Category: event

3rd Public Event of the Re-Bel initiative
Thursday, the 3rd of June 2010, 2-6pm

Educational divergence: Why do pupils perform better in Flemish schools than in Francophone schools?

Social federalism: How should social policy competences be allocated in Belgium’s multi-level welfare state?

13.30
Registration

14.00-15.45
Educational divergence: Why do pupils perform better in Flemish schools than in Francophone schools?
Lead piece by Vincent VANDENBERGHE (UCL) [Download Background Paper]
Comments by
Jean HINDRIKS & Marijn VERSCHELDE (UCL & UGent),
Sergio PERELMAN (ULg)
Frank VANDENBROUCKE (K.U.Leuven & UA)

15.45-16.15
Coffee break

16.15-18.00
Social federalism: How should social policy competences be allocated in Belgium’s multi-level welfare state ?
Lead piece by Bea CANTILLON, Patricia POPELIER & Ninke MUSSCHE (UA) [Download Background Paper]
Comments by
Benoit CRUTZEN (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Danny PIETERS (K.U.Leuven)
Johanne POIRIER (ULB)
Frank VANDENBROUCKE (K.U.Leuven & UA)

18.00
Reception
At the start of the reception, the Camille Gutt Prize 2010 will be awarded to Daan STRUYVEN (ULB) for a thesis on the ways in which Belgium’s Regions could be “responsibilized” in matters of employment policy.

2nd Public Event of the Re-Bel initiative
Thursday, the 17th of December 2009, 2-6pm

Registration, 13.30

Opening, 14.00
Philippe Van Parijs (Louvain)

14.05 – 15.45
Part I: Towards a more efficient and fair funding of Belgium’s Regions and Communities?

Background reading
The CES-VIVES proposal: Towards a more efficient and responsible financing mechanism for the Belgian federation [Download Paper]
The CERPE proposal: A new structure for the financing of Belgium’s Regions and Communities through personal income taxation [Download Paper]

Chair
Erik Schokkaert (Leuven & Louvain)

Introduction
Paul De Grauwe (Leuven) & Mathias Dewatripont (ULB): Background and key controversial issues

Two proposals
Dirk Heremans, Theo Peeters & Annelore Van Hecke (CES-VIVES, Leuven)
Robert Deschamps, Alexandre de Streel & Christophe Ernaelsteen (CERPE, Namur) 

Brief reactions
Philippe Cattoir (St Louis, Brussels)
André Decoster (Leuven) 

General discussion

Conclusion
Mathias Dewatripont (ULB) & Paul De Grauwe (Leuven) 

16.15 – 18.00
Part II: Towards a more efficient and legitimate working of Belgium’s federal democracy ?

Background reading
Re-Bel e-book 4: Electoral Engineering for a Stalled Federation

Chair
Bea Cantillon (Antwerpen)

Introduction
Kris Deschouwer (VUB): The Pavia Group’s Proposal

Comments
Rudy Andeweg (Leiden)
Laurent de Briey (Namur)
Bart Maddens (Leuven)

Response
Kris Deschouwer (VUB) & Philippe Van Parijs (Louvain)

General discussion

Closing
Paul De Grauwe (Leuven)

Reception, 18.00

30 April 2009

The Re-Bel initiative was publicly launched with a full-day event that took place on April 30th 2009 at the University Foundation. We are most grateful to all the speakers for having provided a rich and stimulating input, and to the numerous participants for having contributed to the friendly and fruitful character of the encounter. The speech by Steven Vanackere, federal minister for institutional reform and deputy prime minister, is available for download. The bulk of the other contributions has already taken or will take the form of e-books.

It aimed to illustrate the initiative’s aims and spirit: interdisciplinary, reform-oriented, taboo-free, argument-based, with with plenty of room fora lively discussion and with the active participation of scholars from all Belgian universities and of many members of the Brussels-based international community.

The afternoon session was opened by Steven VANACKERE, deputy prime minister and minister for institutional reform. The bulk of the other contributions has already taken or will take the form of e-books.

Re-Bel E-books 2 and 3 include revised versions of the presentations at the afternoon session:
Does it make sense to regionalize labour market institutions?, edited by Bart Cockx and Bruno Van der Linden
Is democracy viable without a unified public opinion?, edited by Dave Sinardet and Marc Hooghe

Two more e-books on the themes of the morning session, including additional contributions, have also been published:
What does history teach us about the future of Belgium’s institutions?, edited by Bruno De Wever
What does geography teach us about the future of Belgium’s institutions?, edited by Jacques Thisse

Programme

Welcoming (8.30am)

Morning session (9am-1pm)

9 – 9.15	Opening: The Re-Bel initiative Eric De Keuleneer (University Foundation) Paul De Grauwe (K.U.Leuven) & Philippe Van Parijs (UCL)
9.15 – 10.45	What does human geography tell us about how Belgium’s institutions should and/or will evolve? Isabelle Thomas & Jacques Thisse (UCL) [Download their slides] Peter Cabus (K.U.Leuven) Patrick Deboosere (VUB) Chair: Mathias Dewatripont (ULB)
11.15 – 12.45	What does history tell us about how Belgium’s institutions should and/or will evolve? Bruno De Wever (UGent) Herman Van Goethem (UA) Vincent Dujardin (UCL) Luc Huyse (KULeuven) Chair: Bea Cantillon (UA)
12.45 – 13.00	What did I learn? Derek Blyth (editor of The Bulletin, The Newsweekly of the Capital of Europe)

Afternoon session (2-5.50pm)

14.00 – 14.15	Opening: How can academics contribute fruitfully to institutional reform? Steven Vanackere, deputy prime minister and minister for institutional reform in Belgium’s federal government
14.15 – 15.40	Does it make sense to regionalize labour market institutions ? If so, how? Bart Cockx (UGent) & Bruno Vander Linden (UCL), editors of the Re-Bel e-book “Does it make sense to regionalize labour market institutions ?” Koen Algoed (K.U.Leuven) Mathias Hungerbühler (FUNDP) Chair: Erik Schokkaert (K.U.Leuven)
16.10 – 17.35	Does it make sense to fight the development of distinct public opinions ? If so, how? Marc Hooghe (K.U.Leuven) & Dave Sinardet (UA), editors of the Re-Bel e-book “Can a democracy work without a united public opinion?” Nenad Stojanovic (Universität Zürich) Marnix Beyen (UA) Jeroen van der Kris (NRC Handelsblad) Marc Reynebeau (De Standaard) Chair: Philippe Van Parijs (UCL)
17.35 – 17.50	Closing: What next? Chair: Paul De Grauwe (K.U.Leuven)