From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Thu, 2007-09-20 10:40
A quote from The Wall Street Journal, 20 September 2007
This week, Gerrit Six, a teacher, put up an ad on eBay: “For sale: Belgium, a kingdom in three parts ... free premium: the king and his court (costs not included).” Interviewed by Associated Press Television News, Mr. Six said he wanted to “attract attention” and “make clear that Belgium was valuable, it’s a masterpiece and we have to keep it.”
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-09-19 22:23
A quote from the Norwegian daily Aftenposten, 19 September 2007
Drug addicts in the town of Drammen [outside Oslo] say they were offered money or free kebabs to vote for the [governing] Labour Party in the local election last week.
Bent Sandberg was offered NOK 50 (about USD 9) to vote for the Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) in the local election last week. He declined the bribe. “It is nasty to take advantage of society’s weakest people. And to offer NOK 50 is scornful. But I know many people accepted the money,” he told local newspaper Drammens Tidende.
From the desk of Fjordman on Wed, 2007-09-19 22:22
While the largest political party in Sweden, the Social Democrats, are launching a formal cooperation with the Muslim Brotherhood for the mutual benefit of both (Muslims predominantly vote for Leftist parties) Muslims are openly threatening the life of cartoonist Lars Vilks ("Let his destiny be a lesson to others," as one Muslim preacher warned during a free speech seminar in Stockholm organized by humanists and ex-Muslims).
From the desk of Filip van Laenen on Wed, 2007-09-19 22:17
Didier Reynders, leader of the Walloon Liberal Party (MR), threatens Flemish Members of Parliament in an interview with Walloon public television RTBf and the magazine Le Vif/L'Express. In the same interview he demands that the Flemish winner of the elections Yves Leterme, the leader of the Flemish Christian-Democrats (CD&V), denounces his party's and region's interests.
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-09-19 18:48
A quote from The Daily Mail, 19 September 2007
The influx of Romanian migrants has led to an explosion in crime in this country, it emerged last night. As recent members of the EU, Romanians have had free access to Britain only since January 1. Yet in the first six months of this year, police say, they were responsible for 1,080 offences. Police believe some migrants from Romania are running organised criminal gangs. During the same period in 2006, only 135 such crimes were recorded. In an ironic twist Romanian authorities say crime there is dropping, fuelling suspicions that some offenders may have moved here. […]
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-09-19 16:53
A quote from Paul Mcmullan in The People, 16 September 2007
Picturesque Cherbourg in Normandy has been overrun by thugs […] Police chiefs and the ferry firms claim they are powerless to cope with hordes of aggressive young men from Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan who...
Break into camper vans armed with knives to force their way on board ferries.
Sneak into the backs of British caravans and car boots.
Co-ordinate raids on lorries by mobile phone.
Throw rocks and pull knives on anyone near their tented city.
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-09-19 16:41
A quote from Kevin Myers in The Irish Independent, 5 September 2007
No country has ever accepted, never mind assimilated, the volumes of foreigners now present in this state. We have some 400,000 legal immigrants; but everyone knows that the army of illegals, especially Africans and Chinese, is vast, and probably tops 200,000. In all, Ireland has received at least 600,000 immigrants, most of them within the past five years. It could be many more. No one has the least idea. In the US, such immigration would translate into an inward population movement of 45 million. In the UK, the figure would be nine million. Needless to say, neither state would be so idiotic or feckless as allow such vast numbers to enter. […]
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-09-19 15:53
A quote from Associated Press, 19 September 2007
Belgium’s Gaming Commission took international gambling Web site Unibet.com to task Wednesday over allowing gamblers to try their luck and wager on when the country’s political crisis might come to an end. The commission said it filed a complaint with the Brussels prosecutors office claiming Unibet’s game of chance on when Belgium’s deeply divided political leaders will form a new national government was illegal under national law. [...]
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-09-19 07:49
A quote from a reader of the Economist blog, 17 September 2007
There's a reason for Belgium to exist. An abstract one, but personally I like it. It is to prove that multinational states can work. That people can rise above their historical and ethnic and linguistic differences, and work instead towards modern social and economic goals, together and in a spirit of compromise. Idealistic, yes. Utopian, no.
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-09-19 07:11
A quote from Robin Shepherd in The Financial Times, 18 September 2007
Talk about idealists being mugged by reality. If fragile Belgium does, as some are predicting, finally collapse into its Flemish and Walloon constituent parts it will amount to the biggest embarrassment for believers in a deeply integrated European Union since the Treaty of Rome first called for an “ever closer union” half a century ago. [...]
