Brussels, november 19 - After the terrorist attacks of November 13 in Paris,
and even more so after the discovery of the ties between some of the terrorist
and the capital of Belgium, the political agenda and the media events in
Brussels has undergone major changes.
Les Journées de Bruxelles, the yearly event organised at the Palais des Beaux Arts by the Belgian
newspaper OBS, with the collaboration of other major Belgian newspapers (Le
Soir, De Standaard) and the patronage of the European Commission and the city
of Brussels, went nonetheless on as planned on Wednesday 18 and Tuesday 19
November: the attacks in Paris, however, had a powerful effect on the
discussions taking place during the panel devoted to the “migratory challenges”
that Europe is facing right now.
The fervent address by Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and
Citizenship, reminded the audience that these terrorist attacks were carried
out by European citizens, born and bred in Europe – they are the product of the
forty-year long lack of effective policies of inclusion. As he pointed out,
“they are our citizens, and our responsibility”. He also explained that it is
precisely in dire times that we must preserve our values of humanity and
solidarity, not falling to populism, to fear and prejudice, to divisions within
our society: the European leadership must therefore grow stronger.
