Flemish commercial TV station VTM is celebrating its 20th anniversary year in style, by going from strength to strength in the ratings. Last year they launched the concept of the TV-novel with Sara, followed into this year by LouisLouise, the story of a man who wakes up as a woman and the adjustments he has to make. There’s another one of those coming along shortly once the present run is done. There’s also a new series of Mijn Restaurant which is pulling in more than 800,000 viewers for its twice-weekly episodes.

The period between the 11th and 13th centuries was a golden age for Flanders. Thanks to the diligence of its weavers and the entrepreneurship of its merchants, Flemish cloth was renowned for its exceptionally high quality and was in great demand throughout Europe and beyond. The industry attracted wealthy Italian and Spanish merchants and bankers to the Flemish cities and financed the development of Ghent and Ypres, while turning Bruges into the busiest port in northern Europe. Yet in the 14th century the industry stagnated and by the early 15th century had declined to a fraction of its former glory.

Antwerp’s diamond industry is in near-collapse, with drops of up to 70% in trade, according to monthly figures from the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), which represents the industry.

Coalition governments are always difficult for those involved. Even though they belong to the majority, they cannot do as they please, as there is always the collation partner to take into account. Still, some coalitions work better than others.