People From Brussels

"When political discourse tends to deny the social dimension of religion and relegate it to the margins or the purely private sphere, I believe this contributes to the rise of extremes and forms of radicalization. So it's in our interest to ensure that different religious convictions and traditions coexist as peacefully as possible."

"My thoughts are with the people of Greece. The whole of Europe is mourning with you. I also wish for a speedy recovery for all the injured."

"This is the European conception of life. It is about building a Union of equality in which we all have the same access to opportunities. It is about equipping people with the knowledge, education and skills they need to live and work in dignity. It is about having access to the services we need and the knowledge that we are safe in our homes and in our streets. It is about protecting the most vulnerable in our society. Ultimately, it is about how we all live together."

"Loss of nature destroys not only the foundations of our life but also our feeling of what constitutes home."

"Hospitals are postponing treatment because of lack of nurses. And two-thirds of European companies are looking for IT specialists."

"This European way of life came at a great price and sacrifice. It should never be taken for granted – it is neither a given nor a guarantee. The proof of that is that our way of living is being challenged every day – as much by anti-Europeans from within as from without. We have seen foreign powers interfere in our elections from the outside. And we have seen home-grown populists with cheap nationalistic slogans try to destabilise us from the inside. We should not allow these forces to hijack the definition of the European way of life. They want it to mean the opposite of what it is. They want to chip away at our foundations and sow division amongst us. They believe in politics that exposes problems, rather than solves them. We must fight back against this."

"I was yesterday in Kyiv and I visited Bucha. And there are no words for the horror I have seen in Bucha, the ugly face of Putin's army terrorising people. And I have so much admiration for our brave Ukrainian friends fighting against this. They are fighting our war. It is our fight that they are in. Because it is not only Ukraine fighting for its sovereignty and integrity, but they are also fighting for the question whether humanity will prevail or whether heinous devastation will be the result. It is the question whether democracy will be stronger or if it is autocracy that will dominate. It is the question whether there is the right of might dominating or whether it is the rule of law."

"Four years ago, the European Green Deal was our answer to the call of history. And this summer – the hottest ever on record in Europe – was a stark reminder of that."

"Europe is open to competition but not for a race to the bottom. We must defend ourselves against unfair practices."

"And as we do not accept this from the inside, we do not accept this from the outside."

"The good news is that with every enlargement those who said it would make us less efficient were proven wrong."

"And regardless of what surprises von der Leyen might have coming (in the 2023 State of the Union address), don’t expect to laugh."

"Eight million young people are neither in employment, education or training. Their dreams (are) put on hold, their lives on standby, This is not only the cause of so much personal distress. It is also one of the most significant bottlenecks for our competitiveness."

"As the war in Ukraine rages on, and Ukrainians fight bravely for their country, the European Union steps up once more its support for Ukraine and the sanctions against the aggressor – Putin's Russia. For the first time ever, the European Union will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and other equipment to a country that is under attack. This is a watershed moment."

"In a world where some are trying to pick off countries one by one, we cannot afford to leave our fellow Europeans behind, In a world where size and weight matter, it is clearly in Europe's strategic and security interests to complete our Union."

"We all have our own traditions, our own set of values and own way of doing things. But I would always choose Europe’s way of life – and our Union of solidarity, tolerance and reliability – over any other. The European way of life also means listening and debating with one another to find solutions for the common good. And this is what I want us to do together."

"There was a strange aftertaste to many of the calls for grand social reform in 2020. As the coronavirus crisis overtook us, the left wing on both sides of the Atlantic, at least that part that had been fired up Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders, was going down to defeat. The promise of a radicalized and reenergized left, organized around the idea of the Green New Deal, seemed to dissipate amidst the pandemic. It fell to governments mainly of the center and the right to meet the crisis. They were a strange assortment. Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Donald Trump in the United States experimented with denial. For them climate skepticism and virus skepticism went hand in hand. In Mexico, the notionally left-wing government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador also pursued a maverick path, refusing to take drastic action. Nationalist strongmen like Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, Narendra Modi in India, Vladimir Putin in Russia, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey did not deny the virus, but relied on their patriotic appeal and bullying tactics to see them through. It was the managerial centrist types who were under most pressure. Figures like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer in the United States, or Sebastián Piñera in Chile, or Cyril Ramaphosa in South Africa, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Ursula von der Leyen, and their ilk in Europe. They accepted the science. Denial was not an option. They were desperate to demonstrate that they were better than the 'populists.' To meet the crisis, very middle-of-the-road politicians ended up doing very radical things. Most of it was improvisation and compromise, but insofar as they managed to put a programmatic gloss on their responses—whether in the form of the EU's Next Generation program or Biden's Build Back Better program in 2020—it came from the repertoire of green modernization, sustainable development, and the Green New Deal."

"I am well aware that these sanctions (imposed on Russia for their invasion on Ukraine) will come at a cost for our economy, too. I know this, and I want to speak honestly to the people of Europe. We have endured two years of (COVID-19) pandemic. And we all wished that we could focus on our economic and social recovery. But I believe that the people of Europe understand very well that we must stand up against this cruel aggression. Yes, protecting our liberty comes at a price. But this is a defining moment. And this is the cost we are willing to pay. Because freedom is priceless, Honourable Members. This is our principle: Freedom is priceless."

"Since the start of this new mandate, we have left no stone unturned to make our Union faster and simpler, more focused and more supportive of European companies. But Simplification alone is not enough. Our rules must also be properly implemented by EU Member States, and when this does not happen, we must take action. Simplification, implementation, and enforcement go hand in hand. Better regulation is key to our success. Simplification and Implementation (October 21, 2025)"

"Putin wanted to wipe Ukraine from the map. He will clearly not succeed. On the contrary: Ukraine has risen up in unity. And it is his own country, Russia, he is sinking. … We want Ukraine to win this war. But we also want to set the conditions for Ukraine's success in the aftermath of the war. The first step is immediate relief. … But then, in a second phase, there is the wider reconstruction effort. The scale of destruction is staggering. Hospitals and schools, houses, roads, bridges, railroads, theatres and factories — so much has to be rebuilt. … Europe has a very special responsibility towards Ukraine. With our support, Ukrainians can rebuild their country for the next generation. … This will bring the stability and certainty needed to make Ukraine an attractive destination for foreign direct investment. And eventually, it will pave the way for Ukraine's future inside the European Union. Slava Ukraini and long live Europe."

"It is the moment to show them that we can build a continent where you can be who you are, love who you want, and aim as high as you want."

"Competition is only true as long as it is fair, Too often, our companies are excluded from foreign markets or are victims of predatory practices. They are often undercut by competitors benefitting from huge state subsidies."

"Food security, in harmony with nature, remains an essential task, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to our farmers, to thank them for providing us with food day after day."

"We need to move past old, binary debates about enlargement. This is not a question of deepening integration or widening the Union,We can and we must do both."

"We should bring all of this work together towards minimum global standards for safe and ethical use of AI."

"When the current king recruits new employees, he does so mainly through recommendations and references from acquaintances."

"Beyens for Tonkin, certainly did not encourage him, he just obeyed."

"Van Praet and Devaux were not concerned with the Congo. They both expressed a desire to be kept out of the "African adventure." For Mr. Van Praet, laden with years and involved for half a century in the history of the dynasty, this abstention was natural. As for his nephew, he had not concealed from the King, with his usual frankness, the disappointments and the dangers he faced. The prevailing opinion at court was that the founding of a colony was beyond the strength of the Sovereign of a small country and that he would encompass his private fortune, without being able to create anything lasting. ... He (Leopold II) did not try to overcome Mr. Devaux's disbelief and did without his services."

"Did he believe in Tonkin, and in the advantages it could offer for Belgium? It is permissible to doubt it, and even to believe the contrary."

"The Negro race is not amenable to progress, they venerate and fear us."

"I put on my uniform and waited, my heart pounded with emotion, Leopoldville was waiting for my arrival. The security forces had to direct almost three hundred cars belonging to the colonials, a crowd gathered around the Sabenahangars of the airport."

"Though he didn't sneer at the honour, to those who knew him, Thieffry remained the simple man he's always been. With him, excesses of behavior or speech had been banned with the same intransigence as boasting. An endearing companion to his comrades, he loved sincere and loyal friends and abhorred impostors and talkers."

"Until late, the frank Gallic gaiety will resound in the stately night of the Niger."

"The air's grip on the wings rips our wheels free from the earth and we pass in the nick of time over the tops of the trees."

"He was never seen boasting, haughty, or boasting of his victories. He was sincere and combative, earnest in action, alternately fiery and spiritual in his response, which was the secret of his endearment."

"Reaching the goal is a matter of patience."

"The fact that our public space is dominated by images to the glory of white men, conquerors, and certain colonizers or slavers undoubtedly contributes to the sense that history celebrates the supremacy of the white race. The "discovery" of America by Christopher Columbus, regardless of the explorer's merits, reflects a Eurocentric view of the world. Wasn't it a continent that has essentially been 'discovered' since it was inhabited? His troops plundered the local wealth, enslaved the natives and spread unknown diseases."

"The colonial past has never been discussed in a transparent and systematic manner in Belgium. Many historians have certainly studied the subject, but at the political level the theme has been very little addressed, if not avoided. And the biggest gap is in education. Our 21st century multicultural society needs to know the facts, not the myths passed down from generation to generation. The detachment of the statues of Leopold II is part of a desire to purge a past partisan by the settlers, without regard for the colonized population and their suffering."

"I am accused of attacking my family and especially the person of the king. That was clearly never my intention, I know how complex and delicate the situation in Belgium is. I know that the king cannot act politically without the permission of the government. I also know how passionate my cousin is about history, but also sensitive to the aspirations and feelings of his fellow citizens. We live in a crucial moment. The opportunity for inter-community dialogue must be seized."

"He has done many good things for our country. He had parks built in Brussels and many other things, Leopold II himself has never been to Congo. But the people who worked for the king. And they really abused it. But I don't see how the monarch would make the people there suffer. It is important that this is also said."

"The colonial system was wrong. It was an exploitation of the natural resources at the expense of the local population. In Belgium there is still a taboo on that subject, the place of Leopold II is in the museum, provided with the necessary explanation."

"When I meet an African head of state, I always apologize for the behavior of the Europeans during the colonies"

"I'm sick and tired of people disrespecting me and talking about me that isn't true. In the long run, after fifty years, that's enough."

"I've experienced things I didn't want to know and I'm not happy at all with what's happening now. Those bad people will one day have to answer for their actions. I tell you again: in Libya there are people who have been murdered, because of the money that has been released here. And exactly no one has done it."

"Belgium has granted Independence to Congo and it must be clear to everyone that it is impossible to reconsider this decision and it is also not the view of the government."

"The independence of the Congo is the crowning of the work conceived by the genius of King Leopold II undertaken by him with firm courage, and continued by Belgium with perseverance. Independence marks a decisive hour in the destinies not only of the Congo herself but- I don't hesitate to say-of the whole of Africa."

"For eighty years Belgium has sent your land the best of her sons, first to deliver the Congo basin from the odious slave trade which was decimating its population. Later to bring together the different tribes which, though former enemies, are now preparing to form the greatest of the Independent states of Africa."

"Katanga that part of Congo where economic life has been resumed and where the prospects exist to develop a real prosperity for the benefit of the indigenous population, which is completely impossible in other areas of the Congo, where inrresponsible politics in less than 3 weeks have lead to utter anarchy."

"My country and I recognize with joy and emotion that the Congo has acceded on June 30, 1960, in full accord and friendships with Belgium, to independence and international sovereignty."

"In answer to what has long been awaited, the government in Brussels will announce before Parliament today a program of reforms which will open a decisive period for the future of our African population. I feel that i owe it to the memory of my illustrious predecessors, the founders and conciliators of our enterprise in Africa, to acquaint you personally with the charter and spirit of this program. The purpose of our presence on the African continent was defined by Leopold Ii: To open the backward countries to European civilization, summon their populations to emancipation, to freedom and to progress after having freed them from slavery, disease and misery, continuing these lofty aims, our firm resolution, today is to lead the Congolese people without harmful procrastination, but also without thoughtless haste toward independence, in prosperity and peace."