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MARCH 3, 2016 \ NEWSWEEKLY - € 0,75 \ ReAd MORe AT WWW.FlAndeRSTOdAY.eu cuRRenT AFFAIRS \ p2

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aLL iN THe FaMiLY

Nippon Shokubai has won Flanders Investment & Trade’s annual trophy for expanding its factory in Antwerp province to its largest outside of Japan

Ground-breaking research from Leuven links immune response to the make-up of the family, with implications for improving resistance to illness

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Flemish director Felix Van Groeningen’s Sundance awardwinning film Belgica opens in cinemas this week \ 14

A new era

© Morteza Nikoubazl/ZUMA Wire

Flanders gears up for business with a post-sanctions Iran lee gillette More articles by Lee \ flanderstoday.eu

The lifting of international sanctions on Iran has opened a wealth of new trade opportunities, and Flemish officials and companies are ready to do business in the world’s largest untapped emerging market.

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purred by the lifting of international sanctions on Iran, Flanders’ international trade agency has reopened its representation office in Tehran and will embark on a major economic mission later this year.

Minister-president Geert Bourgeois, whose portfolio also includes foreign policy, has hailed both developments. In a press statement, he called Iran “a country with huge poten-

tial in the Middle East. For our Flemish ports and companies, including the maritime sector, the opening of the Iranian market means new opportunities”.

Yes it does, agrees Kris Put from Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT), who has just hired an Iranian to run the Tehran office. But he cautions that creating those new opportunities will take time.

Having spent nearly five years in Iran, he saw sanctions take their toll. “They became really strict in 2011, when governments banned more export goods and required specific approval for most others.” Most importantly, he points out, almost all bank transfers were frozen – and still are frozen.

“This made trade nearly impossible. Even eligible companies didn’t bother trying.”

US pressure against doing any business with Iran was no encouragement. Thus much of Iran’s formal economy came to a standstill.

During these same years, despite a sanctions-induced brain drain, the Iranian population under the age of 35 ballooned to 70%. “They want jobs; they want to consume; they want a future,” says Put. “You can’t stop demographic development; that’s what the Iranian government is facing.”

That is Iran’s rationale for striking a deal with the international community, he explains. Sounds straightforward, but continued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

NMBS tests free wi-fi on trains belgian railway runs pilot wi-fi project on Ostend-eupen line Alan Hope Follow Alan on Twitter \ @AlanHopeFT

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ational rail authority NMBS has begun a test project on its Ostend-Eupen line to provide free wi-fi on trains. The project will last three months, but the provision of wi-fi on trains in general will have to wait until 2019.

Federal ministers for telecommunications (Alexander De Croo) and mobility (Jacqueline Galant) joined NMBS chief executive Jo Cornu for the inaugural run of one of the first trains equipped with wi-fi. Two trains on the route will be fitted; the wi-fi will be available in first and second class cars during off-peak hours, but only in first class during peak commuter hours.

“A data connection in the train is one way of allowing people to be more productive, or to watch a Netflix film or a YouTube video,” said NMBS commercial director Bart De Groote. “In

either case, they can make good use of their time, unlike in the car.”

Depending on the results of the evaluation following the test, the system will be extended to other routes in 2017. Cornu asked De Croo to ensure that mobile operators cover the entire rail network, so that the service could finally be available on all trains by 2019.

Whether the service will remain free at that point remains to be seen. “This is a very big investment that we have to find some way of making back,” De Groote said. Some European countries, including the Netherlands, Sweden and Italy, already offer free wi-fi on all trains.

Passengers who make use of the new connection can offer their opinion and impressions via email to wifi@b-rail.be.

Stuyven, Van Avermaet win as road race season kicks off The cycle road racing season kicked off last weekend, with wins for Greg Van Avermaet and rising star Jasper Stuyven.

Lokeren’s Van Avermaet (pictured) took the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, while Stuyven, from Leuven, won Sunday’s Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.

Stuyven, from the Trek-Segafredo team, held off Van Avermaet, local legend Tom Boonen and world champion Peter Sagan to win by 17 seconds. He had crashed in the previous day’s race and had to ride with bandaged hands on Sunday.

The 23-year-old is seen as one of

© Courtesy De Standaard

Belgium’s most promising new talents.

He was the 2009 junior road world champion, won the 2010 junior edition of Paris-Roubaix and became a profes-

sional rider in 2014.

Van Avermaet came second in the Omloop two years ago and has regularly finished on the podium in major spring races without claiming a win, but this time he was able to keep his poise for his first victory of the season, holding off Sagan and Tiesj Benoot in a sprint finish.

Meanwhile, Stig Broeckx was knocked down by a medical motorbike during the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and was taken to hospital with a fractured collarbone and rib. \ Leo Cendrowicz

Motorist drives three kilometres on pre-metro lines A man who drove his SUV into a tram tunnel in Brussels and kept going for three kilometres before becoming trapped on the tram lines faces a hefty bill for the recovery operation, a spokesperson for the Brussels public transport authority MIVB said.

“We have an agreement with our insurance agency; anyone who holds up transport has to pay compensation,” said spokesperson Guy Sablon. “How much exactly depends on the duration of the problem and the type of transport involved.”

The man, who is in his 60s, brought tram services to a standstill on three lines for several hours on Monday night when he drove into the pre-metro tunnel near

the Albert station in Vorst, eventually passing through four stations to finally run aground in South Station. He subsequently failed an alcohol breath test.

Motorists occasionally enter a tram tunnel by mistake, said Sablon, but can usually exit quickly. “This is the first time we’ve seen anything like this.

There’s no way he didn’t know he was somewhere he didn’t belong.”

The car had to be removed by a special tow vehicle intended for trams, and traffic on lines 3, 4 and 51 was suspended.

An inspection team checked the section of the network concerned to ensure that the Range Rover had not caused damage to the tracks or other installations. The driver will be billed for the

© Bastien Nguyen/Twitter

entire operation.

“It’s fortunate that the car didn’t come across a tram on its way,” Sablon said.

“Luckily, nobody was hurt.” (See poll, p16) \ AH

March brings electricity tax and cheaper medications A number of administrative changes come into effect on 1 March. The charge known as the Turteltaks comes into force in Flanders, adding an estimated €100 to a normal household’s annual electricity bill. The tax will be charged by suppliers either in instalments or at the end of the year.

Ecocheques can now be used for a wider range of purchases including solar panels, high-yield boilers, bicycles, energy meters and soot filters.

The price of various prescription medications comes down by up to 54% in the case of antibiotics and 61% in the case of essential drugs. The cost of generic medications is decreasing by 17% to encourage their use.

Restrictive contracts applied by breweries to pub managers will disappear under a new code of conduct that gives managers more freedom to decide which products they stock in addition to the brewers’ own brands.

Construction workers now have to be registered on all sites where works have a value of €500,000, down from €800,000 before. The measure is intended to combat the use of imported foreign labour to avoid tax and social insurance.

The obligatory vaccination against rabies for dogs is abolished. The obligation previously applied to all parts of Belgium south of the Sambre and Maas rivers, as well as campsites. Belgium has been officially free of rabies since 2001.

Flemish public broadcaster VRT welcomes its new managing director, Paul Lembrechts, a trained veterinarian who comes to the company from a career in banking. \ AH

457 million 27% kilograms of waste per resident per year by 2022, down from 157kg at present, planned by Flemish environment minister Joke Schauvliege. Coastal towns will be allowed more waste

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hectolitres of beer sold by AB InBev in 2015. That’s the equivalent of 18.3 billion pintjes, or about 25 for every man, woman and child on the planet

ofspeedcamerasonFlanders’roads are not working properly, mobility minister Ben Weyts revealed in a parliamentary answer

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regional buses and 10 school buses ordered by Flemish public transport authority De Lijn from coach builder VDL of Roeselare, at a cost of €27 million

officially recognised Syria fightersfrom Belgium, of whom 117 have returned to Belgium. 197 came out of Brussels and 195 from Flanders. Vilvoorde, long recognised as having a problem, had 27

MARcH 3, 2016

week iN bRieF Belgian state security services performed their job adequately in relation to the terrorist attacks in Paris last November, the I Committee, which oversees the intelligence services, has concluded.

The service did its job in collecting information on the terrorists – all of them French nationals – who had become known to the Belgian services.

Last week saw 300 people take part in a large-scale emergency exercise in the new SchumanJosaphat tunnel in Brussels, ahead of the tunnel’s opening in April. The exercise took about four hours and was done in the presence of federal home affairs minister Jan Jambon, Brussels minister Cécile Jodogne and EU director of security Ilkka Salmi.

The tunnel is monitored by a control room and 170 cameras in the Schuman station and tunnel.

The Dutch owners of the cargo ship Flinterstar, which sank off Zeebrugge last autumn, have to pay the costs of the ship’s salvage, the court of appeal in Ghent has ruled. The shipping company Flinter, of Barendrecht, had invoked the maritime rule of abandonment, where the owner of a wreck can refuse all responsibility for salvage, but that was contested by Belgium’s federal minister for the North Sea, Bart Tommelein.

The Flemish cancer fund Kom op tegen Kanker has begun an action to allow cancer patients to carry on with their studies without losing the child allowance. At present, older students who sign up for fewer than 27 credits, or 17 hours per week, in an academic year lose the right to child allowance, even if their studies have been interrupted by illness and treatments.

FaCe OF FLaNdeRs Brussels-City council has approved works on the Stefania tunnel, which closed in January for safety reasons. The works involve replacing concrete in a section 60 metres long and should be finished by the end of May. The Montgomery tunnel, meanwhile, which links the end of the E40 with Montgomery square, is the latest Brussels tunnel to close, after a slab of concrete rose by eight centimetres. The tunnel was closed in both directions, and the above-ground tram 81 diverted to prevent further damage to the tunnel on Montgomeryplein.

Flemish artist Wim Delvoye has lost an action against the placing of two wind turbines along the E40 and Brussels-Ghent railway line at Melle in East Flanders, after a decision by Flemish environment minister Joke Schauvliege. The minister was ruling on an objection to a permit granted by East Flemish authorities. The location is close to Delvoye’s home.

A director and psychiatrist of an institution and seven police officers, all involved in the 2010 death of Jonathan Jacobs, have had their sentences confirmed by a court in Antwerp. Jacobs died in a Mortsel cell while being restrained by police officers during a psychotic episode.

He had previously been refused entry to a psychiatric hospital in Boechout. The accused were tried in absentia in May last year after they failed to show. The police officers were sentences to four monthssuspendedforinvoluntary manslaughter. The two officials of the hospital were sentenced to six months suspended for criminal negligence.

The winter period for gas and electricity, during which utility companies may not cut off supply for non-payment of bills, has been

extended until the end of March.

Normally the period ends on 1 March.

Staff at Delhaize and Albert Heijn stores being closed by owner Ahold Delhaize – created through a merger last year – have begun protests. Last week saw actions at stores in Antwerp Groenplaats, Turnhout and Ghent Overpoort, each one nominated by the competition authorities for sale or closure in order to approve the merger on competition grounds. Eight Albert Heijn stores and an as-yet undisclosed number of Delhaize franchises must close.

The court of appeal in Ghent has refused to overturn a judgement of a lower court, which rejected a suit filed by victims of sexual assault by clergy. The action involved 36 victims of sexual abuse who tried to hold the Belgian bishops’ conference and the Vatican responsible for what they claimed was damages caused by the cover-up of sexual abuse in the church.

The new traffic plan for Ghent’s city centre has been passed after a marathon city council debate lasting eight hours. The plan divides the city centre into six zones, with the aim of diverting through traffic elsewhere. The dispute covered the question of citizen participation, which opposition parties CD&V and N-VA thought should be in the form of a referendum.

Consumer affairs minister Kris Peeters has announced the launch of a one-stop shop for all victims of scams and fraud, where they can find advice while registering their experience. The new reporting point does not investigate individual cases. \ meldpunt.belgie.be

OFFside Hotel Mama

A judge in Kortrijk has confirmed what most mums in Flanders knew already: Your mum must cater to all your needs for free, even if you’re in your 20s.

The mum in question is Claudine Deprez from Menen, West Flanders. She has three grown children, all of whom live with her. Two of them kick in €250 a month to help with costs, which is what you might expect from working adults – the sum of €8.33 a day for gas, electricity, water, food and drink, not to mention rent.

The third offspring, a man of 27, refuses to contribute, even though he, like his siblings, has a full-time job.

Deprez, 53, hauled him up before the justice of the peace, who ordered the delinquent son to leave Hotel Mama within eight days. Deprez, soft hearted mother that she is, could not bring herself to kick her chick out of the nest. That was three years ago.

The son did leave the family home in the end, under police escort, when an argument over money and responsibilities got out of hand. Deprez tried again to get an agreement, and the case came before the family tribunal last week, which ruled that she had no right

© Tim de Waele/Corbis

Sven nys He is the Mohammed Ali, Usain Bolt and Eddy Merckx of cyclocross: Sven Nys so dominates his sport that his name is now synonymous with it.

He has won countless baubles in chaotic scrambles through the grime, mostly in the uniquely thick, muddy forest and fields of Flanders. He still starts virtually every cyclo-cross race as the favourite and has appeared on podiums so often that it often seems like this is more of a natural habitat than his own saddle.

Yet, this weekend, it comes to an end. In a two-day cycling event at the 23,000-seater Sportpaleis called Merci Sven, he brings the curtain down on his extraordinary career. At the age of 39, he says he’s had enough of the relentless demands of the sport. (Although, given that he rescinded a previous plan to hang up his cycling shoes in 2014, it might be worth checking back this time next year.)

Nys is known as the Cannibal from Baal, or simply the General.

His roster of glory includes seven World Cups, 46 World Cup races, nine Belgian national championships, three national mountain bike titles and over 150 competitive victories. Surprisingly, he holds “only” two world championship titles (Sankt Wendel, Germany in 2005 and Louisville, Kentucky in 2013).

Cyclo-cross is a twisted, Bizarro

version of classic cycling: Riders force their light mountain bikes through thick mud, and when the hills become too steep and the mud too heavy, they dismount and carry their bikes on their shoulders.

Flanders looms over the sport – 14 of the 23 World Cup winners have been from the region – and Nys now leaves the field to fellow Flemings like Kevin Pauwels, Bart Aernouts, Klaas Vantornout, Rob Peeters and Bart Wellens.

Nys began racing BMX bikes at the age of eight, winning eight national titles before switching to cyclo-cross, where he turned professional in 1998. He won everything there was to win in the sport and more, claiming the Belgian Sports Personality of the Year in 2006.

He will remain in cycling as manager of the Telenet-Fidea team and will incorporate the professional team and different development squads with the Sven Nys Cycling Center, an offroad cycling experience centre he plans to open soon in Baal, near his home.

Last week, after his final race, Nys was still saying his goodbyes, tweeting: “Thanks everyone for all these messages all those fine words all those images and all those warm hugs.” \ Leo Cendrowicz

Flanders Today, a weekly english-language newspaper, is an initiative of the Flemish Region and is financially supported by the Flemish authorities.

The logo and the name Flanders Today belong to the Flemish Region (Benelux Beeldmerk nr 815.088). The editorial team of Flanders Today has full editorial autonomy regarding the content of the newspaper and is responsible for all content, as stipulated in the agreement between Corelio Publishing and the Flemish authorities.

© Ingimage

to charge her kids for living with her.

Although Deprez’s son is earning a salary, she cannot impose a charge on him unless he has signed a contract, said the judge. In the absence of such a contract, mum walked away empty-handed. Caveat parens. \ AH

edITOR Lisa Bradshaw depuTY edITOR Sally Tipper cOnTRIbuTIng edITOR Alan Hope Sub edITOR Linda A Thompson AgendA Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino ART dIRecTOR Paul Van Dooren pRepReSS Mediahuis AdPro cOnTRIbuTORS Rebecca Benoot, Bartosz Brzezi´nski, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Andy Furniere, Lee Gillette, Diana Goodwin, Clodagh Kinsella, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Denzil Walton geneRAl MAnAgeR Hans De Loore publISHeR Mediahuis NV

edITORIAl AddReSS Gossetlaan 30 - 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden tel 02 467 23 06 editorial@flanderstoday.eu SubScRIpTIOnS tel 03 560 17 49 subscriptions@flanderstoday.eu or order online at www.flanderstoday.eu AdveRTISIng 02 467 24 37 advertising@flanderstoday.eu veRAnTWOORdelIJKe uITgeveR Hans De Loore

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\ POLITICS

5TH COLUMN Agreeing on the agreement

Flanders’ education minister, Hilde Crevits (CD&V), rarely getsangry.Butlastweek,shedid.

The reason was Open VLD party president Gwendolyn Rutten’s demand that an agreement about the reform of secondary education be amended. Rutten wants to include pre-school and primary education in the master plan for reforms.

Many people agree with Rutten’s arguments. Children have a much better chance in the education system if they start off at the early age of three, for instance. Also, many feel that the age of 10 is too late to start French classes.

So what upset Crevits so much?

Undoubtedly the reform agreement’s troubled history. It was a compromise that was years in the making. The education sector has put in a huge amount of effort and has been a strong advocate of the agreement for a long time.

Politically speaking, the agreement has had a bumpy ride.

Under the previous government of Flanders, N-VA party president Bart De Wever – the region’s most influential politician – stepped in at a late stage to demand the reform be modified. He believed that it would result in a sort of academic dumbing down, putting stronger students at a disadvantage.

That the agreement even exists today, after De Wever’s intervention, is a small miracle. This term, Crevits had hoped to get the reform passed without too much discussion – only to see another party president step in. Crevits rightly fears that this may be the end of the agreement completely.

The education minister reminded Rutten that she had signed the coalition government agreement, which calls for the vote. In doing this, she hinted that Open VLD signed the coalition agreement without negotiating it, joining the Flemish government ranks at the very last minute. The liberals are not even needed for a majority in the Flemish parliament.

Some observers see Rutten’s move as an attempt to grab the limelight. Her party has lost some of its edge ever since N-VA became “more liberal than the liberals” on economic issues such as taxation, budget and small government. Rutten’s strong views on education, on which the liberals have traditionally focused, would thus serve to mark out the difference between the two parties and quiet any internal dissent.

Last week it was announced that there is only one candidate to succeed Rutten as party president of Open VLD: Rutten herself. \ Anja Otte

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Gatz proposes Culture Bank Flanders’ culture minister proposes alternatives to arts subsidies Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

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lemish culture minister Sven Gatz has announced plans to set up a Culture Bank, through which the private sector would be able to finance small-scale projects via micro-credit and other loans. He also launched the idea of a new art sale arrangement.

His proposal follows widespread concern within the cultural sector at the government’s cuts in subsidies, both to cultural organisations and individual artists and projects. Since taking office in 2014, he has tried to temper his announcements of reduced subsidies with promises to look for alternative means of financing.

Speaking on VRT radio, he described the new White Paper as “a menu” resulting from his department’s research, offering a selection of possibilities. “We now have to choose something from the menu,” he said.

Culture minister Sven Gatz (second from left) on a visit to Flanders’ Centre for Religious Art and Culture

One proposal involves extending the tax shelter system, already in place for film – where investors gain tax advantages for every euro invested – to stage productions such as theatre and dance. Discussions are under way with the federal government.

The Culture Bank would be similar to Cultuurinvest, a fund within the government’s PMV investment company, which handles large-scale projects. The Culture Bank, Gatz explained, would offer interest-free loans of up to €7,000 for smaller projects and between €7,000 and €100,000 at low interest for medium-sized projects.

The minister also proposed adopting the KunstKoop system in operation in the Netherlands since 1997, which encourages the sale of art.

The system allows buyers to purchase artworks from museums on an instalment plan, at low or zero rates of interest.

“Several hundred works by young artists are sold in this way every year,” said Gatz. “That helps the artists, and it also makes it possible for young people who may not have much money to buy original works of art.”

Unions go to Constitutional Court over raising of retirement age

© Romainberth/Wikimedia

Leading figure in Buildings Agency corruption trial gets 18 months One of the main suspects in the corruption case involving the federal government’s Buildings Agency has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by the Brussels Court of Appeal. Raphael Engels was given a two-year suspended sentence last April and appealed.

The Court of Appeals earlier handed down tougher sentences to others accused in the same case.

The Buildings Agency manages all of the real estate in the government’s possession, as well as administers rented property. The case concerned agency officials who used their position to demand kick-backs from private sector contractors who carried out work on government buildings.

The contractor would inflate the price for the works, which would be approved by agency officials. The surplus portion would then be paid back to the official in question.

Officials, the original trial heard, also received gifts such as expensive meals, holidays and works carried out for free on their own properties. Engels, whose portfolio included the Brussels Justice Palace (pictured), was considered one of the key figures in what the lower court described as “a criminal conspiracy” and “an institutionalised system of fraud and corruption”. He was sentenced to 18 months without suspension and fined €200,000. \ AH

Belgium’s three main unions – liberal ACLVB, Christian ACV and socialist ABVV – are bringing a case before the Constitutional Court against raising the minimum retirement age to 67 for employees, civil servants and teaching staff.

According to the joint action, the increase in the pension age is “a substantial move backwards from the right to social security as guaranteed in the constitution”.

The new rules are also discriminatory, according to the unions, because of their particular effect on women. The retirement age for women was previously 60, while men retired at 65, which means that men now have to work only two years more than before, while women’s work period is increased by seven years.

“This measure was forced through out of pure ideology, without any analysis being done on either the social security system or on the people affected,” the unions argue.

“Alternatives such as extra financing, although proposed by the expert commission, were never taken into consideration.”

The new regulations not only raised the standard pension age

© Ingimage

to 67, they also set a minimum number of 42 years worked for anyone wanting to take early retirement. That is substantially longer than the average 36.6 years worked by women. “Discrimination in the workplace is being ratified by the pension regulations,” the unions said. “Women get to pay twice over.”

The unions are calling for a “serious and global approach” to the pensions debate that “takes account of the reality”. That includes “a reasonable pension age, decent pensions for everyone and extra financing for social security.” \ AH

Brussels teams up with consultancy firms on new climate plan The City of Brussels has announced a collaboration with local consultancy firms CO2logic and Eco Res to create a new climate plan. The goal is to make strides towards meeting the EU’s energy and climate goals for 2030.

The companies will first analyse greenhouse gas emissions; the plan drawn up on the basis of this data will define a local energy and climate policy to reduce emissions. The plan will also address opportunities in the Brussels-Capital Region to generate renewable energy. In addition, a system will be developed to monitor the reduction of CO2 emissions through reduced energy use and the production of renewable energy.

“The City of Brussels is already monitoring current energy consumption and insulating the buildings in the city,” said Ahmed El Ktibi,

Brussels’ environment alderman, in a statement. “I am looking forward to the results of this study so that we can capitalise on new alternatives to bolster our current efforts.”

Brussels-City mayor Yvan Mayeur said that he was very much aware of the need to step up the city’s efforts against climate change “The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions was one of the crucial factors in the decision to implement the pedestrian zone in the centre,” he said. “Traffic accounts for some 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, so it is vital to reduce the traffic pressure in our city as much as possible.” \ Andy Furniere

\ COVER STORY

MARcH 3, 2016

A new era

Flemish international trade agency reopens office in Tehran FlAndeRSInveSTMenTAndTRAde.cOM

continued from page 1

lifting sanctions, he says, is a threephase process plagued by “buts”.

Iran’s currency reserves abroad are being released, but they won’t amount to much. “Maybe $30 billion [€27 billion] will be left after paying outstanding debts.”

Iran is free to export oil and gas, but the sanctions-stunted industry desperately needs investments.

Mutual investment and bank transfers are, in principal, permitted, but Western banks aren’t rushing in. “They’re negotiating with Iranian banks but want to make sure such activity really is legal and that they won’t get fined by the US,” Put explains.

Unlike the EU member states and other countries, the US has made scant changes to its sanctions.

American companies and banks remain largely prohibited from doing business with Iran. And since the agreement provides for sanctions to be lifted only as Iran meets conditions over eight to 10 years, Put says, “changing US sanctions will probably take that long”.

Thus the FIT official doesn’t expect mind-blowing growth in Iran in the coming years. “Maybe it’ll reach 4 or 5%,” he says. “It’s the world’s largest untapped emerging market, yes, but there are huge question marks.

The economy and infrastructure are broken; there’s no money to restart the flow of oil and gas, and oil is only $30 [€27] per barrel.”

Iran might not be a dream export destination, but the nation learned to make do with what it had. “Under sanctions, Iranians managed to do things on their own. They’re highly skilled and didn’t stand still culturally or in their attitude,” he explains.

According to Put, Iran won’t focus on importing finished products but will instead strive to become a major petrochemical hub in order to diversify, produce more products and be a crucial link in the product chain. “This, they hope, will create jobs for their masses of young people. They’ve seen how China succeeded, and they certainly won’t become another Saudi Arabia,” he says, pointing to the highly oil-based economy of the Arab nation.

This limited focus could pair well with what Flanders has to offer.

“We’re strong in machinery, especially specific parts, so a potential project could be a joint venture in, say, bus production: Flanders exports parts and Iran assembles and finishes the buses on its own soil. This employs Iranians, creates income, spending and consumption and drives the economy.”

How many Flemish industries could work with Iran in this way?

Enough to require a deep breath before listing them: “Construction, automotive, logistics, food, maritime, textile machines, agriculture – Iran has four climates at the

© Gonzales Photo/Malthe Ivarsson/Corbis

Flanders’ strengths in many industrial areas, including machinery, automotive, logistics and maritime, will ensure the region new contracts in Iran

same time, all kinds of soils, ample land and rain – and health care is huge,” Put says. “The FIT office continually receives enquiries for hospitals and medical equipment, which Flanders excels in.”

Flemish investors are likely to find fairly liberal legislation but also administrative hurdles and corruption, which makes finding local partners crucial – but not easy from afar. “Internet and phone connections are outdated, and forget video conferencing.”

All the more reason to go in person, as investors will likely be well received. “Flanders has always had good relations with Iran, and Iranians are very pro-Western.

While they did not openly express joy at the lifting of sanctions, the atmosphere is positive,” confirms Put. “Daily life won’t change in the short term, but it will improve eventually. The question is how much wealth will trickle down.”

Iranian food and pharmaceutical companies weathered the sanctions well and have some cash

for local ventures. Others would benefit from coming to Flanders.

“The petrochemical sector could establish distribution offices and ultimately build storage facilities in Antwerp or Zeebrugge. Logically, this could become its European hub.”

“Some say we’re going too late because Tehran is flooded by missions now, but I think it’s just right. By then, bank transfers will kick in, and oil and gas will be flowing, whereas now doing business is very difficult,” Put says.

“The mission will be multi-secto-

Under sanctions, Iranians managed to do things on their own. They’re highly skilled and didn’t stand still In the coming years, Put believes, trade between Flanders and Iran could reach pre-sanctions levels.

Flanders is not starting from scratch. FIT’s Tehran office had actually been active before falling dormant last autumn. Now that it’s been kick-started, it’s also expanding, and expectations for the FIT mission planned for later this year are high.

© Transuniverse Forwarding

Transuniverse Forwarding CEO Frank Adins and the Iranian ambassador to Belgium, Mahmoud Barimani, at the Iran-focused seminar the Ghent-based company recently organised

ral; companies not going are already networking with those that are, and lawyers and consultants are offering their services. It’s only February, so there’s potential for a huge mission.”

For companies entirely new to Iran, he says, it’s too early to jump in, “but two kinds of Flemish companies are going in now – very large companies and companies that were active before sanctions”.

An example of the latter is Transuniverse Forwarding, based in Wondelgem, a district of Ghent.

The company started in Iran in 1983 and expanded its way back to Belgium, where it has 100 employees. It transports cargo all over the continent and beyond.

Kevin Van Ongeval, who oversees the company’s operations in the Middle East, worked in Iran for eight years and continues to travel there a few times a year. “For us, the lifting of sanctions is good; it will mostly affect volume. Under sanctions, we sent two or three groupage trucks a week. This week we’ve already sent 12. Imagine all the other forwarding companies,

especially maritime. Their volume will definitely increase.”

Last November, anticipating the lifting of sanctions, Transuniverse hired new staff to deal with Iranian administration and hosted a Doing Business in Iran seminar. It was attended by 150 of its customers, the East Flanders Chamber of Commerce, the Brussels Chamber of Commerce, KBC Bank, the Bar Baran Iran international shipping company and the Iranian ambassador to Belgium.

At the time, about 40 of the company’s 5,000 customers shipped to Iran. “Now those 40 have become 60 or 70,” says Van Ongeval. “But remember, the embargoes haven’t really ended yet. It’s still not easy to export to Iran.”

FAM sales manager Ludo Zaidi agrees. Founded in 1980 in Kontich, south of Antwerp, and currently with 90 employees, FAM was also active under sanctions.

It designs and manufactures high-capacity slicing and dicing machines for the food processing industry – 80% for export.

“We’re fortunate to have an agent with offices in Iran and Germany, so most of our machines are invoiced to his German company,” explains Zaidi. “Other customers pay via Dubai. Direct payments are still difficult, if not impossible.”

Nevertheless, he says, “Our sales have increased over the seven years we’ve been in the Iranian market, and we expect more business now. Last year I went to Tehran once or twice; this year I’ll go four times.”

FAM’s biggest competitor is American, which the sanctions prohibited from operating in Iran, so the company has a real competitive advantage. “Iran’s climate drives a huge fruit and vegetable production sector, so the big difference for us will be what Iranian companies can do,” says Zaidi. “Our customers there will export again, so we’ll sell our machines to Iranian companies that export to other Gulf states and beyond. Our Iran agent says people are optimistic.”

So is Zaidi. “In 2015, we sold eight machines in Iran. This year we’ve already sold three.” He’ll try to add to that in May when he attends the 23rd International Agricultural Trade Fair in Tehran.

There’s a lot of talk about Iran’s potential in the Middle East, but Put doesn’t buy it. “I very much doubt it’s a way into the Middle East. It’s more a hub for nearby former CIS countries [Commonwealth of Independent States] and Central Asia,” Zaidi explains.

“Many Afghans speak Farsi; the cultural and linguistic ties go in that direction. So will trade. Sending goods to Asia will be faster through Iran than through Turkey or Georgia.”

\5

\ BUSINESS

week iN bUsiNess Baking Puratos

The producer of additives and yeast for the baking and food industries has received a €40 million loan to expand its research and development activities at its headquarters in Groot-Bijgaarden.

Banking KBC

Flanders’ largest financial institution has signed a partnership agreement with the US Techstars start-up accelerator to develop its Start-It Fund for local entrepreneurs.

E-commerce Alibaba

The Chinese business-to-business and e-commerce group is hiring some 100 local employees, who will go to China to better understand the needs of Chinese visitors to Europe.

Alibaba chair Jack Ma expects to use his platform to sell European luxury goods to the Chinese.

Fashion Marie Jo

The Schellebelle-based producer of up-market lingerie has plans to start a homeshopping activity modelled on Tupperware parties. The company will also create experience centres for potential customers.

Freight Ethiopian Airlines

The carrier has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop its cargo and freight activities at Brussels Airport, with up to 28 flights a week to Dubai, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The service would be operated for DHL Global Forwarding. The airline transferred its activities from Brussels to Maastricht last year, and local authorities hope to win back the business.

Property Wiltcher’s

The prestigious building housing the Wiltcher’s hotel, previously known as the Conrad, on Louizalaan in Brussels is being sold for some €125 million by its owners, AG Real Estate. The complex includes 8,000 square metres of office space, 7,000 square metres of shopping space and some residential apartments.

Retail Ikea

The Swedish group has plans to open a store in Kortrijk in the coming years. The company is also considering a second outlet north of Antwerp as the one in Wilrijk is south of the city.

\6

Nippon Shokubai and Volvo Cars are investors of the year FIT rewards job creators in Flanders’ chemical and car sectors Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

T

he Investment of the Year trophy has been awarded to Nippon Shokubai, a Japanese chemical company specialised in the production of acrylic acid and super-absorbent polymers, such as is used in disposable nappies and sanitary and incontinence products. The award is given annually by Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT).

Nippon Shokubai announced plans for worldwide expansion in 2015, including a brand new factory at its site in Zwijndrecht, Antwerp province. When completed in 2018, it will be the company’s second-largest production facility in the world. That involves an investment of €350 million and the creation of 70 jobs.

“This trophy emphasises the importance of overseas investment for Flanders,” said minister-president Geert Bourgeois, present at the award ceremony. “I sincerely congratulate

© De Standaard

Nippon Shokubai in Japan

Nippon Shokubai for their commitment here.”

Last year overseas investors supported 227 projects for a value of €2.7 billion, creating or maintaining 4,350 jobs.

Volvo Cars in Ghent, meanwhile, won FIT’s Lifetime Achievement trophy. The company, which

was purchased by the Chinese holding company Zhejiang Geely in 2010, celebrated its 50th anniversary in Flanders last June. It took the opportunity to announce an investment of €200 million over the coming three years in a new modular assembly platform.

In its first year, 1965, the Ghent plant rolled out 5,551 cars. By 2015, the annual output was 252,479. In February of 2015 the plant celebrated when it produced its 5,555,555th car. The plant produces three models and employs 5,000 people.

“Volvo Cars proves that Flanders – and its automotive sector in particular – continues to demonstrate what a strong attraction it has for overseas investors,” said FIT director-general Claire Tillekaerts, “as a combination of a knowledge-driven economy and top geographical location.”

Some Albert Heijn stores must close, say competition authorities

Tourism in Flanders and Brussels is good for 240,000 jobs

Ahold Delhaize, the merged supermarket chain made up of Albert Heijn and Delhaize, must close eight stores in Belgium to meet the demands of the Competition Authority, according to unions representing supermarket workers.

Ahold Delhaize plans to close eight Albert Heijn (AH) stores: Kiel, Antwerp Groenplaats, Oudenaarde, Lokeren, Leuven, Boortmeerbeek, Turnhout and Ghent Overpoort. All eight stores, which employ a total of 400 people, are under AH’s own management rather than franchises. AH currently has 38 stores in Flanders and none in the rest of the country.

Delhaize is also required to close some stores but has not yet made public how many and which locations. According to a company spokesperson, only a small number of franchises are concerned. “The stores and their staff have been informed,” the spokesperson said.

The closure decisions have been reported to the Competition Authority, which will make a final decision on 17 March, three days after the shareholders of AH and Delhaize have given their final word on the merger. \ AH

The tourism sector in Flanders and Brussels provided 240,000 jobs and an economic value of €11.7 billion in 2014, according to new figures from the Flemish government’s research department.

The jobs in the sector are split roughly between 183,000 employees and 57,000 self-employed.

They also include a large number of lower-skilled jobs, such as in hotels and amusement parks. The economic weight of the sector, which represents about 4.5% of the total GDP of the two regions, includes the food and drinks service industry, travel agencies and cultural services.

Tourism is thus more significant

Support for SMEs to be made simpler

New legislation on drones is ready for review

Flemish economy minister Philippe Muyters has announced a simplification of the government’s support for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), starting in April.

The changes take place within the SME portfolio, a set of measures intended to assist SMEs with advice and coaching. The portfolio, according to Muyters, has become a victim of its own success, with the addition over the years of new measures so that the system has lost sight of its original aims – transparency and ease of access.

“Entrepreneurs expect just one thing from a government: that they make it as simple as possible to do business,” said Muyters. The first change allows businesses to decide for them-

Federal mobility minister Jacqueline Galant has completed preparations for new legislation governing the use of drones. The original draft of Galant’s proposal divided the drone sector into two fields: recreational and professional. After consultation with the European Commission, a new version was drafted that divides the professional sector further into Class One and Class Two. Class One concerns drones weighing up to 150 kilograms, with a ceiling of 90 metres, either high-risk – flying over a crowd, for example – or low risk.

Pilots need to be over 18 and have a flying licence, and drones must be registered.

Class Two drones weigh less than five kilos and have a ceiling of 45 metres.

Pilots have to be 16 and have a flying certificate. These drones must also be registered.

Recreational users – an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 drones are sold every month in Belgium, according to Limburg importer Skyeye – do not need a flying licence or registration. Their maximum flying height is set at 30 metres.

Two technical requirements from the original draft – the presence of a GPS tracking system and signalling lights – have been dropped from the new version. The latter measure was a guard against surreptitious use of drones, such as to film people in private situations. However, Galant stressed that privacy laws are sufficient to cover that area. “What goes on the ground, goes in the air,” she said. Galant hopes to have the law in place before the summer. \ AH

selves what kind of advice and coaching they need. Small businesses can now call on support from the government of 40% of the cost of training or market studies, for example, up to a maximum of €10,000; mediumsized businesses receive 30% of the cost up to a maximum of €15,000.

Growth subsidies are also available for companies wishing to innovate or go international.

The government support comes to 50% of the cost, up to a maximum of €25,000. “This reform gives the SME portfolio back its original strength,” Muyters said.

“We want to encourage every entrepreneur to invest in quality and reduce the barriers to innovate for all companies with potential for growth.” \ AH

© Milo-profi/Visit Flanders

economically than the food industry (2.5%), the chemical industry (2.9%) or the financial sector (3.5%). The figures for Flanders and Brussels are in line with other countries that are not considered major summer tourist destinations. The Netherlands, for instance, comes in at 4.6% and Denmark at 5.2%. \ AH

\ INNOVATION

MARcH 3, 2016

In sickness and in health

groundbreaking Ku leuven discovery links immune systems and parenting Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

R

aising a child can bring a couple closer together in many ways – including one way that’s only just been discovered by researchers in Flanders.

Professor Adrian Liston and his team at the University of Leuven found that the individual immune systems of two parents living together become very similar. The discovery – reported in the journal Nature Immunology – opens up an array of possibilities.

Every person has a different immune system with a unique composition of certain types of cells. “Some people have an immune system with more types of cells that protect them against viruses, while others’ immune systems make them more resistant to bacteria,” explains Liston, who is originally from Australia but has worked in Leuven for seven years. He is also connected to Flanders’ life sciences research institute VIB. Supported by funding from the European Research Council, Liston’s team spent about four years examining the immune systems of 670 people, looking into the causes of the variation in immune systems. They analysed the effects of age, gender, obesity and depression.

Age was pinpointed as a crucial factor, in line with the knowledge that the aging process reduces the effect of vaccinations and resistance to infections.

Couples living together with a baby tend to have a similar diet, sleeping patterns and levels of stress The researchers also examined the effect of flu vaccinations and gastroenteritis, or infectious diarrhoea. The vaccinations were carried out by the British Babraham Institute on 32 volunteers in the UK. All other 638 test subjects were Flemish, with 24 of them providing insights into the consequences of gastroenteritis.

“Flu vaccinations and gastroenteritis only had a temporary effect,” says Liston. “After a few months, the immune systems had bounced back completely.”

The big surprise for the scientists came when they looked at the immune profiles of 70 couples raising a child together in the same household. It turned out that the pairs of parents had

Electric taxis hit streets of Antwerp

Electric taxis hit the streets of Antwerp last week. The taxis – the first in Flanders – are part of a pilot project by environmental organisation Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL) and national taxi association GTL. The organisations are exploring the feasibility of making the whole taxi sector in Flanders electric, including the impact of the vehicles both economically and ecologically. Experts in Antwerp will map the practical obstacles and the conditions needed to operate the e-taxis. They hope to expand the pilot project to the entire region by the end of the year.

Antidepressant use still rising

© Ingimage

immune systems that were 50% more similar to each other’s than to those of randomly selected people. “Parenting seems to have an effect on the immune system equal to that of 40 years of aging,” says Liston.

The reasons for this partial synchronisation are connected to the parents’ lifestyles, which are attuned to each other. “Couples living together with a baby tend to have a similar diet, sleeping patterns and levels of stress,” explains Liston.

As they live together, couples are affected by similar bacteria in the house and transmit millions of bacteria through contact. For example, 80 million bacteria are transmitted through a kiss on the lips. Raising children also involves the changing of nappies, during which masses of bacteria are transmitted.

A consequence of the adaptation of the immune systems is that one parent can become more susceptible to viruses or resistant to bacteria, or vice versa. Two parents will thus get the same diseases, as their vulnerabilities become similar.

According to Liston, the findings raise questions about the susceptibility to illness of elderly people in care homes, who already have weakened immune systems because of their age. As they live in similar conditions, it may well be that they also become more vulnerable to the same diseases, which means one disease can severely affect a large number of people living in the home.

“If so, it would be wise to protect these people by preserving the diversity of immune systems,” says Liston. “This could be achieved by helping people to continue a similar way of life to what

they had before moving into the care home.”

He hopes to set up a project that investigates this issue, which will become more important as people live longer and fewer elderly people are taken care of by family.

In general, Liston says, the study shows that the immune system is much more flexible than previously thought. “Which means we might be able to influence it to a large extent,” he says.

About one-quarter of a person’s immune system response is determined by their genes, and the rest by environmental factors like living conditions. “If we can ascertain the exact effects of different factors, we can use this knowledge to boost patients’ resistance by precise adjustments in their diet, for example,” says Liston.

The importance of the immune system is increasingly being recognised, he says. “My team has recently begun working with cancer and neuroscience experts, to find out if we can improve cancer and multiple sclerosis therapies.”

His team also examines the cases of patients who have a disease whose cause cannot be determined, to see if the root of the problem lies in the immune system. “Like Dr House’s team, but working in a less spectacular fashion,” says Liston with a smile, referring to the medical drama series House MD. Some of his team’s results, however, are nothing less than spectacular. They cured 12 members of the same family of an unknown inflammatory disease that gave them horrible rashes by discovering a defect in the immune system and giving the patients a drug normally used against arthritis.

Geothermal energy a reality as Mol dig exceeds expectations The drilling for a geothermal energy study carried out by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Vito) has delivered results that far exceed what was expected.

Over the last several months, drilling at the Balmatt site in Mol (pictured) has penetrated a layer in the subsurface 3,610 metres deep that contains hot water. Experts were tasked with examining the water’s temperature and flow rate to determine possibilities for the extraction of geothermal energy.

The water turns out to have a temperature of 138 degrees Celsius, 20 degrees higher than the minimum temperature necessary for the conversion of geothermal heat to electricity. A

week iN iNNOvaTiON

minimum of 90 degrees Celsius is necessary to use it for heating purposes. The flow rate of the water is also better than expected.

Vito will now start drilling a second well, to test the operations of a geothermal power plant. A geothermal plant requires production wells to pump hot water to the surface and injection wells to dispose of cooled water. This second well should be finished by the end of the year.

If the second drill is also successful, plans will be made to carry out four additional drills. With six wells, Vito can set up a geothermal power plant that produces five megawatts of electricity.

The wells would produce enough heat for 900,000 homes in 45 municipalities in Antwerp

© Courtesy Vito

and Limburg provinces, as well as area industry.

Vito would offer residents of Dessel and Mol the opportunity to heat their homes at a stable cost of €120 per month for 20 years. \ AF

Despite campaigns to discourage the excessive use of antidepressants, prescriptions increased again last year, according to figures released by the Institute for Pharmaco-Epidemiology in Belgium. Last year, 314 million daily doses of antidepressants were sold across the country, an increase of 2.7% on 2014 and 35% on 2005. Over the last 20 years, the use of antidepressants in Belgium has tripled. Antidepressants can be addictive and have side effects such as gastro-intestinal issues and loss of libido, said the institute. Studies have also correlated the use of antidepressants with an increased risk of suicidal behaviour in young people. According to the Superior Health Council, doctors prescribe antidepressants too quickly and offer too little in the way of follow-up.

Grant to chart spread of infectious disease Niel Hens, a statistics professor at Hasselt and Antwerp universities, has received a grant of €1.6 million from the European Research Council to examine the spread of infectious diseases. His project, Transdisciplinary Research in Modelling Infectious Diseases, will be carried out over the next five years.

Through the development of new statistical and mathematical models, Hens hopes to formulate answers to fundamental epidemiological questions. He will examine whether schools should close if an infectious disease starts to spread from country to country and if citizens should stay at home to prevent an epidemic from spreading. \ AF

\7

\ EDUCATION

MARcH 3, 2016

Nomads no longer

week iN edUCaTiON

european project headed in limburg turns Roma victims into citizen Senne Starckx More articles by Senne \ flanderstoday.eu

J

ust as the indigenous people of the Arctic don’t like to be called Eskimos, the Romani people, who live scattered across Europe, don’t like being referred to as gypsies. Still, a European project that kicked off last month carries the word in its tagline.

The PAL project, worth €1.27 million, has several goals, the main one of which is “anti-gypsyism”: combating discrimination of Roma people in education and employment.

Though it’s not general knowledge, but the people who suffered the most in the Holocaust after Jewish people were the Romani.

Because history is written by the victorious and the Romani have never been tied to one country, their genocide has never been properly acknowledged.

In Flanders the Romani – or Sinti – are no longer identified as travelling nomads. Estimations of the number of Romani living in Belgium vary between 20,000 and 40,000. Ghent, for example, has a large community, and while these people are no longer nomadic, their housing conditions are generally poor.

In most cases, Romani live permanently in caravan parks or in neglected neighbourhoods. The situation in other countries is not much better.

And in southern and eastern Europe, Romani people also face racism.

“Romani children and youngsters don’t tend to stay at the same school for long,” says Valère Awouters, project leader at ed+ict, a research unit in the teacher training department at the University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL).

“That makes it difficult for schools to arrange proper education for them.”

Ed+ict is leading the European project – the largest the unit has ever been involved in – which unites similar research groups from the Czech Republic, Greece, Slovenia, Romania, Spain, Hungary and France. “The overall goal is to improve the situation of Romani,” says Awouters. “We will investigate how we can address promotion of Roma integration and how we can support the implementation of national Roma inclusion strategies or integrated sets of policy measures.”

So how will Awouters, his colleagues and his foreign partners proceed, in the hope of doing better than existing national policies? “We want

© Kevin Van den Panhuyzen/Demotix/Corbis

Romani people were among those evicted from a church in Brussels where they had been living two years ago

to realise our goals through promoting common democratic values, strengthening fundamental rights and consolidating the rule of law,” he says.

That final point, he continues, “is particularly important in countries like Hungary and Romania, where we need to pay special attention to combating discrimination and racism, and to promoting tolerance and multicultural awareness.” Because education and employment are considered the most important levers for successful integration, PAL’s activities will target these two areas.

These are all nice words, but will they make a difference on the ground? What concrete measures will help Romani youngsters who are struggling with a lack of educational opportunities? “We will develop a specific programme for ‘second chance’ education,” says Awouters. “We will also launch a campaign among the Romani community spreading the message that it’s never too late to benefit from education.”

Because ed+ict’s core business is the deployment of digital media and gaming in education, the education section of the PAL project will have a strong online focus. Online courses will

be set up for teachers in participating countries to offer them a crash course in Romani culture, and schools will receive extra resources that they can use to deal with students. “Schools will host, for example, group building days in which the focus is heavily on socialisation.”

The PAL project should reach 4,000 Romani teenagers, children and young mothers and 700 Romani teachers and trainers, as well as 200 non-Romani trainers. Collaboration with a large number of local NGOs is also on the agenda.

After education, of course, comes employment. What incentives can help the Romani people find work? “We must consider specific and adapted employment,” says Awouters, “combined with a campaign aimed at employers to increase equal opportunities.”

PAL will be accompanied by newsletters, brochures, posters and other promotion material. “We will organise a number of information days and roundtable sessions, to bring all the partners together. Just like we did at our kick-off meeting last month at our campus in Diepenbeek.”

For his PhD in sports sciences, Jotie De Meyer investigated the effect of teaching methods in physical education on the motivation of secondary school students.

So, what did you learn?

I focused on the more negative aspects of teachers’ methods: how

Ghent University has set up the Ayrton Senna chair, named after the Brazilian three-time Formula 1 driver who was killed during a race in 1994. During his career, Senna wanted to support the development of Brazilian children, and his sister Viviane, a psychologist, established the Instituto Ayrton Senna, a nonprofit that supports education policy. Ghent scientists will examine the social-emotional skills of children and young adults and analyse how individual differences like personality, self-esteem and cognitive functioning can best be measured in a school context.

They aim to get a better view of the factors that influence children’s development.

New VUB rector will be a woman

Q&a Why did you choose this research subject?

I find it unfortunate when students are not motivated to join in PE lessons, as bad experiences at school can increase the likelihood that they will be less physically active as adults. One factor that has a significant impact on motivation is the way their teachers act. It was important to get a better understanding of how a teacher’s motivational style affects the motivation of the students in PE.

UGent to work with Ayrton Senna institute

psychological freedom. Teachers can enhance this autonomy satisfaction by taking pupils’ perspectives into account, providing meaningful choices and encouraging initiative.

they exert pressure on pupils and how that influences their pupils’ motivation. We found that pupils in general report their teachers as only being a little controlling. This was also confirmed in our observations of PE lessons. However, when teachers did put pressure on students, they perceived their teachers as more controlling and they also reported that they were less motivated to take part.

Your advice is that “autonomy support” yields better results than pressure. How does this work?

The concept of autonomy is

central in SDT, or Self Determination Theory. A student’s need for autonomy is satisfied when they experience a sense of volition and

Would it help if teachers stopped forcing pupils onto gym equipment?

It’s true that the subject of the lesson is another important factor for motivation. However, I think it’s not preferable to always let students choose what they do in the lessons. The PE teacher needs to bring students into contact with a wide range of activities that are all part of our movement culture.

Students are definitely interested in more than just football!

The two candidates to succeed Paul De Knop as rector of the Free University of Brussels (VUB) are both women: computer scientist Viviane Jonckers and communication sciences professor Caroline Pauwels. One of them will, from September, be the second female rector of a Flemish university – after Anne De Paepe of Ghent University – and only the third woman ever to hold the post at a Flemish university. Jonckers, vice-rector of student policy, wants to focus on the democratisation and internationalisation of education. Pauwels is a professor and director of the research centre iMindsSMIT, which specialises in the study of media and communication technologies. One of her goals would be dealing with the excessive pressure on researchers to publish.

Debate on education reform re-opens

In an interview in De Morgen, Open VLD president Gwendolyn Rutten announced that she wants to re-open the discussion on the Flemish government’s Master Plan for the reform of secondary education. Education minister Hilde Crevits (CD&V) and minister-president Geert Bourgeois (N-VA) responded by saying that the plan has already been integrated into the government agreement and will be carried out as it is. The reform has been the focus of a years-long debate.

The government essentially wants to break down the divisions between general (ASO), technical (TSO) and professional education (BSO) and give students more time to choose which track to follow. \ Andy Furniere

\ Interview by SS

\9

\ LIVING

week iN aCTiviTies Medieval Breakfast and Treasure Hunt

Kids and their parents are invited to enjoy a breakfast from days of yore in a genuine castle. Afterwards, there’s a treasure hunt for the kids, in which they can try to discover the identity of a mysterious burglar. (Treasure hunt can be done without breakfast.) Reservations required for breakfast only on 03 310 05 14 or toerisme@ malle.be. 6 March 8.30-18.00, Kasteel de Renesse, Lierselei 30, Malle (Antwerp province); €10-€15 \ toerisme-malle.be

Food Truck Festival The historic Felix Warehouse in Antwerp is the setting for an all-day foodie festival, with artisanal products, speciality foods and the chance to cheer on participants in the Urban Trail run.

6 March 10.00-20.00; Felix Pakhuis, Godefriduskaai 30, Antwerp; free entry \ felixpakhuis.nu

Storytelling Walks Two walks are offered: one with “scary stories” for adults and a fun walk for kids with stories about nature. Both take place around Schulensmeer Lake, a beautiful nature preserve that’s home to waterfowl and migratory birds. 6 March 14.00-16.00; Schulensmeer Visitors Centre; Demerstraat 60, Lummen (Limburg); free \ schulensmeer.be

Sewer Tour Take a free tour of the sewer network underneath Brussels on the first Saturday of each month. Learn about the important role that 400 kilometres of tunnels and the Zenne river play in the functioning of the city. 5 March 13.30, Sewer Museum, Octrooipaviljoen, Anderlechtse Poort, Brussels; free \ museumvandestadbrussel.be

Golden Years Retro Fair If you love the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, and especially American music from those decades, you won’t want to miss this chance to see and purchase a wide selection of vintage jukeboxes, records, clothing and collectibles from international dealers. 5-6 March 10.00-17.30, Oktoberhallen, Schrovestraat 18, Wieze; €7 \ golden-years.be

\ 10

Pobody’s nerfect

Muntpunt encourages visitors to talk mental health Sally Tipper Follow Sally on Twitter \ @sallybtipper

MunTpunT.be

I

mperfection is the name of the game at the Muntpunt library and community centre, as it looks to raise awareness of mental health issues. Perfect People Have No Stories is a month-long campaign to help chip away at the stigma of talking about mental health, as well as to make people aware of local sources of support.

“We’re an information centre: We don’t have all the answers ourselves, so our job is to point people in the direction of places that can help,” explains spokesperson Eva Drees. “In this case it’s with mental health, but it could be on any topic.”

The Flemish centre in the heart of Brussels is working with a dozen partners with specialist knowledge in the mental health field. Muntpunt’s programmes always start with the partner organisations, Drees explains. “We talk to them to find out what they think is a good story to tell, what hasn’t been sufficiently highlighted elsewhere; then we look at the best way to present it.”

Perfect People kicks off with an exhibition, Fruitful and Fragile Minds, followed by a talk by psychiatrist Erik Thys on the link between art and mental vulnerability on the opening night.

Over the following weeks, the programme takes in a variety of events for adults and children. Most are in Dutch but some requiring no language at all, such as a concert called The Sound of Madness, performed in the lobby by next-door neighbour De Munt.

Fruitful and Fragile Minds features portraits by artists who are linked to psychiatry. They don’t necessarily all have mental health issues, but they have a connection, whether through family members or through having worked in mental health care. “It shows other people who have experienced problems, and you can empathise and feel connected,” explains Drees.

Drees’ favourite event is the Living Library, in which visitors get to know not characters in books but real-life humans, who share their stories in one-to-one sessions. “It’s a group of average people who have volunteered to tell their own stories,” she explains. “You can

© Jean-Marie Mortier

From the Fragile Minds exhibition at Muntpunt

ask questions and elaborate on the parts that interest you.”

Living Library is organised by VVGG, the Flemish association for mental health, which has tried and tested the project before in various libraries. “It’s not rehearsed, so it’s told in a different way each time,” says Drees. “They react to the person who’s sitting with them and go with whatever questions they ask them.”

The idea of the campaign, she says, is to remind people that imperfection doesn’t have to be a bad thing. “We want to show people that they don’t have to be the perfect mum, the perfect husband, the perfect career woman … to show them there are other people experiencing problems, and that it’s OK to talk about it.”

During Perfect People, the librarians play their part by picking a selection of relevant texts to provide background reading for those inter-

ested in going a bit deeper.

Psychiatrists will put visitors through a “normality test”, children can join in a chooseyour-own-adventure game based on being open about your emotions, people who care for others with mental illnesses will take part in a conversation table, and a lecture by Flemish author Diana Koster will expound her theory that perfect parents don’t exist.

Finally, Flemish novelist Saskia de Coster will talk about creating empathy and how literature can be a form of therapy.

2-26 March Muntpunt

Munt 6, Brussels

biTe Ten tips to get your daily dose of veggies The Flemish agricultural marketing board Vlam has issued a list of tips to help you achieve the daily target of 300 grams of vegetables recommended by nutritionists.

That doesn’t sound like much and yet only 38% of people in Flanders eat that much veggies daily.

Fill half of your plate. Whatever else you’re eating, if half the plate is filled with vegetables, you’re hitting about two-thirds of your daily target.

Any time is veggie time. There’s no reason veggies have to be confined to the main meal. Vegetables in an omelette for breakfast. Salad at lunchtime and a cup of (real) soup in the afternoon. Snack veggies in front of the TV. Be prepared. Draw up a menu for the week and buy everything ahead

of time. Make a big pot of soup and freeze daily portions. Prepared and even frozen vegetables are fine if they make things easier.

Eating out. Visit a vegetarian restaurant once in a while or go for the veggie options at Asian or Indian restaurants. If your eatery has a soup or salad bar, bulk up with those before ordering your main course.

Veggies go with everything. Pasta and vegetables is a marriage made in heaven. Pizza can always use another topping. Bolognese with carrots, mushrooms or red peppers will give purists a heart attack, but you’ll be more likely to avoid one.

Keep it up. Going from nothing to 300g a day is a challenge, but eating vegetables all through the day will help ease the burden. The new way

© Ingimage

of eating will rapidly become a lifestyle pattern.

Everything counts. Frozen vegetables count. So do vegetables in

vlAM.be

bottles or cans, cartons of passata, soup and deli dishes like grilled aubergine. (Potatoes don’t count.)

Share and share alike. Running out of ideas? Swap tips with family and friends. There are a million and one websites out there full of ideas, with lekkervanbijons.be just one of them.

Shop smart. Prices plunge when the market is about to close. Ethnic grocers are often the best place to buy if you don’t mind the odd bendy cucumber. Foods in season are almost always cheaper than asparagus from Peru.

Don’t beat yourself up. So you missed the 300g target. You still did better than you used to. Tomorrow is another day. \ Alan Hope

MARcH 3, 2016

“I fell in love with England”

Tom Michiels on the cotswolds, life as a paramedic and going home again Sally Tipper Follow Sally on Twitter \ @sallybtipper

In the first instalment of our new series on Flemish people living and working in the UK, we talk to Tom Michiels, a marketer who made a drastic career change.

A

fter moving from Flanders to the UK as a teenager in the 1980s, Tom Michiels made another big life change when, 17 years ago, he ditched a career in marketing to train as a paramedic. He’s never looked back.

“I’d been working in marketing for a few years,” recalls Michiels, 45. “I didn’t enjoy it but I’d found myself on a certain path: You

couple are now married and live in Farnborough, a town in Hampshire in southern England.

Eight years ago, Heidi left her own marketing job to work for the British Board of Film Classification.

“Movies are one of the things that brought us together,” Michiels says. “We’re very lucky that we both get to do jobs we love. I think back to my old job; how I could still be commuting every day to London, doing work I don’t enjoy.

Thankfully, I got out of it and now do something I love.”

His new life as a paramedic is never dull, he says. Every day is different, every callout is different;

At the end of my first shift, I wanted to go out with the next crew and do it all over again study subjects you’re good at, you go to university and, before you know it, you’re 24, and you’ve got a job in something you didn’t really plan on.”

By the end, he says, he found himself dreading going to work each morning. “I was forever turning up late, and it really showed that I wasn’t enjoying it,” he says.

“My girlfriend, Heidi, asked me what I wanted to do instead, and I said I quite fancied driving ambulances, without really thinking about it. She told me I should just do it, so I moved in with her while I did my training.”

That was back in 1999, and he never moved out again. The

even one chest pain is different to another chest pain. Michiels started when he was 28 and was hooked immediately. “At the end of 12 hours on my first shift, I wanted to go out with the next crew and do it all over again,” he says. “Seventeen years later, I still get that adrenaline rush.”

He’s proud to be one of the 1.7 million people employed by the NHS, the UK’s publicly funded health-care system. “I’m a staunch supporter of the NHS,” he says. “It’s an amazing organisation. There’s a real camaraderie among the staff, a feeling of everyone working towards the same goals.”

And it’s a far cry from his previ-

© Courtesy Tom Michiels

From marketing to saving lives: Leuvenaar Tom Michiels works for the UK’s NHS

ous job, where his last marketing account was for a cigarette company. “My wife told me I would burn in hell for all eternity for that, so this is like a little bit of payback,” he says, laughing.

“I hope after 17 years as a paramedic, I’m starting to make up for it.”

Michiels was born in Leuven, and his father’s career in the Belgian air force meant the family

moved around a lot. In 1985, they decamped to England, to officers’ quarters in the Cotswolds, a part of southern England designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty.

It was a change that the 14-yearold Tom welcomed. He’d been moved ahead a grade at school a few years previously and was starting to fall behind his older classmates, so he leapt at the

chance of a new start.

“I was very excited to be moving,” he says. “I still remember the difference between grey, cloudy Belgium and the lush green grass and the hedgerows and trees and blue sky of the Cotswolds. I fell in love with England straight away.”

The family have spread out since then. After his mother died, his father remarried and moved to Yorkshire. One of Michiels’ brothers lives in Warrington, near Manchester; the other has returned to Flanders.

“I love going back to Leuven,” Michiels says. “It’s a bit of a dilemma when you visit your home country because you want to visit all your friends and family, which is great, but I also really look forward to sitting on a terrace and watching the world go by – sipping a nice beer and eating some frites. You can’t really do that in a pub in England.”

He keeps an eye on the Flemish papers and listens to public broadcaster VRT from time to time, to keep up with local news. And recently, he says, patients have begun asking him about terrorism in Brussels when they find out where he comes from. “But I can’t really comment on that,” he says.

“I’m not that interested in what’s going on there politically, and I don’t think many Belgians are that politically inclined, to be honest.”

He does, though, admit to wallowing in nostalgia occasionally, watching TV programmes from his childhood or listening to Flemish music. “I’m very proud of my heritage, and I enjoy going home,” he says. “Despite its idiosyncrasies and its problems, I still love it.”

50 weekends in Flanders: A Bruges city break TInYuRl.cOM/50WeeKendS

Flanders Today has launched an e-book with ideas for how to spend a year’s worth of weekends. Visit our website to get your free copy of 50 Weekends in Flanders. We’ll also print one of our suggestions every week here, too.

Bruges is a beautiful old city with sleepy canals, ancient brick churches and outstanding art. But it can get very crowded with tourists, especially at weekends. You sometimes need to head away from the busy streets to find the hideaways that make this town unique. \ brugge.be

Walk around the CITY RAMPARTS Not many tourists visit the ramparts, so this is where you find locals walking their dogs and kids riding their bikes to school. Starting in front of the railway station, you can walk

around the entire town in a couple of hours, passing ancient city gates, landscaped parks and even a cluster of windmills.

Browse at ROMBAUX This beautiful family shop located in an old townhouse is a reminder of the days before the internet killed off the music store. It is worth going inside just to wander through the labyrinth of small rooms with their original mosaic floors, stained glass and wood panelling. Run by the same family for three generations, Rombaux (pictured) is crammed with every imaginable genre, from rare classical composers to new Flemish folk. Shopping here is so much richer than clicking on a basket icon. \ rombaux.be

Nibble at BOOKS & BRUNCH Tabitha Ackaert and Jos Deroo have created

Stay at NUIT BLANCHE Artist David de Graef has created a fabulous B&B in a historic Bruges townhouse.

Belgian royal couple Albert and Paola stayed here after they married in 1959. The two guest rooms are designed in the style of a Jan van Eyck painting with old stone fireplaces, stained-glass windows and huge oak beds.

The rooms look out on a medieval walled garden and a little canal.

© Photo courtesy Rombaux

\ bb-nuitblanche.com

a cool second-hand bookstore where they also serve healthy food and good coffee.

You’ll find interesting books on pale green shelves, including an assortment of English novels in an upstairs room. The friendly owners have also created a little playroom at the back with cute toadstool chairs. Their choice of indie rock is just right to complete the mood. \ booksandbrunch.be

Dine at DE SCHAAR This is a comforting little bistro with a lovely canalside location. It’s beyond the reach of most tourists, so it has retained a certain local charm. Most of the cooking involves grilled meat or fish. When the sun shines, the waterfront terrace fills up quickly. \ Derek Blyth

\ bistrodeschaar.be

\ 11

Hey you.

Yes, you, with the smartphone.

There is an app for Flanders Today, you know, which makes it super easy to keep up with daily news and features anywhere at any time on your smartphone or tablet There are 2 easy ways to download the app: visit www.fl www.flanderstoday.eu anderstoday.eu and click on “Download the Flanders Today app” or go straight to your app store – Android or iOS, makes no diff difference erence

CHECK OUT OUR COOL-LOOKING, EASY TO MANOEUVRE APP HOMEPAGE CTLY THE LEFT SIDE TAKES YOU DIRE

ION ECT S E TO TH

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U GO DIRECTLY TO A SECTION, AR IF YO TICLE S LOO K LI KE T HIS If you download the pdf, it looks just like the paper you’re holding in your hand (but your fingers fingers won’t get all black)

Did we mention that the Flanders Today app is free?

It’s free.

The Bulletin and ING Belgium invite you to a seminar on

PROPERTY TODAY • Wout Vermeeren,

Director, domoXim Real Estate, “The changing role of the real estate agent”

• Alexis Lemmerling,

notary, Berquin, “An update on recent legislative changes”

March 8, 2016

ING Head Office – Marnix. Entrance via Rue de Trône, 1 – 1000 Brussels (nearest subway station: Trône)

• Registrations from 17h30 • Seminar starts at 18h00 sharp

• Dave Deruytter,

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\ ARTS

MARcH 3, 2016

week iN aRTs & CULTURe American conductor to lead national orchestra

The American Hugh Wolff has been named the new head conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra starting next year. Wolff, who takes over from Andrey Boreyko, comes to Brussels from Frankfurt, where he has been head conductor of the symphony orchestra since 1997. He was previously musical director of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in Minnesota and has served as guest conductor for orchestras across the world, including the UK, Japan and Australia. Wolff was born to American parents in Paris and grew up in Washington, DC, and London. He studied piano and composition, learning conducting at Harvard. He is known for his creative programming, placing very different and challenging works alongside each other, and also for his passion in getting young people into the concert hall.

© Koen Broos

Where are we now?

Theatre collective tg STAn break fourth wall to ask the big questions bjorn gabriels More articles by Bjorn \ flanderstoday.eu

Only the core members of Flemish theatre group tg STAN are on the stage – for the first time in 10 years – for Wat/nu, a play of two halves.

T

he four core actors of theatre company tg STAN are all on stage in Antwerp’s Monty theatre as the audience starts piling in. They smoke as they point out some of the last empty seats at the opening performance of Wat/ nu (What/Now), the first play in which the four of them – Jolente De Keersmaecker, Sara De Roo, Damiaan De Schrijver and Frank Vercruysse – perform together, without guest actors, since of/niet (or/not) 10 years ago.

These gestures won’t be the only ones to break the fourth wall this evening. As is customary with tg STAN, the actors continuously caress the fourth wall – the imaginary wall that separates the audience from the stage – fiddling with the illusory divide, and sometimes shattering it head-on.

In accordance with the title, the opening line spells out what is at stake: “Where are we?” All four actors find themselves on the front edge of the stage, barely lit, their voices gradually rising in volume.

Three of them perform tg STAN’s version of Sleep My Baby Sleep by celebrated Norwegian writer and dramatist Jon Fosse. The sparsely chiselled dialogues that delve for meaning beyond instantaneous communication while simultaneously pulling the ground from under our certainties demonstrate why Fosse is often referred

to as the Samuel Beckett of the 21st century.

“Fosse’s Sleep My Baby Sleep is very dear to us,” De Keersmaecker tells me. “It’s a little abstract painting with three figures floating between words and silences. It’s about three players standing there, in that space, at that point in time. There’s no story; it’s a state of mind.”

When they were going through texts for the production, she says, “the four of us all wanted to do Fosse’s tender little gem, which shows the extraordinarily vulnerability of man”.

When the voice of De Roo, a miming presence until now, enters the interplay, the grim comedy A Piece of Plastic by German playwright Marius von Mayenburg kicks off. Discovered by De Roo last summer in Berlin, the second part of Wat/nu has the same pipers

STAn.be

together on stage again, but it was equally marked by tragic events in 2015: from the attack at the Charlie Hebdo offices in January to the terrorism in Paris in November.

“We had a lot of texts to choose from, but we didn’t know what to do,” says De Keersmaecker. “We asked ourselves what words still meant, and if or how we should act. Is the photo in which Chinese artist Ai Weiwei poses as the drowned refugee boy a form of exploitation?

“We felt the need to reflect on everything that happened and decided to pick a text that accurately and sometimes painfully deals with first-world dilemmas that pale before the tragedies around us.”

In tg STAN’s rendition of A Piece of Plastic, the marriage between artist assistant Ulrike (De Roo)

We decided to pick a text that deals with first-world dilemmas that pale before the tragedies around us playing a different tune.

“A Piece of Plastic shows a different side of us,” explains De Keersmaecker. “The first part of Wat/ nu is intimate and fragile, and the latter is about us playing, sketching figures.”

Wat/nu grew out of the questions about what would happen when only the four core players appeared

and surgeon Michael (Vercruysse) seems to be in shreds. Aren’t all bourgeois marriages in film, theatre and literature a sham, ever since the term “bourgeois” came into vogue? Or does there still linger a profound mutual under-

until 2 April (in dutch)

standing, if only they would stop their preposterous balancing act on the tightrope between their supposedly politically correct tolerance and their patronising vulgarity?

The couple hire domestic worker Jessica (De Keersmaecker) to do the housekeeping and help them with their 12-year-old son, Vincent. The latter is played by De Schrijver, who has a dual role as the conceptual artist Haulupa. As an actor whose posture and gesture is inherently humorous, while also adept at the bombast of artistic lingo, De Schrijver’s double act is almost a guarantee of comedy.

Even though the audience has a good many laughs – both with the more facile aspects of a derailing family satire and, somewhat more timidly, with the jokes that poke fun at the so-called broadmindedness – essentially there’s no comic relief. “Humour often makes the tragedy more intense, and vice versa,” says De Keersmaecker.

Like Wat/nu itself, Jessica, who becomes the hub of the play, and Haulupa work towards a rockbottom situation, the absolute zero of performance art. Are they demolishing to reconstruct? In the opening act, Fosse’s distilled lines deconstruct the stage, and the life that haunts it, to their core elements: “We are here.” In these fleeting moments, the nucleus of tg STAN finds partial answers to their big questions, which are also ours.

Across Brussels, Flanders and the Netherlands

New gorilla arrives at Antwerp Zoo

Six weeks after the death of gorilla Kumba, the Antwerp Zoo last week welcomed Matadi, a 12-year-old silverback from Howletts Wild Animal Park in Canterbury, the UK. Matadi is being introduced to the zoo’s band of four female gorillas visually, from behind a barrier. He will then be placed in a space with each of the four females in turn before joining the group. “Matadi is very social and curious, and he likes to be the centre of attention,” said zoo co-ordinator Sarah Lafaut. “He has long arms, which gives him an impressive appearance. He’s not yet fully grown, but we expect him to become an even more handsome, more imposing silverback than Kumba was.”

Fast Forward theatre company to launch choir The incredibly successful yearlong tour of Gelukkig zijn by theatre company Fast Forward has come to an end, but a choir will remain as part of the company, artistic directors have announced. Fast Forward stages productions for those who speak Dutch as a second language, and Gelukkig zijn was also performed by newcomers to Flanders, including many asylum-seekers. The musical peppered with Flemish classic songs appealed to sell-out crowds across the region and in Brussels. The artistic directors want to continue the momentum by establishing an in-house choir and are holding auditions in the autumn.

\ 13

\ ARTS

Party on

bars and brotherhood meet in new Flemish movie belgica Ian Mundell follow Ian on Twitter \ @IanMundell

belgIcAdeFIlM.be

Flemish director Felix Van Groeningen’s new film evolved from being a microcosm of Belgian society to following the changing relationship between two brothers as they open a music club where anything goes.

B

ars are never far away in Felix Van Groeningen’s films. His debut, Steve + Sky, is set in a bar. There is a bar in Dagen zonder lief (With Friends Like These) and a lot of bars in De helaasheid der dingen (The Misfortunates), the epic of booze and bad behaviour that made his name as a director.

“I grew up in a bar,” he explains. “I started working in one when I was 16, and I had great times there, but then I also realised that I wanted to do something else with my life. But it’s what I know, and you always go back to those things, I guess, although in different forms.”

The form in Belgica, which opens this week, is the dream of two brothers to turn a run-down neighbourhood bar in Ghent into a hip music venue. But they also want it to be a refuge, a Noah’s Ark for anyone seeking to escape the grind of everyday life. All will be welcome, and the community will make the rules. But the success they strive for makes this ideal hard to sustain.

When Van Groeningen and co-writer Arne Sierens chose Belgica as the name for the bar, they were thinking of making it a miniature of Belgian society, and the story a metaphor for the country. But this idea receded as they wrote and became more interested in the relationship between the brothers.

The idealism that remains in the story is more to do with the bars of Van Groeningen’s youth than the present state of the nation. “We were naive, in a way, and indeed very hopeful, and we had these utopian ideals,” he recalls. “I don’t

© Thomas Dhanens

Two brothers turn a neighbourhood bar into a wild music club in Felix Van Groeningen’s new movie Belgica

think we ever said it should be Noah’s Ark, but in a sense it felt like we weren’t really a part of society.

And because of that, we had the privilege to think that way.”

loyalty and his own survival. But it is also present in the struggle between husband and wife in The Broken Circle Breakdown, a film that earned Van Groeningen an

I only realised while we were shooting that it felt nostalgic to me, even if it’s not nostalgic in the film The forces at work in families are also a recurrent theme in Van Groeningen’s work. This comes through most strongly in De helaasheid der dingen, in which a boy has to choose between family

Oscar nomination in 2014.

Here, it is the younger brother, Jo (Stef Aerts), who is running Belgica when his older brother Frank (Tom Vermeir) decides that he will lend a hand. Initially wary, Jo finds that

Frank supports his plan to expand the bar into a vacant building next door. He also has the contacts to bring in musicians and the energy to transform the bar into a rolling party.

But there is also something selfdestructive about Frank’s personality, all too eager for sex, drugs and rock’n’roll.

The initial idea of a good brother and a bad brother became more complex as Van Groeningen and Sierens asked questions about their characters. What drives the self-destructive side of Frank?

How does it relate to his home life, his wife and child? What does he really need from Jo, and vice versa?

“All of those things were interesting and what we struggled most with,” Van Groeningen says. “But

they were also really fulfilling to work on, to see how we could make that dynamic more interesting, layered and moving.”

The story of the brothers was also a useful distancing device, allowing Van Groeningen to make a film inspired by his father’s bar, the Charlatan in Ghent, without being specific. “I could add images that were really important for me, that were exciting to me or that I thought could help to depict this place,” he says.

Although his intention was not to be nostalgic about the bar, staging these scenes hit home. “I only realised while we were shooting them that they felt nostalgic to me, even if they’re not nostalgic in the film.”

In all, he shot some 130 hours of film, nearly three times more than usual. This in turn meant a long editing process, even though the structure is simpler than his last two films.

“What I realised in editing is that the film kept on getting better with little nuances that always drew you back to what was going on between those two brothers.”

Belgica had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where Van Groeningen won the award for best director in the world cinema drama category.

While he was pleased with the boost this will give the film, which was subsequently bought by Netflix for streaming around the world, the rest remains unclear. “What it means for me as a director, I don’t know.”

He has already made the jump to America, and, if all goes to plan, he will shoot his English-language debut there this year. Beautiful Boy, adapted from books by David and Nic Sheff, offers a father-andson perspective on the son’s struggle with addiction.

“It has the things I respond to,” Van Groeningen says. “It’s very life-affirming, but also doesn't shy away from the dark side of life. It goes really deep, but it’s beautiful.”

beLgiCa: THe sOULwax baNdsTaNd

© Courtesy Kinepolis

Director Felix Van Groeningen (left) on set

\ 14

The 15 bands on Belgica’s soundtrack, and on stage in the bar, were all created by Stephen and David Dewaele, otherwise known as Soulwax. “They cast all the musicians, they proposed styling, they made up names for bands that became part of the script,” says Van Groeningen. “Sometimes they slipped into my territory, you could say, but in a good way.”

These bands – from pop and electronica to blues, hardcore and psychobilly – sometimes seem to be versions of actual Flemish acts, but Van Groeningen warns against trying to decode them. “Nothing is literal or based on existing people,” he says. “But they are so typical that they could be a lot of people.”

Music fans will see some familiar faces, albeit in

different contexts. Behind the indie rock of The Shitz you can see members of synthpop group Hong Kong Dong, for instance, while Kenji Minogue appear as Erasmus. Dressed in glittering chainmail and apparently bald, they belt out the song Ti recordi di me? in Italian. This translates as Do you remember me? or Ken je me nog? in Dutch, which in their usual West Flemish accents would lead back to... Kenji Minogue.

And of course there is a lot of Soulwax. “The girls who are in white [White Virgins] are like a female version of Soulwax six years ago, and The Shitz are like Soulwax 10 years ago,” Van Groeningen says. “So it’s like different parts of their identity, but also in a different form.”

\ AGENDA

MARcH 3, 2016

Tales of the city

PeRFORMaNCe

Mind the Book 8-13 March

Antwerp Brula’Pen: Slam poetry and stand-up comedy by young Flemish talent, featuring Kamal Kharmach, Mon, Nathan Hallemans, Samira Saleh, MC Jasper Posson and more (in Dutch). 4 March 20.00, Rataplan, Wijnegemstraat 27

Vooruit and other venues in Ghent MIndTHebOOK.be

T

he annual Mind the Book festival for readers and writers, which alternates between Ghent and Antwerp, is one of those rare occasions when Dutch and English mingle beautifully, giving everyone a chance to hobnob in a great meeting of local and international minds.

Taking place in Ghent’s temple to culture, Vooruit, and other locations across the city, there is a book market and a quirky food menu that serves up dishes straight out of great literature. But it’s the speakers, of course, that get you through the door.

There are several options in English, including a talk with Kiev-born Katja Petrowskaja (pictured), whose moving autobiographical novel Maybe Esther follows the fragmented history of both her own family and eastern Europe.

If the situation in Greece continues to perplex you, tune in to British writer and activist Kevin Ovenden’s talk about his new book Syriza: Inside the Labyrinth, following the rise of Greece’s ruling party. Also in English is an interview with American political analyst Robert D Kaplan about his new book In Europe’s Shadow: Two Cold Wars and a Thirty-Year Journey Through Romania and Beyond.

For a more playful and interactive side of the festival, head to Ghent’s central library, where you’ll meet “living books”, humans playing the role of a specific book. Pick one to “check out” and hear them read aloud just to you. One of them recites Virginia Woolf.

The notion of a city, meanwhile, is often close at hand in the more local activities. Central to that is an installation by Ghent-based multidisciplinary artist Elly Van Eeghem. Barrière

\ rataplanvzw.be

Brussels

© Heike Steinweg

is the result of a study of the city of Montreal.

You’ll discover how it is – or isn’t – dealing with its language divide, as well as the building of a fence separating a working-class neighbourhood from a new, posh housing development. \ Lisa Bradshaw

visUaL aRTs

PHOTOgRaPHY

On Ice

decamerone

5-6 March For those who have always dreamed of combining contemporary art and ice-skating, Ghent alternative arts associations Campo and Nein join forces to present this exhibition on ice.

Twenty-five young Flemish artists from across the disciplinary spectrum were invited to create a sitespecific work tailored to the gleaming 3,000 square-metre surface of the city’s popular Kristallijn skating rink. The results will be exhibited over the course of the weekend for audiences young and old.

Saturday night, with its figure skating demonstration and DJ sets, is for adults, while Sunday afternoon’s circus programme is for families. \ Georgio Valentino

Kristallijn, Ghent cAMpO.nu

© Marlies DC

FesTivaL Offscreen Film Festival 2-20 March Belgium has more than its fair share of film festivals but Offscreen offers something different. This annual get-together of film buffs celebrates the movies that don’t necessarily get all the prizes. Indeed, there are no prizes to be had at Offscreen. It’s rather a pure showcase for outsider cinema from yesterday and today.

We’re talking avant-garde but also

Across Brussels OFFScReen.be

B-movies, cult, camp, trash and exploitation flicks. The festival opens with Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s new film Evolution (pictured), with an introduction by the French director herself, and closes with British director Ben Wheatley’s adaptation of JG Ballard’s dystopian 1975 sci-fi novel High-Rise, starring Tom Hiddleston. \ GV

until 31 May

Brussels Across Hasselt lIeSJeReYSKenS.cOM

From Floris to Rubens Master Drawings: 90 works from the golden age of Dutch draughtsmanship, featuring a multitude of 16thand 17th-century artists.

Sketches, paintings, stained glass and tapestries, all from a private collection and most of which have never been exhibited before. Until 15 May, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Regentschapsstraat 3 \ fine-arts-museum.be

FesTivaL Antwerp Amazigh Festival: Celebration of Berber culture, featuring music, workshops, readings and food. 4 March 18.30, De Roma, Turnhoutsebaan 286, and other venues across Borgerhout \ deroma.be

FiLM

eveNT

Brussels

Museum night Fever This annual, city-wide arts festival plants youth culture in the hallowed halls of Brussels’ most prestigious museums. Now in its ninth edition, Museum Night Fever boasts 24 participating institutions, from predictably contemporary venues like Bozar and Wiels to unexpectedly swinging destinations like the Royal Museum of the Armed

\ bozar.be

visUaL aRTs

Contemporary Flemish fashion photographer Liesje Reyskens presents an open-air exhibition of stories inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s ribald (and timeless) 14th-century anthology The Decameron. Reyskens’ tableaux depict contemporary life in all its technological wonder, but, like the Renaissance Italian chronicler, she shines a spotlight on the role played by primitive passion and jealousy in bringing lovers together – and driving them apart. The largescale photographs are exhibited in 10 public spaces across Hasselt, including City Hall and the tourist office. Each location contains hidden letters that combine to unlock a special prize. \ GV

5 March, 19.00

Sad Songs from the Heart of Europe: Finnish playwright and director Kristian Smed’s monologue is based on Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, a metaphor for the redistribution of wealth in Europe. (In Finnish, with English surtitles) 8-9 March 20.30, Bozar, Ravensteinstraat 23

Across Brussels MuSeuMnIgHTFeveR.be

Forces. There are even some truly niche locations (see the Belgian Museum of Freemasonry). All have partnered with young artists to provide a late night of fresh, multidisciplinary creation around their permanent collections. Brussels transport authority MIVB provides a free shuttle between venues for wristband-holders. \ GV

The Land of the Enlightened: Premiere of Flemish filmmaker Pieter-Jan De Pue’s debut, shot over seven years in Afghanistan, revealing the resilience of a country through the eyes of its children. Shown in the presence of the director.

(Dutch and French subtitles) 6 March 20.00, Bozar, Ravensteinstraat 23 \ bozar.be

FaiR Mechelen Eurantica Fine Art Fair: Annual fine art and antiques fair moves from Brussels to Mechelen, with a special focus on 20th-century art and nonEuropean art and archaeology. 5-13 March, Nekkerhal, Plattebeekstraat 1 \ eurantica.be

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\ BACKPAGE

MARcH 3, 2016

Talking Dutch The red tape blues derek blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

M

ost people would agree that bureaucracy in this country can be Kafkaesque. But there’s good news: Radio 1 host Jan Hautekiet has launched a campaign called Komaf met Kafka – Kick out Kafka.

It started a few weeks ago with ads in the Flemish press, and there’s also a website with a video in which a poor guy called Frans struggles to buy a train ticket.

In 2013 planden mijn vrouw en ik een reis per trein naar Metz – In 2013, my wife and I planned a train trip to Metz, begins Het verhaal van Frans – Frans’ tale.

De tickets kochten we online, d’as lekker gemakkelijk – We bought the tickets online because that’s super easy.

Not so fast! Tickets voor buitenlandse reizen – tickets for travel abroad dienen persoonlijk te worden afgehaald in het station – have to be collected in person at the station.

But Frans wasn’t going to give up without a fight. Ik dus ’s morgens met mijn fietske naar het station van Mechelen – I hopped on my bike next morning and cycled to

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Mechelen station.

Where there was a surprise waiting for him. Daar hing een briefje aan het loket ‘internationale reizen’ – There was a notice attached to the international travel counter.

Sorry, it said, Loket open van 14 tot 17u – Counter open from 14.00 to 17.00. Excuses voor het ongemak – Apologies for the inconvenience.

Some people would have lost their cool, but not Frans. Ik dus terug naar huis – So I went back home.

En om 15 uur terug naar het station – And went back to the station at 15.00.

Blijkt dat het loket ‘internationale reizen’ nog altijd gesloten is! –

TInYuRl.cOM/KOMAFMeTKAFKA

It seemed that the international travel counter was still closed!

Ik begin stilaan mijn geduld te verliezen – I was gradually losing my cool. (And who can blame him?)

Aanschuiven aan loket 1 dan maar – So he waits at counter 1. Internationale treintickets moet u afhalen aan loket 7 – You have to collect international train tickets at counter 7, he is told.

He heads to counter 7. Uw tickets liggen inderdaad hier klaar, meneer – No problem, your tickets are ready for you, sir. But Frans is confused. Zeg, waarom is het loket voor de internationale tickets nog gesloten – Tell me, why is the counter for international tickets still closed?

Dat loket gaat niet meer open – that counter isn’t open any more, want het stationsgebouw wordt volledig verbouwd – because the building being rebuilt. En waarom hangt dat bordje daar dan nog? – and so why is that sign still hanging there?

De persoon die dat moet verwijderen is met ziekteverlof – the person whose job it is to take it down is on sick leave.

Kafka would have been proud.

Tweet us your thoughts @FlandersToday

Poll

a. Yes. Resources are limited and need to go where they’ll do most good, not to people who don’t even try to help themselves

42% b. No, it’s too slippery a slope. Now it’s smoking, but then it could be drinking, eating too much or running with scissors

58% patients if said patients continue to smoke. The drug costs up to €30,000 a year.

It’s a close race in our poll this week, with a large minority finding such a move justified. Why should society pay so much money for someone who is not doing the one thing that could improve their health?

Everyone knows that prevention is better than cure.

\ next week's question:

Slightly more, however, consider this a case of the state policing areas it was never meant to police.

Even if this is an extreme case, how long until Riziv turns its attention to other habits, such as overeating and heart disease medication?

It’s impossible to keep track of patients’ every move.

A man who accidentally drove into a pre-metro tunnel in Brussels and had to be rescued by authorities faces a hefty bill. But should he have to pay? (see p2) Log in to the Flanders Today website at www.flanderstoday.eu and click on VOTE!

\ 16

In response to: Motorist drives three kilometres on pre-metro lines Tom Brosens: Yes. His mind said: when there is a way into a tunnel, there is also a way out. #onlyhappensinbelgium

In response to: NMBS to launch wi-fi pilot project on OstendEupen line Howie Tiernan: Good idea.

In response to: Talking Dutch: The red tape blues Maroun Kaye: I sent them an email about that train ticket system, they said they’re working on another work method like the one they use in France, and that they’ll roll it out this year.

Carly @carlyrigley Yesterday I celebrated my 30th birthday in beautiful Bruges.

We woke to snow and a Champagne…

Karel Op ’t Eynde @karelopteynde Looking at my own art that’s being shown in the museum M in Leuven.

inês @bangerzcats I really miss living in Brussels.

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THe LasT wORd

do you think that the reimbursement of certain medical treatments should depend on a patient's health-related habits?

Should reimbursement of expensive drugs be linked to patients’ lifestyle and habits? It’s a question that has popped up more and more in international media as medical costs continue to increase.

Belgium’s medical insurance agency Riziv has decided that mutualities are allowed to withhold reimbursement of the drug Ofev for pulmonary fibrosis

vOiCes OF FLaNdeRs TOdaY

Free delivery

“She said she was about to give birth. I put some advertising panels round her, a customer helped with the delivery, and nine minutes later, the emergency services were there.”

A child born in the Adam Food restaurant near Brussels’ West Station at the weekend may eat free for life, owner Nawfal Ben Messaoud promised

never too late

“We won’t make our silver anniversary, but I’d still like to reach 100 with her next to me.”

Gilbert Van Cleemput, 93, married Godelieve, the woman who has been his neighbour for 40 years

leap year

“It’s unique, something people are interested in finding out about. It’s cool to be a bit different.”

Brendan from Ronse celebrated his fourth official birthday this week, on 29 February

paper chase

“This is a time-wasting exercise that would deliver an unreadable report.”

Brecht, Antwerp province, was one of 197 municipalities out of 308 in Flanders that ignored or refused a request from Het Nieuwsblad for the minutes of the last meeting of the college of aldermen, a document that must be provided by law

[A\T