2024 in Belgium
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| See also: | Other events of 2024 List of years in Belgium | ||||
Events in the year 2024 in Belgium.
Incumbents
[edit]Events
[edit]January
[edit]- 1 January – 2024 Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union begins.
February
[edit]- 1 February – The Monument to John Cockerill is vandalised during farmers' protests in Brussels.[2]
- 13 February – The European Court of Human Rights upholds Flemish and Wallonian bans on the ritual slaughter of animals that had not been stunned.[3]
March
[edit]- 12 March – Far-right political activist and former Vlaams Belang politician Dries Van Langenhove is jailed for one year for Holocaust denial and incitement to violence.[4][5][6]
- 18 March – A police officer is killed and two others are injured in a shooting during a house search in Charleroi investigating illegal trade in arms, drugs, and stolen vehicles; the suspect is shot and critically injured by police.[7]
- 21 March – Pope Francis laicizes the Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe due to abuse.[8]
- 25 March – Humo magazine and Apache website, both based in Belgium, reveal that politician Filip Dewinter worked as a "senior political advisor" for China for years.[9]
April
[edit]- 12 April – Belgian prosecutors open an investigation into Russian interference in the 2024 European Parliament election.[10]
- 16 April – Brussels police shut down the right-wing National Conservatism Conference attended by Nigel Farage and expected to host Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.[11]
June
[edit]- 9 June –
- 2024 Belgian federal election: Prime Minister Alexander De Croo's governing coalition loses its majority, leading to his resignation.[12] The New Flemish Alliance win the highest percentage of votes, followed by Vlaams Belang and the Reformist Movement.[13]
- 2024 Belgian regional elections
- 19 June –
July
[edit]- 23 July – The European Union deprives Hungary of its ability to host the next set of foreign and defense ministry meetings as a "symbolic signal" against Viktor Orbán's uncoordinated meetings in Russia and China, moving the ministry meetings from Budapest to Brussels.[16]
- 26 July – Seven people are arrested on suspicion of terrorist activity in raids on 14 locations nationwide.[17]
September
[edit]- 26–29 September – Pope Francis conducts a three-day visit to Belgium.[18][19]
- 27 September – Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and King Philippe publicly criticise Pope Francis during their welcome addresses for him over sexual abuses committed by the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium.[20]
October
[edit]- 13 October: 2024 Belgian local elections
- 29 October – A court in Brussels convicts 120 people on drugs charges and sentences them to up to 17 years imprisonment in the biggest drugs-related trial in the country.[21]
Holidays
[edit]- 1 January - New Year's Day
- 1 April - Easter Monday
- 1 May - International Workers' Day
- 9 May - Ascension Day
- 20 May - Whit Monday
- 21 July – Belgian National Day
- 15 August - Assumption Day
- 1 November - All Saints' Day
- 11 November - Armistice Day
- 25 December - Christmas Day
Art and entertainment
[edit]- List of Belgian European Film Award winners and nominees
- List of Belgian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Deaths
[edit]- 1 January – Camila Batmanghelidjh, 61, Iranian-Belgian charity executive, founder of Kids Company.[24]
- 20 January – Herbert Glejser, 86, economist.[25]
- 16 February – Jan Sørensen, 68, footballer
- 24 February – Benoît van Innis, 63, artist
- 28 March – Guy Goffette, 76, poet
- 15 May – Patrick Moenaert, 75, politician.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Philippe, king of Belgium". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ "Farmers topple statue from John Cockerill monument in Place du Luxembourg". The Brussels Times. Belga. 1 February 2024.
- ^ Paula Andrés (13 February 2024). "Top human rights court backs Belgian religious slaughter bans". Politico.
- ^ "Belgium's far-right prodigy gets prison term for inciting violence". 12 March 2024.
- ^ "A Belgian court sentences a prominent far-right activist to 1 year in prison for spreading hate". Associated Press News. 12 March 2024.
- ^ Lauren Walker (12 March 2024). "Racism and negationism: Van Langenhove sentenced to prison and fined". The Brussels Times.
- ^ Lauren Walker (18 March 2024). "One special forces agent and suspect die during house search shooting". The Brussels Times.
- ^ Tom Heneghan (27 March 2024). "Belgian bishop laicised 14 years after abuse exposed". The Tablet.
- ^ "Vlaamse media: politicus Filip Dewinter jarenlang werkzaam voor China". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ "Belgium probing alleged Russian interference in EU election campaign". Reuters. 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Farage and Orbán's Brussels jamboree descends into mayhem amid police siege". POLITICO. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Belgium headed for new government as PM set to resign after general election". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ VRT News. "Verkiezingsuitslagen 2024". VRTNWS (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ^ "European Commission reprimands France and six countries for breaking budget rules". Le Monde.fr. 2024-06-19. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ "Brussels refuses to host Belgium-Israel match over security concerns". euronews. 2024-06-19. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ "Hungary stripped of EU meeting over Ukraine stance". BBC. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ "French minister thanks Belgium for detaining 7 terror suspects on eve of Olympics opening ceremony". Associated Press. 25 July 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ^ "The Pope's plane lands in Brussels in a thunderstorm". The Brussels Times. 26 September 2024.
- ^ "ope wraps troubled Belgium visit by doubling down on abortion and women, praising abuse victims". AP News. 29 September 2024.
- ^ "Belgian PM and king blast Pope Francis for church's sex abuse cover-up legacy in blistering welcome". AP News. 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Belgium's largest drug trial ends with over 100 convictions". Euronews. 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Belgium Public Holidays 2024". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ "Jours fériés nationaux" [National public holidays in Belgium]. Belgian Federal Public Service (in French). Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ Butler, Patrick (2024-01-02). "Kids Company charity founder Camila Batmanghelidjh dies aged 61". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ^ "L'économiste belge Herbert Glesjer est décédé à l'âge de 86 ans". La Libre. 19 Feb 2024.
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