Category: event

EVENT CANCELLED Given the threat of the coronavirus pandemic and the measures adopted by the Federal government, it will come as no surprise to you that we have to cancel our debate on the Federale kieskring/ Circonscription fédérale. We shall try to find another way of fostering a well-informed debate on this proposal (and several others). To be informed of future events, visit the Contact page.

Friday 20 March 2020, 17.00-19.00

Kan hij echt helpen om federaal België weer vlot te krijgen?
Peut-elle vraiment aider à débloquer la fédération belge ?

20th public event of the Re-Bel initiative
University Foundation, 11 rue d’Egmontstraat, 1000 Brussels

[Texte français ci-après]

Nederlands

In februari 2007 lanceerde de Pavia-groep het idee om een ​​deel van de Kamerzetels toe te wijzen aan een kieskring dat heel België omvat. Dit voorstel werd door verschillende politieke partijen overgenomen. En het werd besproken in een Paritaire Kamer-Senaatscommissie die haar verslag in april 2014 heeft ingediend.

Het voorstel beoogt de democratische werking van de Belgische federale staat te verbeteren door diegenen die het land willen besturen te onderwerpen aan de electorale sanctie van alle Belgische burgers. Door politici aan te moedigen om projecten voor te stellen die ten goede komen aan de hele bevolking, hoopt dit voorstel de terugkerende kortsluitingen in de vorming van een federale regering te voorkomen. Het debat op 20 maart heeft als doel na te gaan of het voorstel aan deze ambitie voldoet. Tijdens dit debat zullen zowel de argumenten voor als de bezwaren tegen aan bod komen.

Het debat wordt in het Frans en het Nederlands gevoerd. Het wordt gemodereerd door Béatrice DELVAUX (hoofdeditorialiste, Le Soir) en Karel VERHOEVEN (hoofdredacteur, De Standard).

Alexander DE CROO, vicepremier (Open VLD) en Jean-Marc NOLLET (covoorzitter van ECOLO) zullen het voorstel verdedigen. Christian BEHRENDT (ULg) en Jeroen VAN NIEUWENHOVE (KU Leuven en Raad van State) zullen de discussie openen.

Inschrijving: gratis maar verplicht, ten laatste op 15 maart.

NB: Re-Bel organiseerde in december 2009 een internationale workshop over het onderwerp en publiceerde een Re-Bel e-book, dat in het Engels, het Nederlands en het Frans beschikbaar is.  De pagina “Documents” van de website van de Pavia-Groep bevat bovendien een groot aantal kritische discussies van het voorstel.

Français

En février 2007, le Groupe Pavia a lancé dans le débat public l’idée d’allouer une partie des sièges de la Chambre dans une circonscription couvrant l’ensemble de la Belgique. Cette proposition a été reprise par plusieurs partis politiques et elle a été discutée au sein d’une Commission parlementaire mixte Chambre-Sénat qui a remis son rapport en avril 2014.

La proposition vise à améliorer le fonctionnement démocratique de la Belgique fédérale en soumettant ceux qui dirigent ou veulent diriger le pays à la sanction électorale de tous les citoyens belges. En les incitant ainsi à formuler d’emblée des projets justifiables face à l’ensemble de la population, elle prétend contribuer à éviter les blocages récurrents dans la formation d’un gouvernement fédéral. Le débat du 20 mars vise à déterminer si la proposition est à la hauteur de cette ambition, en essayant de mieux comprendre tant les arguments en sa faveur que les objections à son encontre.

Le débat se déroulera en français et en néerlandais et sera modéré par Béatrice DELVAUX (éditorialiste en chef, Le Soir) et Karel VERHOEVEN (rédacteur en chef, De Standard).

Alexander DE CROO, vice-premier ministre (Open VLD) et Jean-Marc NOLLET (co-président d’ECOLO) défendront la proposition. Christian BEHRENDT (ULg) et Jeroen VAN NIEUWENHOVE (KU Leuven et Conseil d’Etat) ouvriront la discussion.

Inscription : gratuite mais obligatoire, au plus tard le 15 mars.

NB : Re-Bel a organisé en décembre 2009 un workshop international sur le sujet et publié Re-Bel e-book disponible en anglais, en néerlandais et en français. En outre, la page « Documents » du site du Groupe Pavia rassemble un grand nombre de discussions critiques de la proposition.

Worden alle Belgen er echt beter van?
Tous les Belges s’en porteront-ils vraiment mieux?

19th public event of the Re-Bel initiative
Thursday 12 December 2019, 17.00-19.00
University Foundation, 11 rue d’Egmontstraat, 1000 Brussels

Documents / Documenten
Version officielle de la proposition: en français
Officiële versie van het voorstel: in het Nederlands

[Nederlandse tekst onderaan]
Français
En février 2014, la N-VA adoptait, sous l’appellation “confédéralisme”, une proposition de réforme profonde des institutions de la Belgique. Aujourd’hui, ce modèle confédéral n’est pas présenté comme une étape éphémère vers la scission du pays mais comme un arrangement de long terme qui profiterait durablement à chacune des composantes de l’état fédéral belge. Le débat du 12 décembre vise à déterminer si le modèle est capable de tenir cette promesse en essayant de mieux comprendre tant les arguments en sa faveur que les objections à son encontre.

Le débat se déroulera en français et en néerlandais et sera modéré par Béatrice DELVAUX (éditorialiste en chef, Le Soir) et Karel VERHOEVEN (rédacteur en chef, De Standard).

Sander LOONES, député fédéral, présentera le modèle confédéral de la N-VA, dont il est un des concepteurs. Edoardo TRAVERSA (juriste, UCLouvain) et Frank VANDENBROUCKE (économiste, Universiteit van Amsterdam) ouvriront la discussion.

Nederlands
In februari 2014 deed de N-VA onder de naam “confederalisme” een voorstel voor een grondige hervorming van de Belgische instellingen. Vandaag presenteert de partij dit confederale model niet meer als een kortstondige fase in de richting van de splitsing van het land, maar als een lange termijnregeling die voordelig zou zijn voor elk onderdeel van de Belgische federale staat. Het debat op 12 december heeft tot doel te onderzoeken of het model deze belofte kan waarmaken door een poging te doen om de argumenten voor en tegen beter te begrijpen.

Het debat wordt (in het Nederlands en het Frans) gemodereerd door Béatrice DELVAUX (hoofdeditorialiste, Le Soir) en Karel VERHOEVEN (hoofdredacteur, De Standaard).

Sander LOONES, federaal parlementslid, presenteert het confederale model van de N-VA, waarvan hij een van de ontwerpers is. Edoardo TRAVERSA (jurist, UCLouvain) en Frank VANDENBROUCKE (econoom, Universiteit van Amsterdam) zullen de discussie openen.  

18th public event of the Re-Be initiative
Thursday 20 June 2019, 2-6pm
Coordinated by Bea CANTILLON and François MANIQUET

Despite high social spending and work-related welfare reforms, poverty remains a largely intractable problem for policy-makers.The poverty risk in Wallonia is almost twice as high as in Flanders and the difference has increased in recent years. Despite this divergence, similar trends can be observed in Belgium’s three regions, most notably adecreasing adequacy of social protection for the working-age age population and an increasing gap between poverty rates among the high skilled and among the low skilled. How well does social assistance do its job of eradicating poverty in Belgium’s three regions? Has the regionalization of child benefits made them better instruments against child poverty? What can the regions learn from each other ?

Download the presentations

Sébastien Bastaits, The Evolution of the social situation and social protection in Belgium
Tania Dekens, Has the regionalization of child benefits made them better instruments against child poverty?
Wim Van Lancker, The regionalization of child benefits: A tale of two mistakes and a missed opportunity
Marjolijn De Wilde, Discretion and the poverty reduction capacity of social assistance in Flanders
Laurence Noël, Non take-up in Brussels: precariousness in development

Programme

1.30pm: Registration

2-3.45pm: Part 1, chaired by Bea Cantillon (UA & Re-Bel)
Has the regionalization of child benefits made them better instruments against child poverty?
Sebastien Bastaits (Federal Public Sevice Social Security), Poverty and social protection in Belgium and its regions : a state of the art.
Tania Dekens (Iriscare), The Sixth State Reform : the operational transfer of new competencies.
Wim Van Lancker (KU Leuven), Child Poverty in Belgium’s regions: What can be expected from the new child benefit systems ?

3.45-4.15pm: Coffee break

4.15-6pm: Part 2, chaired by François Maniquet (UCLouvain & Re-Bel)
How well does social assistance do its job of eradicating poverty in Belgium’s three regions?
Marjolijn Dewilde (UA), Discretion and the poverty reducing capacity of social assistance.
Laurence Noël (Commission Communautaire Commune de Bruxelles), Non take up: a major threat to the protective role of social assistance ? 

Conclusion: Paul De Grauwe (LSE & Re-Bel)

6pm: Reception

17th Public Event of the Re-Be initiative
Thursday 13 December 2018
Coordinated by Erik SCHOKKAERT

All over the world, environmental challenges and sharp increases in congestion are turning the transportation of people and goods and the correlative allocation of space into central issues in public debate and public policy. In our country, the fact that a significant part of this mobility crosses regional borders raises difficult institutional questions. 

What are and should be the respective roles of the federal state, the regions and the local authorities in mobility policy? At what level(s) should investments in transport infrastructure be decided and at what level should they be funded? And how should mobility policy be coordinated with urban development policies and its objectives, such as adequate housing and a concern for green spaces and biodiversity? Can decisions about the allocation of space stop at the borders of a commune, a region, the federal state? What is the best way of allocating and coordinating decision powers between these various levels?

Programme

1.30pm: Registration

2-3.45pm: Part 1: Background
Chair and introduction: Erik SCHOKKAERT (KU Leuven & Re-Bel))
Keynote lectures by
Isabelle THOMAS (geographer, UC Louvain)
Stef PROOST (economist, KU Leuven)
Pierre LACONTE (president, Foundation for the Urban Environment)

3.30-4.00pm: Coffee break

4.15-6pm: Part 2: General discussion introduced by the two regional bouwmeesters
Chair: Estelle CANTILLON (ULB & Re-Bel)
Introduction by
Kristiaan BORRET (Maître architecte/ Bouwmeester Brussels)
Leo VAN BROECK (Vlaams Bouwmeester)
General discussion

Conclusion: Paul DE GRAUWE (LSE & Re-Bel)
6pm: Reception

16th Public Event of the Re-Be initiative
Thursday 21 June 2018, 2 to 6pm

A critical discussion of

Belgium. Une utopie pour notre temps
(L’ Académie en Poche, Bruxelles, juin 2018)

Belgium. Een utopie voor onze tijd
(Polis, Antwerpen, juni 2018)

by Philippe VAN PARIJS

Both the printed and the electronic versions of the French edition are available from the Académie royale de Belgique. The electronic version of the Dutch edition is available from Polis. The printed version is no longer available, but the pdf can be downloaded free of charge from here.

A critical discussion of a book published in June 2018: Belgium. Une utopie pour notre temps (L’Académie en Poche), Belgium. Een utopie voor onze tijd (Polis), by Philippe VAN PARIJS. Presentations of the various chapters by members of the Re-Bel core group were followed by comments by outsiders and a response by the author. The event was coordinated by Paul DE GRAUWE.

Part I: Selective presentation of the various chapters
Bea CANTILLON (UA)
Estelle CANTILLON(ULB)
Paul DE GRAUWE (LSE)
Bruno DE WEVER (UGent)
François MANIQUET (UCL)
Erik SCHOKKAERT (KU Leuven)
members of Re-Bel’s core group

Part II: Critical comments
Edouard DELRUELLE (ULg)
Jean-Benoit PILET (ULB)
Herman VAN GOETHEM (UA)
Els WITTE (VUB)

Response
Philippe VAN PARIJS (UCL & KU Leuven)

15th Public Event of the Re-Be initiative
Thursday 14 December 2017, 2 to 6pm
Coordinated by Isabelle Ferreras, Bruno De Wever & Philippe Van Parijs

Are nationalism and/or patriotism tolerable? Are they legitimate? Might they even be indispensable to the smooth functioning of a democratic polity? If so, at what level(s) and under what conditions? And what follows as regards the drawing of borders and the allocation of sovereignty? Such questions keep popping up in the context of the Catalan crisis. But they are no less present in the Brexit process and throughout the debate on European integration. And they are of course at the core of the discussion about the future of Belgium.

Programme

1.30 pm
Registration

2-3.45 pm
Bruno DE WEVER (UGent & Re-Bel): Welcome and general introduction
Part 1: Multi-level patriotism ?
Chair: Philippe VAN PARIJS (UCLouvain & Re-Bel)
Louis VOS (historian, KU Leuven): Conceptual and historical framework
Bart MADDENS (political scientist, KU Leuven): A Flemish perspective
Paul MAGNETTE (political scientist, ULB, mayor of Charleroi): A Walloon perspective
Sophie HEINE (political scientist, Centre for international studies, Oxford): A European perspective
General discussion

3.45-4.15 pm
Coffee break

4.15-6 pm
Part 2 : The Catalan situation and its relevance to Belgium
Chair: Isabelle FERRERAS (UCLouvain & Re-Bel)
Eric STORM (historian, University of Leiden)
Clara PONSATÍ I OBIOLS (economist, University of St Andrews, until she became minister of education in the Catalan government)
Vincent SCHELTIENS-ORTIGOSA (historian, University of Antwerp)
General discussion

Paul DE GRAUWE (LSE & Re-Bel): Concluding words

14th Public Event of the Re-Be initiative
Thursday 15 June 2017, 2 to 6pm

In the past few decades, political authorities have developed policies aimed at the integration of newcomers. This has produced quite some discussions about the exact aims of integration policies and about the ways in which integration is to be achieved. 

In some places – including Belgium – the authorities responsible for the integration policies are the substates. This generates two additional questions that will be explored during this event:

1. Is there a tension between attempts of substates to build and protect their identities and their ambition to be open and welcoming societies.

2. How should one address the high probability of overlap between levels of government for policies that touch upon language, culture, education, employment, security and more.

Programme 

1.30 pm
Registration

2-3.45 pm
Part 1: Integration policies in federal states – an overview 
Ilke Adam (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
Catherine Xhardez (Université Saint-Louis & Sciences Po Paris)
Ricard Zapato Barrero (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

3.45-4.15 pm: Coffee break

4.15-6pm
Part 2: Are integration policies different in the Belgian regions, and should they be different?
Fabrice Ciaccia (Centre Régional d’Intégration de Charleroi – CRIC)
Eric De Jonge (Brussels Reception Agency for Integration – BON)
Karl Vanlouwe (Member of the Flemish Parliament for the N-VA)

6pm: Reception

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