Editor’s note: This interview took place prior to the event organised on 20 July.
Two years after taking office, it’s now the first time to be able to celebrate the Belgian national day without health restrictions, with a party organised by the URB-BKV at the Brasserie Nationale on Wednesday [20 July] and a reception at your residence on 21 July. How do you view this?
With pleasure! After two years of building up a network in the context of the pandemic, I am delighted that, for the first time, it is finally coming together. It’s important to get together in a friendly atmosphere. On Wednesday, the URB-BKV is organising a party with Luxembourg beer, Belgian waffles and chips and a concert by The Fathers. I think it's a good concept; it's more informal and popular. And then on Thursday, it's the two-piece suit and tie category; it's a bit more official [he smiles].
How are Belgian-Luxembourg diplomatic relations?
Relations are really excellent. There is no country where bilateral relations are as intense as with Luxembourg. When our two health ministers meet, they discuss bilateral issues for a few minutes and then quickly move on to the European Union and Benelux. In short, our relations are much broader.
As far as teleworking is concerned, Belgium currently has the highest number of days of the three Luxembourg border countries---before switching to Belgian taxation. Are further extensions of the time limits planned in practice? had been under discussion…
The ambition to move to 48 days of teleworking per year comes up against two obstacles: within the Belgian administration, there are concerns about fiscal sovereignty. And, on the Luxembourg side, the financial sector says that if we go too far, there’s a risk for a Belgian cross-border worker--who works for a Luxembourg bank, for example--that his or her residence will be considered a fixed establishment of the bank in the eyes of an OECD rule.
And this agreement with Luxembourg has just been concluded and represents a global package, including the compensation fund for Belgian municipalities. It would be a bit odd if, barely a year after concluding these negotiations, they were reopened on teleworking days.
A text going in the direction of 48 days per year was voted in May in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives…
Until now, telework days were considered as Belgian-Luxembourg bilateral. But for a few months now, Belgium has been looking with its Dutch neighbour to review the number of teleworking days. So there is a Benelux dimension to this subject, and no doubt in the medium-term we will come to a Benelux regulation dedicated to telework, which wouldn’t be bad at all. The subject is also being discussed at the OECD. The cross-border reality is very important, but should we not at some point sit around the table of 27 and see whether a European framework for taxation should be established? I therefore invite Mrs [Mélissa] Hanus and Mr [Josy] Arens to take a broader look; there will be opportunities, but it will require a little more patience.
Have you already had contact with the new Belgian Foreign Minister, --with whom you had worked before you arrived in Luxembourg?
No, she has just been appointed, and I know that she is preparing for her new duties. Her last concern at the moment is to go and see the ambassadors. Sophie will definitely come back; I knew she would take this step aside [to support her husband with brain cancer], but this is a step backwards. It shows that our politicians are human beings who put their personal and family priorities first. It is a decision that everyone respects.
In September 2020, you deplored the fact that in Belgian-Luxembourg diplomatic relations. Since then, a Flemish economic mission has been organised in the grand duchy. What are the results?
These relations are on the up. One week after this exploratory mission, the building technologies cluster of Agoria [the Belgian federation of manufacturing, digital and telecommunications companies] expressed an interest in establishing relations with Luxembourg in the field of construction and innovative methods. A mission to Luxembourg is planned for 13 and 14 September. In another register, a company specialising in deep geothermal energy--which drills several kilometres deep to extract water at 325°C--presented a study on the interesting potential that the grand duchy would present. It proposes to carry out a geothermal cadastre of the country's subsoil. I will shortly be meeting with the cabinet of the energy minister (déi Gréng) to discuss this. Finally, the representatives of Voka [the network of Flemish companies leading the April mission] have confirmed that they are going to invite , and to Antwerp to connect the networks and show what they can offer. I spoke to Franz Fayot about it, and he is very interested, he had already made and wants to return.
The military integration dossier with the binational battalion is going very well… we hope that by 2028 or 2030, this battalion will be fully operational
Are there any other initiatives planned to further strengthen this?
Yes, FIT [Flanders Investment & Trade, an economic promotion organisation of the Flemish government] will organise a mission to Luxembourg next spring, which is currently being prepared with the Luxembourg Embassy in Brussels. The Walloon Minister-President Elio Di Rupo will return to Luxembourg to take stock of space cooperation. In terms of defence, the military integration dossier with is going very well; there is good progress, and we hope that by 2028 or 2030, this battalion will be fully operational. In November, a seminar will be held on cybersecurity in the maritime domain, which will be an opportunity to open doors to links between the Belgian and Luxembourg maritime sectors. Let me tell you: two of my predecessors in this diplomatic post said to me, 'In Luxembourg, you either wear slippers or sneakers.’ I chose sneakers, I hate slippers. And in 2024, my last six months in office will be marked by the Belgian Presidency of the European Union. So I will need several pairs of sneakers [he smiles].
At the halfway point of your term, what are your impressions of Luxembourg? Does the country meet your expectations you had at the beginning of your mandate?
No, it exceeds my expectations. I think that we have a very important role to play with this post vis-à-vis Belgium, to think together about what we can do for economic co-development. On the Luxembourg side, there are ideas that could be implemented in Belgium and things could be done for the benefit of all parties. I think that when I leave Luxembourg, I will have a big problem, because I will never again be in such a privileged position in terms of proximity with Belgium. And I confirm what [] said: we are a very close-knit group of ambassadors.
What message would you like to send to the Belgian nationals for the Belgian National Day?
Keep it up: it's a very nice community that is very well connected and reflects the linguistic diversity of both countries. Belgium and Luxembourg are positioned on the same European cultural tectonic divide: between north and south. Everyone sees the 360° [perspective], and that is why our politicians are very quick to talk about the EU. The same goes for entrepreneurs: they have learned to navigate between the rather Latin and Germanic cultures. This is an opportunity.