talking about Belgium football clubs, people normally speak of two champions: Anderlecht and Brugge. F.C. Anderlecht has over the years been the most successful Belgium club. It has five European trophies and over 30 wins in the Belgium Premier league. The team also won

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“THE RED DEVILS HAD AN EXCELLENT TRACK RECORD IN THE 1980’S AND THROUGHOUT THE 90’S”

9 Belgian Cups and holds a record of being the most consecutive champion by winning 5 Belgium championships in a row. The “Purple and White” team was formed in 1908 and reached its first high level in 1921. They won their first trophy after the World War I and since that time they have never left the rank of Belgium six best football clubs. Brugge, meanwhile, was established in 1891 which makes it the oldest football club in Belgium and also one of the two most prominent Belgium teams. Brugge is the only Belgian club to participate in the final of the most prestigious European tournament- UEFA Champions league. Throughout the club’s history, it managed to reach two European finals and two European semi-finals. There is a famously cruel jibe that it has always been difficult to name any famous Belgians.

But by the end of the World Cup finals in Brazil, there could be a whole squad of them. It might seem fanciful. It might even seem absurdly rash to even suggest it. But Belgium do have a shot at winning the World Cup. Belgium? Really? They weren’t even at the last two World Cups in 2006 and 2010, or the last European Championships in 2012. They are, of course, outsiders, ranked by the bookmakers as eighth favourites to win the tournament behind hosts Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Germany, Holland, Italy and England. But they do have a genuine chance: Just look at the immense quality of their current squad. A European side has never won the World Cup in South America, so for Belgium to do it for the first time in their history will be very difficult, but with this squad they do have an outside chance.

INTERVIEW

The Belgian Start-Up Scene and the Role of Incubators

Interview with Sven De Cleyn from iMinds

Belgium has historically had relatively low entrepreneurial activity compared to the rest of Europe. This has often been attributed to comfortable living conditions resulting in less incentive for risk taking. However, recent years have seen a sharp rise in start-up initiatives in Belgium. The entrepreneurship rate (% of adults who have started a business or are taking the steps to start one) rose from 7% in 2009 to 16% in 2012 (EU SBA Fact Sheet 2013). The economic crisis has un-

“Belgian modesty is gradually shifting, as demonstrated by the increasing confidence and self-consciousness of the Belgian national football team, and more and more Belgians are becoming confident that they can also succeed”

doubtedly accelerated the above trend but Sven De Cleyn from iMinds - the digital research center and business incubator for Flanders, Belgium - believes that young graduates in Belgium also increasingly find inspiration in role models from tech startups around the world. Marc Zuckerberg’s

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Swedish entrepreneur Niklas Zennström’s Skype are clear examples of success stories that fascinate and inspire people. Also local success sto-

ries such as Storify set up by Xavier Damman and TwitSpark by Davy Kestens have shown Belgians that it can be done. “Belgian modesty is gradually shifting, as demonstrated by the increasing confidence and self-consciousness of the Belgian national football team, and more and more Belgians are becoming confident that they can also succeed”, Sven De Cleyn says. As a result of the growing Belgian start-up trend, an increasing number of private and public incubators have been set up to reinforce and support the entrepreneurial local climate. BxlConnect met with Sven to discuss the rise of Belgian incubators and their role in supporting entrepreneurship. Sven De Cleyn is Incubation Programs manager at iMinds, where he coaches and supports start-ups in ICT & Digital Media in the iStart program and is responsible for all (pre-)incubation programs for (future) entrepreneurs. Additionally, he’s involved in research and teaching on entrepreneurship at the University of Antwerp, where he obtained his PhD on a study of young academic spin-off ventures.

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What services do incubators provide? Incubators can be divided into two main categories, namely a “content program” and a “physical space program”. In a content program, the entrepreneurs receive active coaching and often pre-seed funding whereas physical space incubators specialize more in providing the entrepreneurs with office space with the aim of building a community spirit whilst encouraging sharing and synergies between the different start-ups. Some incubators of course provide both types of services and here at iMinds’ “iStart program” we also provide support in many additional ways such as marketing, sales, legal advice as well as a global network to help the start-ups access international markets.

What is the difference in the success ratio of startups who participate in an incubation program compared to those that don’t? Is there any significant difference between private and public incubation programs? There is a huge difference. In general only 20% of startups survive after 3-5 years. I can’t speak for all incubators but here at iMinds the numbers are almost the reverse. The iStart program was launched 3 years ago and we are confident that at least 70% of our start-ups will be around after 5 years.

“In general only 20% of start-ups survive after 3-5 years. Here at iMinds, the numbers are almost the reverse and we are confident that at least 70% of our start-ups will be around after 5 years”

Of course the selection of projects also plays a role in the success rates. We choose projects according to somewhat different criteria compared to a fully private incubator. Private incubators are often more stringent in their choice of projects and focus more on potential profits. Public incubators on the other hand are government funded and also consider the potential impact on society and the local community. They therefore play an important role in supporting initiatives that would have otherwise sometimes had difficulties in securing private funding.

How do you choose which projects to support? The team is the most important criterion for us. These are the people who will drive the project forward and we need to be convinced that they can build a number one product. A great idea is not worth anything without a competent team that can implement it successfully. Another reason why we value the team so much is because once a project

enters our program, we will be spending a lot of time with each other and it is important to us that there is a willingness and openness from the team to learn and receive coaching from us. The second main criterion at the iStart program is the “innovativeness of the technology” and as a digital media and ICT (Information and communications technology) incubator, we want to see what added val“The team is the most ue we can bring to the important criterion for project. We also look at us. These are the people their international ambitions and of course who will drive the project the market need and forward and we need to ability to build a busibe convinced that they ness around the idea. can build a number one Unlike other incubators product. A great idea is not however, we don’t look worth anything without a so much at financial competent team that can projections and profit implement it successfully” forecasting as it is very hard to measure these things at such early stages.

How many applications do you receive each year and how many projects do you accept? What do you ask for in return from the start-ups? In 2013, we received 100 applications and ended up choosing 19. We had in fact many more very promising projects but are unfortunately limited by our own resources. At the same time, we will choose fewer projects if we don’t feel there are many projects that meet our selection criteria. At iMinds, we provide up to 50 000 Euro and ask for 6% of the equity in the start-up. Private incubators usually provide less cash and generally ask for a somewhat higher equity stake of 8-10%. These terms tend to be fixed for each incubator because it is simply so difficult to value the companies at such early stages. It is essential that there is strong trust between the entrepreneurs and the incubator so that we can get started quickly without getting worried about the details. At iMinds, the time between our project submission deadlines and the final decision is only three weeks.

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs who would like to benefit from the services of an incubator? Find a good match between your project needs and the incubators you apply to. This will not only save you time, but also increase your chances of getting accepted and increase the value for your start-up taking part in the pro-

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gram. You have to ask yourself if you only need coaching or financial support and/or also a physical space. Here at iMinds, the program typically runs for 6 to 18 months but we tend to continue to support the projects afterwards in different ways so that is obviously also something you need to consider.

In the end, the incubator is of course looking for great ideas from great teams, but we also need to be convinced that you really need our help and that we can play an important role in the success of the project.

The next iStart calls will be launched this summer. For students, the application deadline will be on 1 September whereas the deadline for the regular iStart call will be on 1 October. Please visit www.iminds. be for more information.

Additional resources and info for aspiring entrepreneurs

For information and resources available in the Belgian tech scene, www.startups.be provides a good general overview.

For information about regional and government support to entrepreneurs, IWT in Flanders (www. iwt.be), InnoViris in Brussels (www.innoviris.be) and AST in Wallonia (ast.wallonie.be) are there to stimulate innovation & R&D.

Agentschap Ondernemen in Flanders (www.agentschapondernemen.be) and ABE in Brussels (www.abe-bao.be) and AEI in Wallonia support entrepreneurship in general.

Several investment funds and agencies that help start-ups getting funded include PMV, the SOFI fund and LRM.

On a European level, The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) (www.eit.europa. eu), of which iMinds is an affiliate member, also supports and entrepreneurship.

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Brussels, June 4 - 8, 2014 A rendezvous with Art, Knowledge and Beauty Galleries of the Sablon, the historical area for Antique and Art Galeries in Brussels, welcome each June some of the most proeminent dealers in Asian and Ancient Art .

Artconnoisseurs, the cultural program launched last year by Asian Art in Brussels and Brussels Ancient Art Fair in cooperation with Biapal asbl-vzw and the Belgian Institute of High Chinese Studies, continues with a series of lectures on Ancient and Asian Art given by renowned scholars, collectors and museum curators from Europe and United States.

This June ARTCONNOISSEURS is honored to welcome Dr. RICHARD A. PEGG (USA) Director and curator The MacLean Collection - Chicago

Dr. LUC DELVAUX (Belgium) Curator of the Egyptian Department Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire - Brussels

Dr. CHRISTIAN LOEBEN Mr. STEVEN M. KOSSAK (Germany) (USA) Former senior curator of South and SE Asian Art Director of the Egyptian collections Museum August Kestner - Hanover Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York Dr. JOYCE SEAMAN (UK) Specialist of Japanese art at the Ashmolean Museum - Oxford Dr. AMY HELLER (Switzerland -UK) Tibetologist and art historian

Dr RAINER VOLLKOMMER (Principality of Liechtenstein) Director and Curator of Liechtensteinisches Landesmuseum - Vaduz Dr. MAARTEN RAVEN (The Netherlands) Curator of the Department of Egyptology Rijksmuseum van Oudheden - Leiden

Dr. WOLFGANG FELTEN & Dr. SUZANNE SCHREIBER (Germany) Podium Talk with Dr. Felten, author, specialist of the history and preservation of Southeast Asian Art and Dr. Scheiber, journalist specialized in art and its market.

Lectures : June 5-6 , 2014 Location : Museum of Musical Instruments Location of the AAB-BAAF Fairs : www.mim.be Galleries around Sablon Square Free entrance Videos of the lectures made in 2013, the programme and more can be seen on www.asianartinbrussels.com

www.baaf.be

www.artconnoisseurs.eu

ARTICLE

The 2014 Belgian Elections

By Martin Banks

elgians will go to the polls on 25 May. The day - a Sunday - has been called the “mother of all elections” because in addition to voting for the European

Parliament, there are direct elections to six national and regional parliaments and one indirect election to the federal senate. Campaigning for the May elections already started at the end of 2013 - an indication of the significance of the day

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– and after 25 May there will be no more elections at the federal and regional level for five years. This is almost unheard of in a country with multiple tiers of government. The political stakes, therefore, are particularly high this time: if you are voted in, you are in office until almost the end of the decade. In Belgium it is worth remembering that there is no nation-wide voting. Flemish voters can only

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vote for Flemish politicians and Francophones for French-speaking ones. The Flemish nationalist N-VA has only one MEP in the current European Parliament, but opinion polls indicate it should do better in May. Last year, it won the local elections and the party is currently the largest in the Belgian parliament following the 2010 federal election after openly campaigning for Flanders to leave Belgium. This plunged the country into an unprecedented political crisis and nobody wants a repeat of that political crisis when the country was without a government for more than 500 days. As Carl Devos, of Ghent University, says the decision to hold concurrent elections at all three levels was not simply a coincidence, but is instead a deliberate attempt to prevent short-term policies and the political instability that regularly accompanies elections in Belgium. However, the fact that defeated parties will face five years in opposition at all levels of government means they are facing an existential challenge, with unsuccessful party leaders and even individual parties

unlikely to survive until the next elections in 2019. He said, “It can be reasonably expected that 2014 will look a lot like 2010. The N-VA will be the strongest party in Flanders, while its ideological counterpart, the PS, will win in Wallonia. Since the 2010 elections, polls have showed more stability than change. The N-VA is significantly ahead of all competition. In Wallonia, the PS has lost some of its edge, but is still at the top. “Will Belgium break its own world record for the longest cabinet formation negotiations? No. Even if history repeats itself, it never does it identically. Belgian politicians have learned their lesson from the 2010 experience. The N-VA shows itself much more prepared for compromises, even lowering expectations for its voters on the implementation of confederalism.” “Other parties will not lose that much time before deciding to make a government. After all, they all share the same objective: to govern. From May onwards, parties will have the opportunity to accomplish this, ensuring their influence for a long time during a very interesting period in Belgian history.”

So, what are the details? Well, on 25 May elections will be held for the European Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies and the Parliaments of the Communities and Regions (Brussels Parliament, Flemish Parliament, Walloon Parliament and the Parliament of the German-speaking Community). To vote, voters should be Belgian citizens on 1 March 2014; 18 years or older on 25 May 2014; registered on 1 March 2014 in the population register of Brussels and not excluded or suspended from voting. If a European citizen wants to vote he or she must meet the following conditions: • nationality of a Member State of the European Union • enrolled in Brussels on 1 March 2014 • being at least 18 years of age on the day of the election • not excluded or suspended from voting (you should not have lost your right to vote in the country of origin) • registered on the electoral roll at the latest on 28 February 2014 Any voter who is registered on the electoral roll will receive a notice letter in his or her mail no later than 12 May. If you did not receive this letter, or if your letter is lost, you can ask a duplicate till the day of the elections, for free and after showing your ID card, at the Administrative Centre on Boulevard Anspach 6. Voters must vote at the polling station indicated on their convocation and the polls are open on 25 May from 8 am to 4 pm. In Belgium voting is compulsory. If you are not able to vote (including vacation, sickness,...), you may give a proxy to another voter or, if you do not wish to vote by proxy, you can validate a multilingual form abroad proving your stay on the election day which has to be delivered with the notice before 1 September. To the uninformed be warned: if you do not fulfill your obligation to vote, you may be fined.

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ARTICLE “The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.” -- Buddhist monk, Thích Nhất Hạnh

Taking off on a Mental Mini-Break By Melissa Rancourt

hen we think of the words, ‘healthy lifestyle’, shudder-inducing visions of having to refuse your favourite chocolate dessert and incessant ab-crunching may pop immediately in your mind. While making healthy decisions may indeed mean reviewing your diet and your exercise regime, the notion of your total wellbeing suggests more than that. Your wellbeing is everything around you – yes, your diet and exercise, but also your lifestyle, your job, your passions, your health in general. Simply, it’s about figuring out what makes you feel great about yourself. So, as we go off on our journey of this seemingly daunting task, let’s start with an idea that will not require you to leave your office swivel chair… or even your comfy couch. Let’s take a mental mini-break. Why do we start with our minds? The mind is very powerful – so powerful, we don’t know quite how it all

works. What we do know is that our mind gets filled up with worries – so much so, it is difficult to see clearly. We think of conversations with colleagues, partners, family or friends that made us upset. We may get so upset we can’t get anything else done. We are so worried about money, health, and other big, big things in our life – that it can be difficult to see a possible solution. We also fill our heads with information, whether intentional or not, we are constantly on our technological devices feeding data, often useless, to our brains. (Take this test: how long you can go without “needing” to check your e-mail or facebook?) It’s no wonder that we have difficulty easing our brains from its constant chatter. So, what can we do about it? Don’t forget to take your mental mini-breaks once in a while. Schedule them if you have to. They can be the things you enjoy most – div-

Meditation is available to you at any time – in your office, in your home, on holiday, any time. If you only have a few minutes available to you, try these tips: 1.

Sit or lie down comfortably. Close your eyes. Focus for a moment to consciously feel the floor under your feet and where your body connects to your chair or floor.

2. Accept the worries that may be running through your mind. Do not judge the worries, the questions still to be answered, the tasks of what needs to be done. Allow them to flow in and out of your mind.

ing into that favourite book, going for a long walk in your neighbourhood, sitting quietly with your arms around your child, cat or stuffed bear – myriads of choices to step away from decisions for a moment. Mental breaks may need to be more profound sometimes. It can help to have someone guide your mind past the spinning chaos and towards a calm, serene feeling that makes it easier to cope. We call this a guided meditation. This meditation can be minutes long, even hours – and can take on many forms. Look around you and you may find guided meditations available to you. Again, if you’d rather not leave your chair, you can even find recorded meditations to put on your IPOD. What if you only have a few minutes? 5 tips for a 3-minute mental mini-break.

3. Start to quiet your mind. Concentrate on your breathing – how you breathe in and out. Place your hand on your stomach and feel each breath under your hand. Try lengthening your breathing, filling your lungs fully and letting the breath go slowly. 4. Take a journey through your body. Think about each part of your body starting at the crown of your head, to the forehead, eyelids, each ear and continuing on to the tips of your toes. 5. Once you have finished this mental journey through your body, concentrate again on your breathing – slowly and intently. When you are ready, slowly open your eyes.

The beauty of the mental mini-break idea is that there are so many ways and techniques to meditate and relax the stresses in your mind. The first step is to not overlook what’s in our heads – our minds are the centre of our total wellbeing. We have the power to quiet our minds and start our own journey.

Melissa Rancourt is co-owner of Serendip Spa and was one of the speakers in the recent TEDx weekend in Luxembourg on the topic of “Kaleidoscope of the Mind” 38

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Nice and quiet garden with terrace

At the heart of Martin’s Brussels EU boulevard Charlemagne 80 • 1000 Brussels • tel. 02 230 85 55 • icones@martinshotels.com • www.martinsrestaurants.be

Aperitive offered* (mention BXL connect – valid up to 30th June 2014)

Serendip Spa is a five star oasis in the heart of the cosmopolitan and fashionable Avenue Louise quarter, created specifically to help you cope with all the stress of daily life. The Spa offers a unique set of treatments from around the world. Your body will be replenished, the mind will be restored, the spirit will be released…total relaxation. Serendip Yoga, a yoga & meditation studio offers private lessons with highly qualified teachers in a beautiful and tranquil environment as well as various yoga classes for groups and corporate teams – English/French classes, Yoga Lunch classes, Kids and Family Yoga, Vinyasa, Gentle Yoga, Candlelight Yoga and more. Serendip Store, a wellness store offering natural, organic and bio dynamic products sources from around the world and retailed exclusively at Serendip Store. We also stock a wide range of wellness, beauty and health books, mediation CD’s, organic hand crafted teas and aromatherapy candles. Offer for BxlConnect readers Please mention BxlConnect when making your booking and benefit from a 10% discount on new Serendip Reviving Body Treatments & Harmony Rituals. Practical Info: Tel. +32 (0)2 503 5504, info@serendipspa.com , www.serendipspa.com Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 10h to 20h, Sun 10h to 18h Address: 18 Place Stephanie, 1050 Brussels

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Located at the center of Place Jourdan and at the heart of the European quarter, Laurent D and his highly experienced team welcomes you to a hair studio with a true passion and dedication to the art of hair dressing.

For appointments and enquiries:

02 230 11 42 info@laurentd.be Place Jourdan, 28 1040 Etterbeek

FLANDERS ACTING STUDIO - BY AN ACTOR, FOR ACTORS

CTOR, FOR ACTORS

The Flanders Acting Studio provides intensive, ongoing training for those who want to pursue acting seriously or professionally. We help actors identify blocks that prevent them from realizing their full emotional potential at auditions, on stage or in front of the camera. We use on stage and camera work with improvisation, scene study, monologues and scenes.

ensive, ongoing training for those who want to pursue p actors identify blocks that prevent them ntial at auditions, on stage or in front of the camera. We Weekly Introductory and advanced classes are conducted with a concentration on English to Help train actors for the growing English European markets. We work with the deepest respect for those of us who share and portray the most profound experiences of the human condition.

sation, scene study, monologues and scenes.

Private acting, dialect speaking coaching on is alsoEnglish available. to ses are conducted withandapublic concentration Europeanwww. markets. We work with the deepest FlandersActingStudio.com portray the most profound of the Located in 1060 Bruxelles (St.experiences Gilles)

EMAIL : John@FlandersActingStudio.com TEL./GSM : 0498 54 20 55

ng coaching is also available.

vate meeting with John Flanders and to audit one of our Meet, mingle and be seen with other

expats at the inaugural “First Tuesday” event on 3 June 2014 First Tuesday at Scott’s bar From 18.30 and onwards Rue Montagnes aux Herbes Potageres 2, 1000 Brussels

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INTERVIEW Roby Lakatos- classical virtuoso, jazz improviser and composer, or as called by Daily Telegraph “fastest-fingered fiddler in the world”, came to visit Brussels during his European tour and gave a great concert in Sazz N Jazz Caffee. Originally from Hungary, he has performed in Europe, Asia, America and Australia. Famous for his style of mixing gypsy music with classic and jazz, his music was highly admired by Sir Yehudi Menuhin. His last album “Passion” premiered in the Opera House in Sydney. He speaks to Ewelina Kawczynska about his passion for music and sentiment for Brussels.

Interview with Roby

Lakatos,

the Fastest Fingered Fiddler in the World By Ewelina Kawcynska Ewelina Kawczynska: When did you decide to become violinist?

me. But now you can’t find this music so often, there are

Roby Lakatos: I don’t really know. I started to play violin when I was 3 years old. I always played with my father. He was my inspiration. The music was always present in my life. I actually wanted to play drums first but because everybody in my family: father, brother and uncle play violin, I decided to follow the tradition.

E: Who do you like to play with on the stage?

Ewelina: You have played all over the world. Where is your favorite place to perform? R: I think it will be Belgium. I lived here for almost 15 years. But I also love to give concerts in Budapest because of my daughter who lives there with my grandchild. I love Brussels indeed, because I began my career here. I have a sentiment to this place. There is a great artistic stage. My career began when I gave my big concert in the European Parliament in 1990 where I played with Sir Menuhin.

E: Your music has so many different styles. Where do you get your inspiration? R: From everything (laugh). I mix gypsy with classical and jazz.

E: Why gypsy music? R: Mainly because of my father. When I was little I was playing with him and he was playing mostly gypsy music. I heard this music every day so it’s very difficult to not get influenced. I grow up with it so it grew inside

not many musicians that play it.

R: I really enjoyed playing at the Opera House in Sydney, the musicians there were just amazing. I played my new album Passion live. It’s very difficult to find musicians that will play different styles like gypsy, classic and jazz so for me it was really great.

E: Who was your favorite musician you ever played on the stage with? R: Quincy Jones, Stéphane Grappelli.

E: What advice would you give to young musicians to become successful? R: They need to love what they play. They need to be passionate about their music. They need to work very hard. It is also very important that they first learn how to play the classical music well and then start to mix and add styles but not the other way around. You need to play the music that you love and not something you don’t like only because you should.

E: Where are you going to play in the next months? R: After Brussels we are going to France, Hungary, Turkey, USA and China so I have very busy months ahead of me but I will be back in Brussels on the 27th of June

E: Good luck and hope to see you back in Brussels 41

DIANA’S X-PAT MAKEOVER Diana Goss is a stylist, image coach and the founder of No Black Styling. She is a fashion expert with a decade of experience working in the business. If you would like to be the next face of Diana’s X-pat Makeover, or have any questions or comments, please send an e-mail to Diana at: diana@bxlconnect.com

Kristina Schiman 23 years old - Business Administration Student and Administrator of the women’s club “Women In Art”

After 14 years spent in Belgium, I truly feel as a “world citizen”, combining both the Belgian culture and my Russian origins. I can still remember how impressed I was by Brussels’ majesty when I first visited the city 14 years ago. Nowadays, since I have had a chance to explore the city a lot, I have become a real fan of Brussels. It has got the perfect mix of history, culture and modern vibe. I love to take a walk through the epic Marolles area. The intimacy of Rollebeek Street is amazing and it seems to be lost in time. I adore to go vintage shopping in Brussels and drop by the flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle where you can sometimes find real treasures.

I love about Brussels – no matter what you do and where you go in the city, you can experience so much variety of cultures, languages and mentalities.

Besides my studies, I am passionate about theatre and cinema. Recently I have been taking some acting classes in Brussels - given by an Uruguayan film director inspired by Stanislavky’s method – the legendary Russian director. And this is exactly what

I was excited about becoming the next character in Diana’s X-Pat Makeover project in order to discover some new sides for my style and personality. Diana’s team have done a great job

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Together with my mother I have recently set up a non-profit organisation “Women In Art” which provides a platform for Russian expats to develop their artistic and creative potential. We organize different workshops, exhibitions and other cultural events with the aim to improve networking opportunities within the expat community. Most of our events and workshops take place in Brussels and we gather participants from all parts of Belgium but also from France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Credits: Styling: Diana Goss for No Black Styling www.noblack.be Photography: Steven Lemmens www.stevenlemmens.be Make up and hair Laura Boegborn

Leather Biker - Liu Jo, Pants and Silk Scarf worn as a top – Xandres, Sandals – Sacha, Bag - TWIN SET Simona Barbieri

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Lace Dress and clutch -

TWIN SET By Simona Barbieri

all TWIN SET by Simona Barbieri Clothes and shoes -

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INTERVIEW

Interview with Comedian By Bore Kedober

Lewis Black

where you deal with political and social issues as well as absurdities in life. How much of your act is acting and how much of it is the real Lewis Black?

When did you decide that you wanted to study and pursue a career in drama?

It is really me and I do get really angry. You have to be in touch with your emotions and be transparent, otherwise it will come across as fake and the audience will not be entertained. I also think it is a bit of a paradox. I think that anger comes from optimism. Optimism in the sense that you wish things would be better.

Photos by: Clay McBride

eceiving critical acclaim as a stand-up comedian, actor and author, Lewis Black has performed for audiences throughout Europe, New Zealand, Canada and The United States. In 2012, he performed eight sell-out shows at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. He is now back in Europe and will be performing in Antwerp on 2 June. BxlConnect spoke with Lewis to discuss theatre, comedy and life.

My parents used to take me to the theatre when I was small and I became very fascinated by drama. There is something about “live” acting that separates it from anything else. It is magical. As I became a teenager, I read a lot of plays and I started to write more and more. I enjoyed it a lot and people told me that I was good at it, so I decided to study and pursue a career writing for theatre. So you began your career writing as a playwright. How did you get into acting and comedy? I really enjoyed being a playwright and working in theatre, but it is a tough business. It is a bit like having a weird addiction where you try to always make a little bit more money in order to go on and write the next piece. At one point, when I was about 40 years old, I realized I was completely broke, tired and felt like I couldn’t continue making my living this way. I had done some stand up on the side, and one time I was given a chance to perform at a popular comedy club in Houston Texas. I killed it, and since then I started dedicating more and more time to comedy and securing more gigs. I learned a lot, got to travel and I was suddenly earning as much money in 1 week of work as I had done in 3 years being a playwright. It was an exciting time in my life. You are famous for having quite a particular style, the “angry rant” type of comedy,

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How do you come up with your material? I don’t write anything down. I observe things around me and if I see or read something that makes me angry, I talk about it and include it in my material. Once for example, on my way to a show in Houston, I noticed a Starbucks across the street of a Starbucks. It really angered me so I started ranting about it in the club and it ended up becoming a 5 min bit that I still do today. Politicians are another source of material. They say so many stupid things. I estimate that approximately 80% of politicians are douchebags. What is “humour” to you? Humour to me is a way to find a response to total inexplicability of life and why we are wandering around on this earth. What advice would you have for someone who would like to become funnier? I think anyone can be funny. It is just like another muscle and everyone can develop humour. If you think about it, humour plays a vital role in everyone’s lives. When we point out something to a friend, it is usually because we found it funny or strange. When we tell a story to someone it is (most of the time) something funny that happened to us. In short, comedy connects people. Lewis Black will be performing at the Arenberg theatre in Antwerp on 2nd June at 20h15. For tickets, please visit www.arenbergschouwburg.be.

BRUSSELS

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Rue Archimède 93b | 1000 Bruxelles | 02 732 88 32 Info@archimede-realestate.be | www.archimede-realestate.be

ARCHIMEDE REAL ESTATE is a real estate agency located at the heart of the European institutions. We deal primarily with buying, selling and letting of residential properties, and specialize in the European quarter. Our clientele is highly international and includes both investment professionals as well as private individuals.

Brussels: – Rue de l’Inquisition 33 – Family house – Fully renovated – 3 bedrooms + 1 office – 2 bathrooms – backyard of 30 m² – For sale: 425.000 €

Schaerbeek: – Avenue Paul Deschanel 173 – Apartment of 65 m² – 1 bedroom – 5th floor – Cellar – For sale: 145.000 €

Brussels: – Rue Stévin 54 – Apartment with 1 bedroom (80 m²) – Fully renovated – Terrace of 20 m² – No common charge – For rent: 850 €

Visit our website to view a list of all our current offers: www.archimede-realestate.be

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SMALL ADS

Housing - For Rent

Uccle Prince D Orange Villa**** + conciergerie eur 3850: a vast classical villa 265m² and a separated “conciergerie 60m²” in a 32 ares park with protected old trees. in a very sought ater quiet area. 4 bedrooms in the master’s villa plus a very nice flat 30m²in “the conciergerie”. a perfect stay for a family with 3/4 chidren in a very safe area. more details www.rent-in-brussels.com immoweb n°3812241. the owner: 0476 82 82 76

Furnished Penthouse **** In Louise Area: A very aesthetic minimalist furnishedpenthouse****designedbyaninternational architect.87m².The sunny side of your life. For two happy tenants plus a visitor’s bedroom. ALL IN PRICE EUROS 2,000 INCLUDING water-electr-heating-tv+annual subscription-2 telephone lines-full maintenance/ ironing by cleaning lady-all kitchenw are-complete house linen- security steel door-Jacuzzi-Safe-50m²terraces, etc etc. FAR BETTER THAN ANY FLAT HOTEL. Pictures:www.rent-in-brussels.com Also IMMOWEB 4636 769. The owner 0476 82 82 76

Health & Well - Being Psychotherapy and counselling: Jeannette Delgado Holdsworth Bsc (Hons) Psychotherapy and counselling in English, Spanish and French. Experienced in providing help for individuals and couples dealing with problems in relationships, anxiety or depression, low self esteem, loss or bereavement, lack of direction. Brussels and Genval. Tel: 0486688766, e-mail: j.delgado(at) skynet.be Website: jdelgado.eu Thai Yoga Massage: Need a moment for yourself to release stress, tension, emotion & balance your inner energies? So you should try the Thai Yoga Massage experience, a two hour deep relaxation experience that compile shiatsu, stretching & Massage. For more information don’t hesitate to contact me. I would be pleased to answer your questions. 0475799568, voie-detraverse.com

Modern bright recently renovated 60 m2 flat in european quarter: The apartment recently renovated includes 1 bright bedroom, 1 light and spacious living room, 1 bathroom, 1 new kitchen fully equipped, 1 cosy balcony and 1 cellar; situated in a clean building with an elevator in a quiet street. It is located in the european quarter (Rue Nouvelle) , 2minutes from trams and buses, 5mns from Delhaize and Carrefour Express. Rent 750€ per month + 50€ monthly charges.Contact:0498-277266 tinadonadieu@gmail.com

Housing - For Sale

Normandy, France, charming house of 200 sqm: Surrounded by terraces in a beautiful 3500 sqm park, offering a lovely interior, dining room, living room of 65 sqm with fireplace, kitchen with utility rooms and w/c. Upstairs 4 bedrooms, one with en suite bathroom, another bathroom and w/c. Garage and place for 4 cars. Close to all amenities, 5 minutes from the seaside. Price 444.000. Contact Mr Patrick Waravka +33.2.35.85.79.15 or e-mail p.waravka@yahoo.fr

Beautiful 45m2 flat for sale in EU quarter: Nice, quiet flat on the 6th floor at the heart of the EU quarter, located on Square Ambiorix (and facing the back courts). Living room with sleeping corner, well-equipped kitchen, bathroom with washing machine, hall, cupboards, balcony, parquet flooring. Price: 150 000 Eur. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact on: 0474 25 27 23

Learning Piano lessons / vocal coaching: by an experienced and professional teacher. (Eng.Fr.Dutch and Germ.). Classical - Jazz - musical- and pop. Children and adults - beginners and advanced students. ABRSM or TrinityGuildhall exams possible. Contact: 026872887 – 0478303248

Private Tuition – Montgomery Area: Former teacher gives private English and Dutch tuition. Conversations. All levels, children/adults. Mother-Tongue English (British). Dutch and French education. Please contact me by phone: +32 477 761 962

BXLCONNECT CALENDAR

THE BXLCONNECT CALENDAR Pride Festival and Pride Day Brussels 2014 2

to 17

The week of festivities for the LGBT community ends with the (Belgian) Pride Day Brussels (Pride4Every1) on Saturday 17 May 2014. This annual event, celebrated around the world – includes now in Brussels a parade, concerts and shows. It has its roots in the Stonewall riots in New York in June 1969, which grew out of a protest against police brutality to gays. Things have changed a lot since.

May

City Centre Brussels www.thepride.be

Balkan Trafik Festival 3

May

Zinneke Parade 2014 10

May

Palais des Beaux-Arts – BOZAR

City Centre Brussels

Each annual edition of Balkan Trafik presents a sample of the best that South-East Europe has to offer. A festive event including music, theatre, film, workshops, activities and much more. It goes on for several days and takes place at the Centre for Fine Arts, transformed for the occasion into a cross between a popular celebration, a bazaar, and a beehive!

A great, surreal and typical Brussels parade through the streets and avenues of Brussels. It takes place every 2 years. The Zinneke Parade aims to gather inhabitants, associations and schools from the different quarters of Brussels around 1 common project - celebrating Brussels’ diversity.

Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Bruxelles www.bozar.be

from 3 pm Free www.zinneke.org

Festival of Europe Les Nuits Botanique 15 to 26

May

Botanique & Cirque Royal Rue de l’Enseignement 81, 1000 Bruxelles www.botanique.be

17 Probably the best popular music event of the year in Brussels. A series of concerts with established and up-andcoming artists. Music and food is available. Outdoors events will take place if the weather permits – will we see the first barbecue of the year?

May

Various locations in the European Quarter Metro Schuman and Maelbeek from 10 am till 6 pm www.europa.eu/opendoors

Activities and celebrations will take place during May in all the 28 EU countries, in celebration of Europe Day on 9 May (commemorating the Schuman Declation which was proposed by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950. On 17 May, Brussels will organize several activities and hold an open day for visitors around the European quarter and inside many of the institution buildings, including the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee, the European Commission, the Committee of Regions and the Council of the European Union.

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The BxlConnect calendar aims to gather and provide as much information as possible about key happenings and interesting things to do in Brussels within the art, drama, sports and social scenes. Below is an extract of some of the exciting events happening this month. For a more comprehensive list, please consult the online calendar on our website, www.bxlconnect. com which we update daily. Have a great month! The BxlConnect Team

Brussels 2014 Half Marathon 18

May

Whether you are casual jogger, athlete or just enjoy watching sports and soaking up the atmosphere, this event has something for everyone. You can run, together with 25,000 others,

along the city’s finest avenues. Or just watch, applaud, and stroll around the stands set up for the occasion. The start will begin at 10 am in 6 waves of 5.000 participants.

Esplanade du Cinquantenaire 1000 Brussels Tel for info: 02 511 90 00 www.20kmdebruxelles.be

Fesitval of Bread 17

May

Schuman Roundabout, 1000 Brussels From 10 am to 6pm

On 17 May 2014, the European Institutions will once again open their doors to the public. In this frame, similar to last year and to the delight of approximately 10.000 visitors, the “Schuman Square”, a non-profit making association based in Brussels, was asked, for the second time, to organize on the Schuman Roundabout, a fair for Bread and all complementary products. Bread is a symbol. It is produced in all member states in all shapes, colours and sizes. The European Union institutions and the authorities of the Town of Brussels, together with a wide variety of neighbors such as offices, regional bank offices, restaurants, shops and residents, support the Association and will participate in organizing the Party. With its official logo: “The Art of Living Together”, the Association expresses, in its own way, its wish to contribute to the urban renewal of the Rond-Point Schuman which should become a real central place where all can meet, enjoy and feel comfortable with. We hope to see you all on Saturday, May 17 for a “European Toast”. Feel free to contact us: marionwolfers@eu-affairs.net

Culinaria 29

May

to 27

June

Tour & Taxis

Brussels Jazz Marathon 2014 23 to 25

May

Avenue du Port 86/C, 1000 Bruxelles, 1000 Brussel www.culinariasquare.com

Various locations in Brussels

For a second time this year, the Culinaria event at Tour & Taxis in Brussels invites the public to taste food prepared by Belgium’s greatest chefs. With thousands of visitors each year, Culinaria is a huge success with gourmets, eager to discover new flavours. Conferences and workshops will take place and are open to all those who enjoy fine food.

The tried and trusted formula remains unchanged. Over three days, a range of famous and not so famous jazz musicians will perform on four open-air stages and all evening long in a host of clubs and cafes. The Jazz Marathon has more than 150 free concerts with 400 musicians at fifty different locations.

Free www.brusselsjazzmarathon.be

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SIGHTSEEING

Days out in Belgium May is upon us and in Belgium that usually means one thing... lots of public holidays! If you find yourself struggling to fill them (with the kids, as a couple or alone), here are a few possible excellent days out this month.

Planckendael From 5 April, Planckendael (www. planckendael.be), just 20 minutes from Brussels, has welcomed new species and even more animals. It is the only animal park in Belgium to count a couple of giant anteaters among its residents. Since these animals are endangered, participation in the international breeding program is essential. A glass partition wall in one of their indoor enclosures ensures that they are always visible while a termite hill with peepholes has been built in the outdoor enclosure. As a new addition to the park, they are now cohabiting with Azara’s agoutis, which are South American rodents. The park has also expanded the Wild West section with the four bison bulls joined by six bison cows. From the top of this South American tower you will get panoramic views of the mixed enclosure of the vicuña (relative of the llama), the new Darwin’s rheas (ostrich family) and the new pudús (the world’s smallest deer). The Humboldt penguins in their new residence are the showcase attraction of the continent "America". About 80 Humboldt penguins and about 50 Chilean flamingos along with Inca terns, steamer ducks and other waterfowl inhabit a 2,600 m² enclosure. The animals have free access to the visitors’ path while at regular intervals and under the watchful eye of their caregivers, they take a stroll on the path, waddling between your legs to their feeding place. Every day (all school holidays, pub-

BxlConnect

lic holidays and long weekends, all weekends between Easter and the end of September), a falconer gives a demonstration with his feathered friends on the main square, next to the rhinos. Also worth checking out: a brand new adventure playground in continent “Europe”.

Walibi Elsewhere, the ever popular Walibi theme park in Brabant Wallon (www.walibi.be) has recently reopened for the season. This is a great place which overflows with family thrills and spills, including the Dalton Terror, the famous Calamity Mine and the catapult at 85km/h. Smaller kids will have a super time in Walibi playland and the nearby Aqualibi, an indoor water-based adventure area, is accessible to Walibi visitors. Both Planckendael and Walibi are very close to Brussels but if you can also squeeze in a visit to the coast then try out a sea trip on one of the excursions operated by Franlis (www.franlis.be).These include a visit to the international port of Zeebrugge where you can smell the sea air and get to see at close hand anchorage cargo giants, ferries, cruise ships, fishing boats, tugboats and yachts - all just a few metres from each other. Along the way you pass the Belgian Navy base plus gas and wind turbines on the dam. You finish off by sailing past stern island (with its thousands of birds) and one of the largest locks in the world. The 75 minute-trip affords a different view of this busy port.

Other Excursions Also well worth a visit is Antwerp Zoo (www.zooantwerpen.be) located in the heart of the city and next to the train station where thousands of exotic animals welcome you to this unique setting. It has recently unveiled several exciting new attractions. A couple of other options include Pairi Daiza (www.pairidaiza.eu) in Hainaut province which, as most Belgians will now know, has recently welcomed two Chinese giant pandas to its already impressive collection of 5,000 animals. Voted the best zoo in Belgium and the Netherlands, it also has Snow leopards and other rare species from China. If you find yourself in the Ypres area as part of the WW1 anniversary commemorations, a bit of family fun can be found at the nearby Bellewaerde (www.bellewaerde.be), an adventure park located in an awesome natural setting where you can also meet hundreds of animals at close range in an authentic environment. Historiuum, Brugge: This innovative attraction (www.historium.be) takes you on a journey back in time to the Bruges of the Middle Ages as you pass through seven historically correct themed rooms and an interactive exhibition. Open daily from 10am to 6pm it is in the main market square, less than 1,500m from the station. Another attraction is the Sound Factory (www.sound-factory.be), situated in the Concertgebuow's lantern tower, it is an interactive room for "sound art" and features 21 carillon bells which used to hang in the Bruges Belfry.

The European Parliament's Visitors' Centre

ADMISSION IS FREE | OPEN 7/7 | 24 LANGUAGES | SHOP & CAFETERIA

www.europarl.europa.eu/parlamentarium

Willy Brandt building Esplanade Solidarność Rue Wiertz 60 / Wiertzstraat 60 B-1047 Brussels