​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishPOLITICS, ELECTIONSCordon sanitaire broken as Vlaams Belang forms coalitions in Izegem and Brecht26 November 2024 Far-right party Vlaams Belang has formed a coalition with the local party STIP+ on the municipal council of Izegem The two parties had already reached an agreement but STIP+ withdrew from the coalition after several members of the party received threats Vlaams Belang had the right of initiative until Tuesday and managed to form a coalition with STIP+ breaking the cordon sanitaire that had previously kept Vlaams Belang out of any government "It is completely unacceptable that members of our party or any other party are bombarded with all kinds of messages," said STIP+ leader Kurt Grymonprez “We should never accept something like that in a democracy Grymonprez justified the decision to proceed with Vlaams Belang "The choice of Vlaams Belang was not obvious," he said “But only with Vlaams Belang did the discussions ultimately move toward a supported and positive vision for Izegem Their local positions closely align with ours and a stable and sustainable relationship of trust has been built in recent weeks.” The coalition’s new management team promises innovation and transparency under a revamped board of aldermen Grymonprez called for constructive engagement: “Feel free to be strict We are working in the interest of Izegem and its people.” "The undemocratic cordon only lives in the minds of out-of-touch party leaders and journalists Almost 6 out of 10 Flemish people think it is only logical that our party participates in government This trend cannot be stopped," ​​Tom Van Grieken Vlaams Belang's collaboration with the local list nu2960 "The Vooruit department of Brecht has taken note with great concern and dismay of the decision of the nu2960 list to join forces with Vlaams Belang," said Walter Van Puymbroeck The controversy centres on Jef Verschueren a member of Vooruit who was elected on the nu2960 list Van Puymbroeck warned that Verschueren would face immediate expulsion if he signed the government agreement with Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang is in every way the opposite of what Vooruit Brecht fights for every day: a warm friendly and supportive municipality," Van Puymbroeck asserted These developments have resulted in the erosion of the cordon sanitaire a political practice established to isolate Vlaams Belang from governance While Vlaams Belang has gained significant local support in recent elections their inclusion in coalitions has ignited debates about the principles of collaboration in Belgian politics STIP+ defended their decision as a pragmatic step toward change "We know we are stuck with a certain legacy from the previous administration But we are doing our best in the interest of Izegem," Grymonprez said the decision by nu2960 has exposed fissures within coalition members whose leadership reaffirmed their opposition to Vlaams Belang's policies #FlandersNewsService | Members of Vlaams Belang and STIP+ at a protest "against intimidation" in Izegem on 30 October 2024 © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu Shortly after midnight on New Year Eve there was there was an explosion on a bridge in the West Flemish town of Izegem A flame shout into the sky and loud bang could be heard in the area Around 7 people are known to have been in the vicinity of the explosion The blast was filmed and footage is currently doing the rounds on social media possibly youths are seen standing near to where the explosion took place They seem startled by what happened and run away Local police spokesman Carl Vyncke told VRT News that it is not clear whether the bystanders were minors They could also be in their late teens or be people in their twenties.” The police and fire brigade received a report of the incident “We have not received any reports of injuries so far But this is quite surprising given the size of the flame Perhaps the people that were there have suffered damage to their hearing” A fire that started after the explosion was extinguished by the fire service Mr Vyncke told VRT News that "Together with the Municipal Works Department we will have to assess the damage together Were legal or illegal fireworks used and how did the fireworks get there will also be looked into."   Anyone who saw or heard anything related to the explosion is asked to contact Izegem police Fighting Fitness Judo in Woking achieved some impressive results at the Izegem Open in Belgium Eric Skillcorn and Maisie Chang won silver Kody Anderson and Ben Griffiths won bronze The Izegem Open attracted young judo athletes from across Europe Head coach Vince Skillcorn said: “We couldn’t be prouder of this team “Stepping onto the mat in a foreign country against unknown competitors takes real courage and every single one of them gave it their all “Every one of them gained something far more valuable than a medal – resilience, confidence and experience that will help them grow in judo and in life.” Comments Tel: 01483 802700[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 The Wolfpack will make its second appearance of the week on home soil Izegem Koers is back after a one-year hiatus with its 46th edition set to be held over a 9km local circuit that the peloton will cover 18 times The previous edition was won by Yves Lampaert and if the Belgian won’t be present to defend his title as he is riding the Tour of Britain this week Alvaro will be joined for Thursday’s race by former New Zealand National Champion Shane Archbold Stijn Steels and Gullegem Koerse winner Stan Van Tricht “We go to Izegem Koers with a strong squad aiming to be again in the mix when it comes down to crunch time Alvaro will be our man in case the race is decided in a sprint and he’ll have a solid team around him it will be another good occasion for them to gain more experience” said Deceuninck – Quick-Step sports director Rik Van Slycke Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images to know how many times a particular page is read We only use this information to improve the content of our website These cookies are only placed after you have given your consent The far-right party Vlaams Belang has lodged a complaint against those that allegedly intimidated councilors from the local STiP+ list in the West Flemish town of Izegem STiP+ became the largest group on Izegem Council at the recent municipal elections The party had planned to form a coalition with Vlaams Belang but pull out at the last minute because it said that its councilors had been the target of threats If the coalition had gone ahead Izegem would have become the second municipality in Flanders in which another party had entered into coalition with Vlaams Belang Under the conditions of the so-called “cordon sanitaire” the national parties in Flanders agreed more than 3 decades ago not to enter into coalitions with parties of the far-right In Ranst the members of the Christian democrat and liberal parties that entered into a coalition with Vlaams Belang were immediately expelled from their respective parties In Izegem the coalition agreement didn’t go through as several elected councilors from the STiP+ group refused to sign it as they said that they had been the victim of intimidation the right to try and form a new municipal coalition passed to the second biggest party on the council the party of the incumbent mayor of Izegem Bert Maertens of the Flemish nationalist N-VA On Tuesday the Izegem branch of Vlaams Belang announced that it had lodged a complaint against persons unknown for “intimidation and threats of physical violence towards members of the local party STiP+” Sam Weyts headed Vlaams Belang’s list at the recent municipal elections in Izegem He told VRT News that " What has occurred here is the result of stoking people up against Vlaams Belang This should not only be condemned in the strongest terms by all those that hold democracy dear but there also should be an investigation into the alleged intimidation” Vlaams Belang plans to stage a demonstration in Izegem on Wednesday This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could 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Usage of Content   Confidentiality Clause Founded in 2018, IzyCoffee is a 13-strong coffee chain based Izegem, Belgium. CEO Bart Buyse speaks to World Coffee Portal about championing higher quality coffee, doing business sustainably and aspiring to become one of Europe's major coffee shop operators Nestled between the economic powerhouses of France, Germany and the Netherlands, Belgium's branded coffee chain segment is relatively small, with its 475-plus stores making it the 15th across Europe by outlets. However, with the market growing 6.3% over the last 12 months there is clearly strong demand premium café experiences in Belgium and IzyCoffee is seeking to raise the bar for quality, choice and sustainable business.  As well as championing elevated coffee experiences at home, IzyCoffee CEO Bart Buyse is also seeking to steer the Izegem-based coffee chain into international markets later this year as part of plans to reach 100 outlets by 2025.   What inspired you to launch IzyCoffee?   Following a 20-year airline career and a two-year world trip with my family to more than 100 countries, I realised Belgium did not really have a national coffee chain despite Belgians being the eighth largest per capita coffee drinkers in the world.   Additionally, I realised that specialty coffee in Belgium could only be found in the bigger cities at local, mainly single-entity, coffee shops. This led me to take a professional SCA barista course, to create an incredibly strong business plan and to start selling specialty coffee in smaller Flemish cities, where people had never really heard of specialty coffee.  Nearly five years after starting as a coffee-truck in front of the station of a small rural West-Flemish town called Izegem, IzyCoffee is the largest Belgian coffee chain with 13 locations, predominantly at triple A-locations in most of Flanders’ larger cities.  How would you describe the current trading environment across your stores?  In Belgium, as in many neighbouring mainland Western-European nations, we’re currently recovering from numerous crises encountered during the last three years – health, energy, food costs – to name but a few.  Although we always continued to grow during this period, our growth has accelerated during the last six-months, and this encourages us to raise the bar further.   We see big potential to internationalise, due to the favourable central location and relatively small size of Belgium, which is surrounded by some of the biggest economies in Europe.  How is IzyCoffee navigating the challenges of high inflation? The inspirational storytelling skills of all IzyCoffee SCA-educated baristas is helping us to convince Belgians that specialty coffee is becoming a precious commodity. Life is too short to drink bad coffee.    Belgian high streets are flooded with low-quality coffee, but specialty coffee is the wine of the 21st century. Offering high-quality specialty coffee in an extremely professional way to the masses is something completely new in Belgium, and post-pandemic consumers are willing to invest in exquisite coffee experiences.  How is IzyCoffee embedding sustainability across its operations?  We have a thorough sustainability strategy supported by six pillars. Our main contribution comes from our specialty coffee blend which has 100% transparency from seed to cup and guarantees the biggest margin goes to the first link in the coffee value chain, producers.  Since Earth Day in April 2022, we have completely shifted to plant-based milk – we could potentially be the largest European coffee chain doing so. All our pastry products are also fully plant-based.   We've stopped using china cups, glasses and other tableware since we don't believe that washing one million cups in a dishwasher with detergent is very future-oriented. We offer a €1 discount each time customers use their IzyCoffee reusable tumbler.   We are working on a big project to make our next generation re-usable tumbler completely circular, up-cycled from our own coffee grounds. This project could save approximately 50 tons of coffee grounds from waste disposal every year ,and we're also striving to eliminate food waste.  What are your short-term growth plans?  In 2023, IzyCoffee will grow to 25 outlets, including flagship sites in Flanders' centre city locations as well as in Brussels and the bigger Walloon cities.   We will also open our first international IzyCoffee store in winter 2023, although we are keeping the location secret for now.   From 2024, we will predominantly concentrate on further growing the IzyCoffee brand abroad. The Netherlands, Germany and France are our main countries of interest.  By the end of 2025, we aim to become a European specialty coffee powerhouse with more than 100 outlets spread across five countries.  ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishECONOMYFood giant Cargill to cut 164 jobs in Belgium amid global restructuring3 December 2024 US food giant Cargill plans to cut 164 jobs in Belgium as part of a global restructuring effort that aims to reduce the company’s workforce by 5 per cent Cargill employs approximately 1,200 people in Belgium across facilities in Antwerp The majority of the layoffs are expected to affect the technical operations unit in Mechelen-Vilvoorde “The unions strongly regret this intent for collective redundancies,” said Tina De Greef union secretary at CSC/ACV Food and Services “Cargill is not a company in financial difficulty; they simply want more profit We will do everything we can to protect these jobs.” Cargill’s management has confirmed the global restructuring plan but has not disclosed specific figures for Belgium we need to reallocate our talent and resources to align better with our strategy this means reducing our global workforce by 5 per cent,” said Nicole Marlor Cargill’s European media relations director “This difficult decision was not taken lightly We remain committed to supporting our employees during this transition guided by our core value of putting people first.” Cargill has been active in Belgium since 1953 beginning as a grain import office in Antwerp it has expanded significantly and now operates in food ingredient production agricultural processing and product distribution Belgium also hosts Cargill’s European headquarters for food activities its European research and development centre Cargill's House of Chocolate in Mouscron © BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER The 23-year-old German signs for our team after impressive spell as stagiaire Following a solid stint as a trainee for the UCI World Team Classification Leader Jannik Steimle has been offered a contract as of next season Steimle has impressed in his outings at Izegem Koers Brussels Cycling Classic and Textielprijs Vichte earlier this month which added to the six victories that he has already notched up in 2019 while riding for Team Vorarlberg ecstatic when talking about this move: “It’s an unbelievable feeling it was really crazy to think that I was going to sign with Deceuninck – Quick-Step I am really happy to get this opportunity and now I can really show the team and the cycling world what I can do I am eager to see what this new road in life will bring me but I can already tell you that I love the classics and hard one-day races where I tend to do good and have a strong sprint from a reduced bunch.” but after two minutes it felt like it is a big family straight away I arrived at the airport and our soigneur Kevin Verstaen picked me up and he was really nice to me and talked a lot about the squad and the feeling from him was really great I thought I performed well and showed what I can do I want to thank the team again for this opportunity and I can’t wait to learn and work hard as a member of the Wolfpack” whose two most important wins of the season came at the Tour of Austria Deceuninck – Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere spoke of his delight at having secured Steimle’s services for the next two years: “Jannik’s signing is very special for us We have a good track record of developing young talent and it didn’t take long to decide that we would like him to stay with us we have already seen that he is willing to work and learn from the more experienced guys around him he also has the personality to fit in well with the group and wants to be part of the team so today we welcome him to the Wolfpack.” Photo credit: ©Mark Van Hecke/ Getty Images The Belgian was our top finisher at the 46th edition of Izegem Koers Bert Van Lerberghe is this year’s West-Flemish Champion at the end of an action-packed edition of Izegem Koers The 29-year-old from Kortrijk featured at the front in the business end of the race part of a group which he joined around 17 kilometers from the finish after a frantic chase Iljo Keisse had been part of the small breakaway that slipped away on the opening lap and remained in the lead until close to the final when Bert’s group braved the heavy rain and bridged across Van Lerberghe remained Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s only representative there the Belgian delivered a valiant effort and closed gaps in the finale In the end Bert finished the day outside the podium but he took the West-Flemish champion jersey for the first time in his career “The West-Flemish Champion is a nice reward after a hard race I rode away together with a small group and joined the guys at the front because many teams had multiple guys forcing me to shut down the gaps The two men rode away and I tried to bring them back but it was difficult and in the end I had to be content with this result” said Bert after his first race since completing La Vuelta Belgian won six Vuelta a España stages While LeMond went on to ride as a junior in Belgium for a year and then lived in Kortrijk near Izegem for the rest of his professional career taking 60 wins include six stages of the Vuelta a España On retirement he then became a sports director and long-term staff member at 7-Eleven Motorola and BMC thanks to his trusted relationship with team manager Jim Ochowicz He was also employed by USA Cycling for a decade as the director of the Under 23 development program Numerous young US riders learned the ropes of the European racing scene while based at Izegem and under De Jonckheere’s tutelage Taylor Phinney and Tejay Van Garderen and Tyler Farrar Other top riders Dejonckheere had already helped cut their teeth during his time at 7-Eleven and Motorola included Lance Armstrong and Canada’s Gord Fraser but the most striking case of all is surely Greg LeMond According to an article published by the cycling museum Koers.be Dejonckheere and LeMond crossed paths while the Belgian was racing in the States in the mid-1970s.  he also secured two stage wins in Paris-Nice two in the Coors Classic in 1978 and various stages in the Deutschland Tour and the Tour of the Med Dejonckheere left the US governing body to join the BMC professional team as European operations manager and assistant director sportif “Noël Dejonckheere had been ill for some time,” Bert Maertens, the mayor of Izegem, said in declarations to Sporza “But even so the news of his passing away is hard to accept and comes far too soon.” he was somebody who mattered in cycling and he remained a part of it after his own racing career helping numerous young talents by instructing them in their profession.” Alasdair FotheringhamSocial Links NavigationAlasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991 He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain he has also written for The Independent,  The Guardian,  ProCycling