13th Public Event of the Re-Bel initiative
Thursday 16 June 2016, 2 to 6pm
Terrorism and Belgium’s institutions
Belgium’s regions going international: a fiasco?
We are please to invite you to the next public event of the Re-Bel initiative to be held on 16 June 2016 from 2 to 6 pm at the University Foundation (11 rue d’Egmontstraat, 1000 Brussels).
As previously announced, it will address the question “Belgium’s regions on the international scene: does it need to end up in a fiasco ?”, but only from 4.15 to 6 pm. Owing to the Brussels terrorist attacks, we have decided to make room for a second theme: “Terrorism and response to terrorism in Brussels and other cities: do institutions matter?”, which will be addressed from 2 to 3.45 pm. A brief presentation of each of these two themes and the programme of both parts of the afternoon feature below.
Program
1.30 pm
Registration
2-2.05
Introduction
Philippe VAN PARIJS, professor of economic and social ethics, UCLouvain, member of Re-Bel’s core group
2.05-3.45 pm
Part I: Terrorism and response to terrorism in Brussels and other cities: do institutions matter?
Several people who grew up in Brussels were involved in the recent terrorist attacks in both Paris and Brussels. Besides, the (over?)reaction to these events by the authorities inflicted a lasting blow to Brussels’ economic, social and cultural life. Unsurprisingly, this raised the question of whether these events had anything to do with the way in which Belgium’s institutions, especially but not only Brussels’ complex institutional framework (19 communes, 2 communities, etc.), address the challenge of mutlicultural cities. In the light of some comparisons with other cities, we shall try to answer this question and, depending on the answer, explore the desirability of institutional reforms.
The discussion will be introduced by
Sarah CARPENTIER, doctoral researcher at the Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, Universiteit Antwerpen.
Dirk JACOBS, professor of sociology, Université libre de Bruxelles
Dyab ABOU JAHJAH, master in political science (UCLouvain), columnist for De Standaard
and moderated by
Estelle CANTILLON, professor at the Solvay Brussels School of economics and management, member of Re-Bel’s core group
3.45-4.15 pm
Coffee break
4.15-6 pm
Part II: Belgium’s regions on the international scene: does it need to end up in a fiasco ?
The period preceding the recent COP 21 Paris conference on climate change saw particularly laborious negociations between Belgium’s regional governments. Does this instantiate a serious structural problem for climate change negociations that concerns all countries with relevant competences devolved to the sub-national level? How can it best be handled? Is there an analogous and equally serious problem at the level of the Council of Ministers of the European Union whenever competences of our Regions or Communities are involved? How is it currently addressed? How should it be addressed?
The discussion will be introduced by
Jos DELBEKE, director general for Climate Action at the European Commission
Peter BURSENS, professor of political science at the Universiteit Antwerpen
Herman VANROMPUY, president emeritus of the European Council, professor of European studies at the UCLouvain
and moderated by
Bea CANTILLON, director of the Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, Universiteit Antwerpen , member of Re-Bel’s core group
5.55-6pm
Conclusion
Paul DE GRAUWE, professor of economics, London School of Economics and Political Science, member of Re-Bel’s core group
6pm
Reception
