2019 in Belgium explained

Events of the year 2019 in Belgium.

Incumbents

• Monarch: Philippe^[1]
• Prime Minister: Charles Michel (to 27 October); Sophie Wilmès (from 27 October)^[2]

Events

• 1 January – Fifteen Flemish municipalities merge into seven, the first such merges for several decades
• January – A ban on Kosher and halal slaughter comes into effect in the Flanders region of Belgium. The northern region of Belgium is the first to implement the ban. Similar restrictions will be in place in the southern Wallonia region from September.^[3]
• 26 May – European elections, regional elections and federal election
• 29 May – King Philippe held an official meeting with the leader of the nationalist Vlaams Belang party, Tom Van Grieken. According to Belgian media, 1936 was the last time a far-right leader had had an official meeting with the king.^[4]
• 25 July – The hottest day on record in Belgium, with a temperature of 39.7 °C measured at the Royal Meteorological Institute in Uccle and of 41.8 °C in Begijnendijk.^[5]
• 27 October – Sophie Wilmès appointed head of caretaker government: Belgium's first female prime minister.^[2]
• 27 November – Lode Van Hecke, Abbot of Orval, named bishop of Ghent in succession to Lucas Van Looy.^[6]

Culture

• 20 May – Dardenne brothers film Young Ahmed screened at 2019 Cannes Film Festival,^[7] winning them Best Director award.^[8]
• 21 May – Plans to build microbrewery inside Grimbergen Abbey publicised.^[9]

Deaths

January

• 1 January – Wilfried Verleyen, 87, monastic historian^[10]
• 4 January – Wiet Van Broeckhoven, 69, radio presenter and writer.^[11]
• 18 January – Etienne Vermeersch, 84, moral philosopher.^[12]

February

• 13 February – Willy Willy, rock musician with The Scabs, dies at age 59.^{[13] [14]}
• 17 February – Claude Renard, 72, comics artist (Ivan Casablanca, 1914-1918, Les Anges de Mons) and teacher (founder of Atelier R).^[15]
• 18 February – Bob Van Der Veken, TV actor (De Collega's), dies at age 95.^[16]

March

• 14 March – Godfried Danneels, 85, cardinal Metropolitan Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and the chairman of the episcopal conference.^{[17] [18]}

April

• 19 April – Patrick Sercu, 74, cyclist.^[19]

May

• 26 May – Alexis Dragonetti, 50, publisher.^[20]

July

• 17 July – Robert Waseige, 79, association football trainer.^[21]

August

• 4 August – André Goosse, 93, linguist.
• 5 August – Bjorg Lambrecht, 22, cyclist.
• 9 August – José Desmarets, 93, politician.^[22]

September

• 5 September – Charles Jarry, 66, comics artist (Élodie d'Avray, Costa).^[23]

October

• 5 October
  • Rik Pareit, 66, journalist and writer.^[24]
  • Philippe Vandevelde, aka Philippe Tome, 62, comics writer (Le Petit Spirou, Soda, continued Spirou et Fantasio) and artist (assistant of Dupa, Turk and Bob de Groot).^[25]
• 22 October – Marieke Vervoort, 40, athlete.^[26]
• 23 October – Michel Nihoul, Belgian criminal (Dutroux affair), dies at age 78.^[27]

November

• 22 November – Gaston Durnez, 91, journalist, poet, writer and comics writer (De Geschiedenis van Sleenovia,^{[28] [29]} came up with the name of the comics character Detective Van Zwam by Marc Sleen).^[30]

December

• 7 December – Dani Dacquin, 84, comics artist (Adam en Eva, De Lotgevallen van Lotje, Yoeko).^[31]
• 14 December – Panamarenko, 79, sculptor.^[32]
• 22 December – Freek Neirynck, 70, theatre director, journalist, actor, writer and comics writer.^[33]
• 30 December – André Smets, 76, politician.^[34]

See also

• 2019 European Parliament election

Notes and References

1. Web site: Philippe, king of Belgium . Encyclopedia Britannica . 28 March 2019 . en.
2. Qui est Sophie Wilmès, la nouvelle Première ministre?. 27 Oct 2019. Le Vif/L'Express.
3. News: Belgium ban on kosher and halal slaughter methods comes into effect. Ella Wills. 7 January 2019. Evening Standard.
4. News: Belgian king's meeting with far-right leader sparks controversy. Jennifer Rankin. 29 May 2019. The Guardian.
5. News: Zo uitzonderlijk was het gisteren: 41,8 graden in Begijnendijk. nl. Kathleen Heylen. VRT Nieuws. 26 July 2019.
6. News: Lode Van Hecke nieuwe bisschop van Gent. 27 November 2019. De Standaard.
7. News: Young Ahmed review: subtle and timely tale of radicalisation. Peter Bradshaw. 20 May 2019. The Guardian.
8. Bong Joon-ho's Parasite wins the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Variety. Peter Debruge. 25 May 2019.
9. News: Belgian monks resurrect 220-year-old beer after finding recipe. Daniel Boffey. 21 May 2019. The Guardian.
10. News: Afscheid van dom Wilfried: Abdij Affligem telt nu maar 6 monniken meer . Wim De Smet. 9 January 2019. Het Laatste Nieuws.
11. Web site: Wiet van Broeckhoven is niet meer (audio) – RadioVisie.
12. Web site: Filosoof, ethicus en opiniemaker Etienne Vermeersch overleden. De Standaard.
13. Web site: Willy Willy (59) overleden, doorgroefde gitarist van onder meer The Scabs. 14 February 2019. Vrtnws.be. 15 February 2019.
14. Web site: 2019-02-14. Willy Willy (59), gitarist van The Scabs, is gestorven. 2021-01-02. Het Laatste Nieuws. nl.
15. Web site: Claude Renard. lambiek.net.
16. Web site: Acteur Bob Van Der Veken overleden, directeur Thienpondt uit "De collega's". VRT. NWS. 20 February 2019. vrtnws.be.
17. News: Catholic News Agency . 14 March 2019. Kardinal Godfried Danneels ist tot. 14 March 2019 . de .
18. Web site: 14 March 2019 . 14 March 2019 . nl . Kardinaal Godfried Danneels overleden.
19. News: L'ex-cycliste Patrick Sercu est décédé à l'âge de 74 ans. RTBF. fr.
20. Web site: 2019-05-26. 'Alexis Dragonetti zorgde altijd voor peper in de reet': Boekenvak in rouw na dood van Boekenbeurs-baas. 2021-01-03. De Morgen. nl.
21. Web site: Ex-bondscoach Robert Waseige op 79-jarige leeftijd overleden. De Standaard.
22. News: José Desmarets, ancien ministre de la Défense, est décédé. La Libre. 9 August 2019.
23. Web site: Charles Jarry. lambiek.net.
24. Web site: Gewezen VTM-journalist en stripkenner Rik Pareit overleden. VRT. NWS. October 5, 2019. vrtnws.be.
25. Web site: Philippe Tome. lambiek.net.
26. News: Sage ian Marieke Vervoort ends her life through euthanasia. Paralympian Marieke Vervoort ends her life through euthanasia. 23 October 2019. The Times. 24 October 2019. London, England.
27. Web site: Drug trafficker associated with infamous Belgian paedophile Dutroux dies at the age of 78. 23 October 2019. The Brussels Times.
28. Web site: Marc Sleen. lambiek.net.
29. Web site: Eduard De Rop. lambiek.net.
30. Web site: Schrijver en oud-journalist Gaston Durnez is overleden. VRT. NWS. November 22, 2019. vrtnws.be.
31. Web site: Dani Dacquin. lambiek.net.
32. Web site: Kunstenaar Panamarenko (79) is overleden. De Standaard.
33. Web site: "Professor van het Gents" Freek Neirynck (70) is overleden. VRT. NWS. December 19, 2019. vrtnws.be.
34. https://www.sudinfo.be/id158976/article/2019-12-30/andre-smets-ex-bourgmestre-de-herve-est-decede-durant-la-nuit André Smets, ex-bourgmestre de Herve, est décédé durant la nuit