– I have been a resident of Europe for 24 years and for the first time, I have seen this protest and clashes of around 120,000 union leaders, professionals, students, factory and shop workers coming from all over Belgium converging in the center of Brussels, the very heart of Europe. It was only the first in a series of demonstrations and strikes planned over coming weeks. The plan is to stage a series of regional strikes every Monday starting 24 November, culminating in a national strike on 15 December.
The Belgian working force marched to central Brussels in protest against the new center-right government’s cost cutting or saving measures that includes the raise of the retirement age from 65 to 67, limit scope for early retirement, cancel an inflation-linked wage hike due next year and cut the health and social security budgets. The protest became wild and violent as several cars were overturned or set on fire and metal barriers thrown at the lines of the police, who responded with pepper spray and water cannon. A police spokesman declined to say how many people had been detained and how many police and protesters were injured.
Prime Minister Charles Michel invited leaders of Belgium’s three main union branches to talk with the one-month old government, although did not offer any obvious concessions. Discussions began yesterday afternoon. ACV or Het Algemeen Christelijk Vakbond (a Belgian Christian trade union) chief Marc Leemans said, “The signal is clear. People are angry. This government’s new policies are totally unbalanced.” Former Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo lamented, “I share the concern of the people and the measures of the government are unjust.” For the first time in 26 years, the Socialists are excluded from the government and have complained that while workers were hit, the rich were unaffected.
– Meanwhile, French President François Hollande has pledged not to introduce any more taxes for the rest of his five-year presidency and not to run for re-election if he fails to reduce unemployment by the end of his term. With unemployment stuck at an all-time high and the European Commission darkly predicting France will soon have the highest budget deficit in the eurozone, the vast majority – more than eight out of 10, according to one poll – say they do not want Mr. Hollande to run in 2017 election. The President made it clear that after two and a half years of painful tax hikes, there would be no more. Admitting that he had made a “mistake” to predict that unemployment would fall by the end of 2013, he confirmed he would not stand for re-election if it failed to fall before the end of his mandate. His approval rating is now at a historic low of 12 per cent and a massive 97 per cent believe he has failed to kick start the economy.
– A nursing home for gays, bisexuals and transgender people would be open soon in the Danish capital. This was announced by the care commission of Denmark. Politician Lars Aslan Rasmussen said, “The gay community in Copenhagen is big and we have the most gay-friendly city in the world.” The so-called Rainbow Hostel would be the first nursing home of this sort in Denmark. So far there are homes for older people of non-Danish origin or with emphasis on life in the outdoors and with animals. – (END) –
