This article was first published on the Online EU Training blog

A Belgian newspaper (source unknown as we only received a clipping from a friend) recently gathered what EU employees tend to think about Belgium and more specifically, Brussels…and also found out what the locals think of the “lazy, wealthy expats'”. Not very flattering – on either side!

Some highlights – what EU officials think of Belgians

(see original article and full list here):

•     They ‘specialise’ in making/eating chocolate, beer, waffles

and French fries

•     There is lots of painful ‘Kafkaesque’ administration red tape

•     They like to make simple things very complicated

•     There is often no government but the country keeps going

•     Belgians are bad, careless and impatient drivers

•     The customer service (e.g. in restaurants) is poor

•     There are hardly any famous Belgians (except for Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters)

•     There seems to be a chemist, cafe and fruit and veg shop on every street corner!

…and what Belgians think of EU officials and diplomats:

•     They’re arrogant and pretentious

•     They hardly pay any taxes

•     They don’t take part in Belgian society – e.g. they don’t go to watch Anderlecht or any another Belgian

football team and they don’t go to the theatre.

•     They all have beautiful houses.

•     They all go to Place Luxembourg and to the At Seven nightclub.

•     Their wives don’t work and spend lots of time at fitness clubs.

•     They complain all the time.

•     They have the ‘cul dans le beurre’ [an easy life].

•     They don’t do anything – they’re pen-pushers, writing report after report

•     They take long lunch breaks and don’t have much stress

Is it really so? Or completely unfair? What do you think?

(image credit: www.virtualtourist.com)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.