In the back room of a flower shop Tomi, Rasto and Mižu dig a tunnel to reach the safe of the National Bank. When the rain continues, the system of corridors is flooded and they are forced to stop their work.
BRUSSELS - Since its establishment in 1850, the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) has been seen as one of the most reliable, but also most mysterious, institutions in the country. After the introduction of the euro, our Belgian notes and coins disappeared, and the NBB seemed like a relic from the past. What is its reason of existence today?
BRUSSELS / LILONGWE – In September 2025, the Flemish Government abruptly pulled the plug on its bilateral development cooperation with Malawi. For twenty years, Flanders had been investing in agriculture and food security there, but the cooperation fell victim to a round of budget cuts.
The Multi-million Business of European Science Funding
BRUSSELS - A maze of European subsidy rules has created a lucrative niche: grant consultants. These consultancy firms earn substantial sums by assisting researchers with their subsidy applications. This raises a fundamental question: does current research policy steer science too much towards competition and market value, at the expense of an open, societal approach to research?
