2023-10-03 17:12:00
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde received 440 Belgian mayors at Laeken Castle on Tuesday. The royal couple thanked local officials for their commitment. Among the 581 mayors invited, 440 presented themselves at the royal domain.
In addition to local elected officials, governors and the Federal Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden were also present. Furthermore, several mayors of large cities were missing, such as the mayor of the city of Brussels, Philippe Close, or those of Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges.
After a photo moment, the King welcomed the mayors with a speech at a reception. The monarch referred to recent crises where local authorities were heavily solicited: “Covid, the reception of Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers, the energy crisis, natural disasters, required an effort from you and your team particular.”
The Head of State concluded his speech with a word of recognition for the representatives: “Your beautiful and noble task deserves all our respect. Your role is more crucial than ever. You are the beating heart of our society and you understand better than anyone’s concerns.”
Welcoming mayors to the royal domain of Laeken is a tradition, which took place for the last time in 2017. The King considers that it is important to maintain contact with all levels of power, from the Prime Minister to the mayors .
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