Belgium government faces Gaza student evacuation and Belfius sale debates

The Belgian federal government faces several critical issues during its first post-summer session. A primary point of contention within the ruling coalition is the evacuation of Gazan students who have been awarded Belgian university scholarships. While Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has proposed a technical plan for evacuation requiring Israeli cooperation, Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt and members of the MR party oppose the measure, citing concerns over potential increases in family reunification requests.

One scholarship recipient, Salwa Abu Elhaj, a KU Leuven master's student, described the difficulties of maintaining her application amidst conflict, including internet outages and food insecurity. She noted that despite receiving the scholarship, she remains unable to reach Belgium.

Additionally, the government is discussing the partial privatization of the bank Belfius. The state intends to sell shares to institutional investors, such as Worxinvest or CVC, aiming to raise approximately 2 billion euros. There are also ongoing discussions regarding a proposal to merge Belfius with the insurance company Ethias.