#Flemish MP

[claraameliapond]

Flemish MP criticises Eurovision Song Contest for hypocrisy over Palestine ban: "How hypocritical is it, that israel today can simply participate in the Eurovison Song Contest while in the meantime in the same Eurovision Song Contest Palestinian flags and Palestinian keffiyahs are banned?

Well, I have a Palestinian keffiyah, and I wear it with great pride to show that we are for an end to that war, for an end to the genocide and for the ceasefire. And there are many of us in the world who want an end to the violence, no matter how much you keep trying. Free Palestine , Boycott Israel. "

Don't forget to boycott Eurovision completely - for allowing Israel to compete, as a comparison, they didn't let Russia compete when they began their war against Ukraine.

Israel is always treated as the exception. Don't let it be. Don't accept that.

It is antisimetic to conflate zionist Israel with Judaism.

Israel is a terrorist state currently engaging in a determined intentional genocide of Palestine, because they want Palestine for themselves. But it's not their country, nor are they a peaceful immigrant population. Real Jewish people have always lived in Palestine alongside Christian and Muslim Palestinians. Peacefully.

Israel is a terrorist state who illegally, and brutally occupies Palestine. Palestine must me decolonised to be properly liberated and safe.

Remember to boycott Eurovision to send the message that no, you can't commit a genocide and still be included in cultural events. Unfortunately Eurovision didn't stand up to them. So the viewers must. Tank the ratings. For Palestine 🇵🇸 ❤ 💖 💕 🍉 🫒 🕊

[wingedalpacacupcake]

Flemish MP Criticises Eurovision Song Contest for ‘hypocrisy’ over Pales...

[ey3bags]

Flemish MP Criticises Eurovision Song Contest for ‘hypocrisy’ over Palestine ban.

True words are spoken!

[thegothicera]

Some oddballs from the Miroir Historial (Ms. Ludwig XIII 5, v1 (83.MP.148.1), fol. 69), Flemish, ca. 1475

[head-post]

Belgian PM De Croo announced resignation after his party’s defeat in EU elections

Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced his resignation after being defeated in the European elections, according to��Belgian media.

His announcement came after a significant loss of his party, Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD), which won only 5.9 per cent of the vote.

Tomorrow I will resign as prime minister.

Despite the disappointing results, De Croo stated that the Liberals were “strong,” promising the comeback. Although De Croo will step down, he can retain his position on an interim basis until a new government is in place.

Belgium will continue to hold the presidency of the European Council until 30 June 2024. The presidency rotates every six months between member states.

On 8 December, De Croo stressed in a statement that in addition to the European continent, people in the Middle East faced a terrible war. He is also among the European leaders who have spoken out the most against Israel’s war in Gaza.

His visit to Israel and Palestine in November, along with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez, prompted the administration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to criticise the remarks they made about the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Belgium put a proposal to ban violent settlers in the West Bank from entering European territory on the agenda of the final summit of EU leaders this year. However, MPs did not reach a consensus on the issue.

Read more HERE

[thepastisalreadywritten]

BRUSSELS — Today, the Belgian Federal government’s Council of Ministers approved a legislative proposal for a ban on the import of hunting trophies of endangered animal species, put forth by Zakia Khattabi, Minister of Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal.

The Minister’s preliminary draft bill follows the Federal Parliament of the Kingdom of Belgium’s unanimous vote in March 2022 in support of a resolution demanding that the government put the brakes on the issuance of trophy import permits for a broad array of threatened and endangered species.

This resolution protects species such as the hippopotamus, Southern white rhinoceros, African savannah elephant, lion, polar bear and argali sheep killed for sport.

The scope of the resolution also extends to all species listed in Annex A, along with certain species in Annex B of the European Regulation 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora.

Member of Parliament Kris Verduyckt (Vooruit, Flemish Socialists), initiator of the legislative proposal to ban hunting trophy imports in 2020 and proposer of the aforementioned resolution, said:

“I am glad that this hard work is paying off. Minister Khattabi is now fully translating my proposal into a bill and the entire Council of Ministers approves it.

It’s time we really started protecting endangered species. Trophy hunters prefer to kill the largest and strongest animals, the loss of which contributes to the disruption and decline of animal populations.”

The European office of animal protection charity Humane Society International, a long-time vocal advocate against the import of endangered species’ trophies, lauded the government’s decision.

Ruud Tombrock, executive director for HSI/Europe said:

“We welcome the fact that the unanimous resolution of Parliament has been translated into a legislative measure and look forward to studying the details of the legislation once published.

Belgium is leading the way for other countries in Europe already listening to calls from their citizens to consign the import of hunting trophies to history.

The next step should be an EU-wide ban on the import of hunting trophies from endangered and protected species, again reflecting the views of citizens across member states in the European Union.”

Over the past 16 months, HSI/Europe has worked with MPs to ensure that the unanimous resolution of Parliament was translated into legislation.

Today’s approval is the culmination of this campaign.

MPs from different political parties have maintained pressure on Environment Minister Khattabi.

A recent response to a parliamentary question from MP Jan Briers (CD&V, Flemish Christian democrats) revealed that the Ministry had only stopped issuing permits for importing animal trophies since mid-March 2023, a delay which outraged many MPs.

This landmark decision by the Belgian government echoes the strongly held views of its people.

A 2020 survey by Ipsos commissioned by HSI/Europe showed that 91% of Belgians oppose trophy hunting and 88% support a prohibition on importing any kind of hunting trophy at all.

This sentiment is not limited to Belgium but is resonating across the European continent.

A 2023 pan-European poll conducted by Savanta in all 27 EU Member States on behalf of HSI/Europe laid bare the widespread public rejection of trophy hunting.

A striking 83% of respondents stood firm against this practice, with just 6% in favor.

The vast majority is expecting strong measures to be taken against trophy hunting, with a compelling majority (74%) rallying behind a national import ban and similar support for an EU-wide ban (73%).

These survey results underscore a profound and growing public concern across Europe, spotlighting the urgency and importance of wildlife conservation and the protection of threatened species.

Today, Belgium has echoed the urgent European call to action against trophy hunting, joining the ranks of countries like the Netherlands, France and Finland, which have each implemented various degrees of bans and restrictions on the practice of import of hunting trophies.

Momentum against trophy hunting is accelerating across the continent, with nations including the UK, Germany, Italy, and Poland now also involved in active discussions to impose bans at varying stages of progress.

Facts on trophy hunting:

• The Netherlands introduced a trophy hunting ban for more than 200 species in May 2016 on the Annex A of European Regulation 338/97, on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein, and of species in danger of extinction.

The import ban also applies to the following Annex B species: white rhinoceros, hippopotamus, African elephant, mouflon (wild sheep from the Caucasus), lion and polar bear.

A total of 200 animal species are affected by the import licenses ban.

• France implemented a ban on the import of lion-hunting trophies in 2015.

In 2023, a Bill proposal for registration aimed at “stopping the issuance of import permits for hunting trophies of certain endangered species was tabled.

•The import of hunting trophies into Finland is restricted since June 2023.

The new Nature Conservation Act includes a provision that prohibits the import of individual animals or their parts from the most endangered species worldwide, which are threatened by international trade as trophies from countries outside the EU.

• In the United Kingdom in March 2023, British lawmakers approved a ban on the import of animal hunting trophies covering 6,000 endangered species, which makes it one of the toughest in the world.

The legislation is now being debated in the House of Lords.

• In Germany, the Minister of the Environment, Steffi Lemke (The Greens), announced that she intends to restrict the import of hunting trophies from protected animal species.

Germany terminated the Country’s membership in the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) in 2022.

• In Italy in 2022, a bill aimed at banning the import, export and re-export, to and from Italy, of hunting trophies obtained from animals that are protected by CITES, was presented.

After the fall of the government and the elections in 2023, the same bill was tabled again in parliament.

• In Poland, a bill sponsored by the deputy chairperson of the Sejm, the lower chamber of the parliament, reached committee stage discussion this month and is scheduled for further progress in August 2023.

• Trophy hunting of endangered species poses a severe threat to conservation efforts and the world’s natural heritage.

Trophy hunters prefer to kill the largest, strongest animals, whose loss causes declines in population.

The affected species, such as African elephants, lions, rhinoceros, and leopards, among others, are already facing the risk of extinction and play crucial roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity.

The loss of these iconic animals not only disrupts delicate ecological balances but also erodes cultural and historical significance.

Many species play important roles in their ecosystems. Their removal can have cascading effects on other wildlife, vegetation, and the overall health of the ecosystem.

• The EU is the second biggest importer of hunting trophies after the United States, as indicated in a report by Humane Society International/Europe from 2021, with an average of 3000 trophies imported in the period between 2014 and 2018.

• The top 10 species imported into the EU as trophies are:

Hartmann’s mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae) (3.119), Chacma baboon (1.751), American black bear (Ursus americanus) (1.415), brown bear (1.056), the African elephant (952), African lion (Panthera leo) (889), African leopard (Panthera pardus) (839), hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) (794), caracal (Caracal caracal) (480), and red lechwe (Kobus leche) (415).

• The EU was the largest importer of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) trophies with 297 cheetah trophies imported into the EU during the study period.

• Belgium is the 13th largest hunting trophy importer of internationally protected species in Europe

• Shortly before the vote of the resolution last year, Animal Rights Belgium, another organisation campaigning against the import of hunting trophies in Belgium, delivered a petition with 37,000 signatures supporting the ban to the Federal Environment Minister, Zakia Khattabi.

💛🙌💛

[beardedmrbean]

Dries Van Langenhove, the founder of the far-right movement Schild & Vrienden, has been sentenced to a one-year effective prison term for violations of the racism and negationism law.

The Ghent correctional court announced its sentence for Van Langenhove, a former MP for the Flemish far-right party Vlaams Belang, on Tuesday. He has been given up to one year of effective imprisonment for violations of the racism and negationism law, including denying the Holocaust.

He also has to pay a €16,000 fine and loses ten years of his civil rights, taking away his right to vote, but also the right to be elected or hold public office. He was also handed down ten months of suspended imprisonment for violations of the weapons law. Van Langenhove was again not present at the hearing.

The final sentence is more lenient than what was initially requested by the prosecution (a two-year prison sentence and a fine of €24,000). However, the Ghent court judge used strong language in the sentencing, stating that the accused was "an instigator of racism and negationism."

The judge also spoke of "criminal behaviour" and contributing to hate speech and violence. "He creates a hostile atmosphere in society. He contributes to antagonism, discord and conflict and thus fosters physical and psychological violence. All this points to a particularly dangerous mindset."

'Bigoted racism'

The verdict has long been awaited. The criminal investigation started more than five years after a VRT Pano report showed that racist and antisemitic messages were shared in secret chat groups of Schild & Vrienden. In June 2019, Van Langenhove was officially put under suspicion.

Before the trial, several people and institutions have taken civil sides, believing they are victims of the group, including the equal opportunities organisation Unia, the Human Rights League and Ghent University. Former magistrate Henri Heimans, whose parents survived Nazi concentration camps, also declared himself a civil party.

"I am not euphoric, but I am satisfied with the verdict and especially with the justification of the verdict," he told VRT after the verdict was announced. "The court says that bigoted racism sets society against each other. That is substantiated in the verdict, which I think is the most important thing."

Five of the six other defendants, also members of the far-right movement, received jail terms with deferments of six to eight months and effective fines of €8,000.

The final defendant received a suspended sentence with conditions, including an escorted visit to the Dossin Kazerne in Mechelen, which between 1942 and 1944 served as an assembly camp for thousands of Jews and Roma people before they were sent to concentration camps.

Today likely won't mark the end of this case, which has lasted for over five years, as Hans Rieder, Van Langenhove's lawyer, will immediately appeal the verdict.

[epitome-the-burnkid-viii]

🎱 Welcome to the #youtuberecommendedchronicles🔮 Come find my podcasts #SupplementalBroadcast & #PanPanenPiousPropheticPonderings on YouTube & Rumble! New episodes posted regularly!!!🧩 #CurrentEvents #Spirituality #Eschatology #Knowledge #TheGreatAwakening 🙏

[oediex]

The constitutional affairs select committee of the lower house of the Belgian parliament, the chamber of representatives, has given the go ahead to include animals in the constitution. Flemish ecologist lawmaker Kristof Calvo speaks of an important step forward for animal welfare: "Animals are important in our society. Now we fully recognise them as living beings with feelings." The text was approved unanimously, though there were three abstentions. Under the proposals animals will enjoy protection under Article 7a of the Belgian constitution. The proposed text reads: "In the exercise of their respective powers, the federal state, communities and regions shall endeavour to protect and care for animals as sentient beings." Earlier, the Senate too approved the text. Final approval is possible within weeks if the text receives the backing of a two-thirds majority of lawmakers in a plenary vote in the chamber.

Animal rights organisation Gaia is also pleased with the approval. "There is no doubt that including animals in the constitution is a legitimate answer to the widely supported social demand for ever better protection of animals in our society," says president Michel Vandenbosch. "We call on all MPs to support the bill during the vote in plenary, which will take place in a few weeks' time."

[aristeon89]

Belgian Far-Right Politician Accused of Taking Bribes from China’s National Security Agency

Belgian far-right politician Frank Creyelman was reportedly paid off by the Ministry of National Security of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for over three years in order to influence European politics in Beijing’s favour.  Creyelman, 62, is an honorary Belgian MP and former member of the far-right Flemish nationalist party Vlaams Belang. He previously served in the Flemish parliament and…

[nkengdi]

Deaths On This Day – December - 22

Pre-1600

AD 69 – Vitellius, Roman emperor (b. 15)

731 – Yuan Qianyao, official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty

1012 – Baha' al-Dawla, Buyid amir of Iraq

1060 – Cynesige, Archbishop of York

1100 – Bretislav II of Bohemia (b. 1060)

1115 – Olaf Magnusson, King of Norway (b. 1099)

1419 – Antipope John XXIII

1530 – Willibald Pirckheimer, German lawyer and author (b. 1470)

1554 – Alessandro Bonvicino, Italian painter (b. 1498)

1572 – François Clouet, French miniaturist (b. c. 1510)

1601–1900

1603 – Mehmed III, Ottoman sultan (b. 1566)

1641 – Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, 2nd Prime Minister of France (b. 1560)

1646 – Petro Mohyla, Ruthenian metropolitan and saint (b. 1596)

1660 – André Tacquet, Flemish priest and mathematician (b. 1612)

1666 – Guercino, Italian painter (b. 1591)

1681 – Richard Alleine, English minister and author (b. 1611)

1767 – John Newbery, English publisher (b. 1713)

1788 – Percivall Pott, English physician and surgeon (b. 1714)

1806 – William Vernon, English-American merchant (b. 1719)

1828 – William Hyde Wollaston, English chemist and physicist (b. 1766)

1853 – Manuel María Lombardini, Mexican general and politician. President (1853) (b. 1802)

1867 – Jean-Victor Poncelet, French mathematician and engineer (b. 1788)

1870 – Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Spanish journalist, poet, and playwright (b. 1836)

1880 – George Eliot, English novelist and poet (b. 1819)

1891 – Paul de Lagarde, German biblical scholar and orientalist (b. 1827)

1899 – Dwight L. Moody, American evangelist and publisher, founded Moody Publishers (b. 1837)

1901–present

1902 – Richard von Krafft-Ebing, German-Austrian psychiatrist and author (b. 1840)

1915 – Rose Talbot Bullard, American medical doctor and professor (b. 1864)

1917 – Frances Xavier Cabrini, Italian-American nun and saint (b. 1850)

1918 – Aristeidis Moraitinis, Greek lieutenant and pilot (b. 1891)

1919 – Hermann Weingärtner, German gymnast (b. 1864)

1925 – Amelie Beese, German pilot and engineer (b. 1886)

1939 – Ma Rainey, American singer (b. 1886)

1940 – Nathanael West, American author and screenwriter (b. 1903)

1941 – Karel Hašler, Czech actor, director, composer, and screenwriter (b. 1879)

1942 – Franz Boas, German-American anthropologist and linguist (b. 1858)

1943 – Beatrix Potter, English children's book writer and illustrator (b. 1866)

1944 – Harry Langdon, American actor, comedian, and vaudevillian (b. 1884)

1950 – Frederick Freake, English polo player (b. 1876)

1957 – Frank George Woollard, English engineer (b. 1883)

1959 – Gilda Gray, Polish-American actress and dancer (b. 1901)

1960 – Ninian Comper, Scottish-English architect (b. 1864)

1962 – Ross McLarty, Australian politician, 17th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1891)

1965 – Richard Dimbleby, English journalist (b. 1913)

1968 – Raymond Gram Swing, American journalist (b. 1887)

1969 – Enrique Peñaranda, 45th President of Bolivia (b. 1892)

1971 – Godfried Bomans, Dutch journalist and author (b. 1913)

1974 – Sterling North, American author and critic (b. 1906)

1979 – Darryl F. Zanuck, American director and producer (b. 1902)

1985 – D. Boon, American singer and musician (b. 1958)

1986 – Mary Burchell, English author and activist (b. 1904)

1986 – David Penhaligon, Cornish Liberal Politician (b. 1944), Member of Parliament (MP) for Truro (1974-1986)

1987 – Luca Prodan, Italian-Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1953)

1988 – Chico Mendes, Brazilian trade union leader and activist (b. 1944)

1989 – Samuel Beckett, Irish author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)

1992 – Harry Bluestone, English violinist and composer (b. 1907)

1992 – Frederick William Franz, American religious leader (b. 1893)

1993 – Don DeFore, American actor (b. 1913)

1995 – Butterfly McQueen, American actress and dancer (b. 1911)

1995 – James Meade, English economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)

1996 – Jack Hamm, American cartoonist and television host (b. 1916)

1997 – Sebastian Arcos Bergnes, Cuban-American dentist and activist (b. 1931)

2001 – Ovidiu Iacov, Romanian footballer (b. 1981)

2001 – Walter Newton Read, American lawyer and second chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission (b. 1918)

2002 – Desmond Hoyte, Guyanese lawyer, politician and President of Guyana (b. 1929)

2002 – Joe Strummer, English singer-songwriter (b. 1952)

2004 – Doug Ault, American baseball player and manager (b. 1950)

2006 – Elena Mukhina, Russian gymnast (b. 1960)

2006 – Galina Ustvolskaya, Russian composer (b. 1919)

2007 – Charles Court, Australian politician, 21st Premier of Western Australia (b. 1911)

2007 – Adrian Cristobal, Filipino journalist and playwright (b. 1932)

2009 – Luis Francisco Cuéllar, Colombian rancher and politician (b. 1940)

2009 – Albert Scanlon, English footballer (b. 1935)

2010 – Fred Foy, American soldier and announcer (b. 1921)

2012 – Chuck Cherundolo, American football player and coach (b. 1916)

2012 – Ryan Freel, American baseball player (b. 1976)

2012 – Cliff Osmond, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1937)

2012 – Lim Keng Yaik, Malaysian physician and politician (b. 1939)

2013 – Diomedes Díaz, Colombian singer-songwriter (b. 1956)

2013 – Hans Hækkerup, Danish lawyer and politician (b. 1945)

2013 – Oscar Peer, Swiss author, playwright, and philologist (b. 1928)

2014 – John Robert Beyster, American physicist and academic (b. 1924)

2014 – Christine Cavanaugh, American actress (b. 1963)

2014 – Joe Cocker, English singer-songwriter (b. 1944)

2014 – Bernard Stone, American lawyer and politician (b. 1927)

2015 – Peter Lundblad, Swedish singer-songwriter (b. 1950)

2015 – Freda Meissner-Blau, Australian activist and politician (b. 1927)

2016 – Chad Robinson, Australian rugby league player (b. 1980)

2017 – Gonzalo Morales Sáurez, Costa Rican painter (b. 1945)

2018 – Simcha Rotem, last survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (b. 1924)

2018 – Herman Sikumbang, Indonesian guitarist (b. 1982); casualty during 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami

2019 – Ram Dass, American spiritual teacher and author (b. 1931)

[llovinghome]

[ey3bags]

Flemish MP Criticises Eurovision Song Contest for ‘hypocrisy’ over Palestine ban.

True words are spoken!

[thegothicera]

The English Besieging La Rochelle, from Chroniques (Book Three) (Ms. Ludwig XIII 7 (83.MP.150), fol. 314), Flemish, ca. 1480-1483

[mrdirtybear]

‘Portrait of Sir Giles Alington (1572-1638)’, half-length, in a black embroidered coat with lace ruff and gold embroidered cap, by a grey curtain, a landscape beyond. Painter unknown, Flemish school. Sir Giles was an MP in the days when perhaps 5 % of men had the choice of being able to vote, MP’s bought the vote in beer, and the purpose of being an MP was to further the absolute rule of the country’s ruler to his constituents much more than to represent the interests of his constituents. Here is his Parliamentary record.

[merelygifted]

How a lockdown 'sex party' doomed a Hungarian Euro MP - BBC News

It's not hard to see how the misadventures of Hungarian politician Jozsef Szajer made headlines across the continent this week.

There are of course the public health implications of a public figure attending a gathering of 25 guests at a party that was a clear breach of Belgium's strict lockdown rules.

There is the hypocrisy issue: how could a man who drafted the Hungarian constitutional prohibition on gay marriage find himself in a room full of naked men at an event described in Flemish newspaper headlines as a "seksfeest" (sex party)?

And undeniably there is the Benny Hill element to the arrest of a senior member of the European Parliament as he attempted to flee the scene by climbing down a drainpipe and running away.

Mr Szajer, a founder member of the authoritarian, ultra-conservative Fidesz movement, said his "mis-step" was purely personal and it shouldn't be seen as a reflection on his homeland or political community.

There was little chance of anyone heeding that.

Fidesz is a party that troubles Hungary's more liberal European partners with its history of seeking to silence critical voices in the media, extend its control over the judiciary and limit gay rights in the field of marriage and adoption.

Mr Szajer himself drafted the Hungarian constitution which defines marriage as a heterosexual act.

He resigned as an MEP before the details of the case leaked out but once they were in the public domain it was easy to see why he'd immediately known that his political career was over. ...

Our Dave in London hipped me to this Hungarian hypocritical arsehole