Bernard Quintin
Belgian diplomat and politician
Photo: Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 from Belgium, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
- Oct 6
Brussels clashes after austerity march leave buses burned and dozens arrested
Police in Brussels reported about 30 judicial arrests and 80 administrative detentions after masked protesters attacked officers and set fire to buses during a union and student march against government budget cuts on Friday 9 October.
- Oct 6
Belgium cuts novice driver alcohol limit to 0.2 promille and plans parking exit gates
The Belgian federal government announced a 0.2 promille alcohol limit for new drivers, ANPR cameras for phone use, and breath-test parking gates after road fatalities rose 6% in early 2026.
- Oct 1
Belgium launches emergency preparedness guide during nationwide BE-Alert test
Belgium's National Crisis Center published a citizen preparedness guide on 1 October 2026, coinciding with a BE-Alert test conducted across 260 local jurisdictions.
- Jul 5
Belgium's health minister moves to take over 1733 emergency line after heatwave wait times hit 25 minutes
After wait times of up to 25 minutes during the recent heatwave, Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke wants to transfer the 1733 non-emergency medical line from the Interior Ministry to his own department.
- Jun 13
Two Code Rouge activists under electronic surveillance after 19 raids; 15 arrested; 56 organisations denounce 'criminalisation of social movements'
Belgian police conducted 19 house searches on Wednesday targeting Code Rouge activists, arresting 15 and placing two under electronic surveillance, sparking condemnation from 56 civil society organisations for 'criminalisation of social movements'.
- May 26
Tragedy in Belgium: School Bus Hit by Train at Level Crossing, Four Dead Including Two Teens
A morning collision between a train and a school bus at a level crossing in Buggenhout, Flanders, resulted in at least four fatalities, including two adolescents. The bus was carrying students from a special education institution.
- May 26
School Bus Hit by Train at Belgian Level Crossing: At Least Four Dead, Including Two Teenagers
A train struck a school minibus at a level crossing in Buggenhout, East Flanders, on Monday morning, killing at least four people including two teenagers. The exact circumstances remain under investigation.
