#Yes2Belgium : speech
Trust … ladies and gentlemen.
This is what a businessman said to me when I asked him what attracted him to Belgium.
We trust you. He said.
Truly … the greatest compliment a country can get.
The belief that you rely on us.
Trust is what made us come together tonight.
And what a great pleasure to address so many of you.
If we are here today it is thanks to AMCHAM and ten other international chambers of commerce.
Ladies and gentleman,
You all know that these are testing times.
Three months ago Brussels was hit by terrorists.
And these attacks have shocked us.
We are slowly coming to terms with what happened.
And I want to thank you for standing next to us.
Because many accusations were completely out of balance.
So I would like to put things straight with you.
With numbers. Not just with words.
Last year EUROPOL counted 200 terrorist attacks or plots in Europe.
Just 10 days ago, we witnessed the most horrific attack in Orlando and another one in France.
We are all facing the same threat.
This is a common challenge.
In Belgium, we have strongly reformed our security architecture.
And we have taken many measures to reinforce our capacities.
We know that we need to adapt as quickly as possible.
Belgium is a country that provides safety to all its citizens and travelers.
But we must remain vigilant and proactive.
Dear friends,
Belgium is the third most globalized economy in the world.
A great achievement for a country which is small in size.
Commerce and trade represent more than eighty percent of our Gross Domestic Product.
Our globalized economy is a tradition that reflects our multi-lingual society.
Our productivity index remains among the highest in the world.
Like our education system and innovation.
Renting an office, a production site in Brussels remains the cheapest among major cities.
The cost of living in Brussels is very low compared to other capitals.
But we have to consolidate our position as a premium business destination.
Over the past eighteen months we have taken important steps to reform our economy, our employment market and our tax system:
- We reduced our wage handicap to promote our competitiveness.
- We took a global fiscal reform, the so called “tax shift”.
- We lowered the tax burden on employment from thirty-two to twenty-five percent.
And our reforms are showing results:
- Salaries have increased.
- Unemployment has decreased (to 8.5%) to the lowest level in twenty-five years.
- Never before in the last ten years did we see the creation of so many companies : ninety-eight thousand businesses in two thousand fifteen.
- According to the National Bank : one hundred forty thousand jobs will be created by two thousand eighteen.
We are a business friendly government and we want to support investors.
Of course, we are a perfect gateway to the European market.
- Belgium is a perfect market for companies wanting to test products or services.
- And we are at the center of the European decision making process.
And again, numbers are stronger than words :
More than two thousand foreign companies have a headquarter or sales office in Belgium.
Brussels hosts five thousand diplomats, fifteen thousand lobbyists and fifteen hundred international press members.
Belgium has always been at the forefront of European integration.
More cooperation for the welfare of our citizens.
It is what we believe in.
But people in the UK question Europe.
The referendum is a crucial moment in the history of this continent.
Remain or leave.
In both cases we have to find a new destination, a new common project that unites all Europeans.
We have to show our citizens what Europe stands for.
So my message to the people in the UK is simple :
put your emotions aside and see how prosperous, safe and free Europe is.
I believe that a stronger UK can only exist within a stronger European Union.
Belgium is committed to safeguard the achievements of Europe, including the EURO zone.
All members have to ensure that the functioning of the European institutions are not impacted by the referendum.
I will put it frankly to you :
I wish for the UK to remain in the European Union.
But after this referendum we have to move on.
We are ready to implement the agreement as soon as possible.
But here again, the implementation should not slow down the European Union.
So, I say, take a view from the business side.
Look at the numbers first.
Because a business is about doing business after all.
It is, as I mentioned before, about trust.
A relationship has to be a win-win relationship.
We want you to share and benefit from our assets and our way of life.
Let’s grow and flourish together.
In the heart of Europe.
Here in Belgium.
I thank you for your presence.
