Events of the year 2019 in Belgium.
Incumbents
Monarch: Philippe Prime Minister: Charles Michel (to 27 October); Sophie Wilmès (from 27 October)
Events 1 January – Fifteen Flemish municipalities merge into seven, the first such merges for several decades January – A ban on Kosher and halal slaughter comes into effect in the Flanders region of Belgium. The northern region of Belgium is the first to implement the ban. Similar restrictions will be in place in the southern Wallonia region from September. 26 April – Beatrijs Deconinck takes office as first female president of the Court of Cassation 26 May – European elections, regional elections and federal election 29 May – King Philippe held an official meeting with the leader of the nationalist Vlaams Belang party, Tom Van Grieken. According to Belgian media, 1936 was the last time a far-right leader had had an official meeting with the king. 25 July – The hottest day on record in Belgium, with a temperature of 39.7 °C measured at the Royal Meteorological Institute in Uccle and of 41.8 °C in Begijnendijk. 27 October – Sophie Wilmès appointed head of caretaker government: Belgium's first female prime minister. 27 November – Lode Van Hecke, Abbot of Orval, named bishop of Ghent in succession to Lucas Van Looy.
Culture 20 May – Dardenne brothers film Young Ahmed screened at 2019 Cannes Film Festival, winning them Best Director award. 21 May – Plans to build microbrewery inside Grimbergen Abbey publicised.
Deaths
January 1 January – Wilfried Verleyen, 87, monastic historian 4 January – Wiet Van Broeckhoven, 69, radio presenter and writer. 18 January – Etienne Vermeersch, 84, moral philosopher.
February 13 February – Willy Willy, rock musician with The Scabs, dies at age 59. 17 February – Claude Renard, 72, comics artist (Ivan Casablanca, 1914-1918, Les Anges de Mons) and teacher (founder of Atelier R). 18 February – Bob Van Der Veken, TV actor (De Collega's), dies at age 95.
March 14 March – Godfried Danneels, 85, cardinal Metropolitan Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and the chairman of the episcopal conference.
April 19 April – Patrick Sercu, 74, cyclist.
May 26 May – Alexis Dragonetti, 50, publisher.
July 17 July – Robert Waseige, 79, association football trainer.
August 4 August – André Goosse, 93, linguist. 5 August – Bjorg Lambrecht, 22, cyclist. 9 August – José Desmarets, 93, politician.
September 5 September – Charles Jarry, 66, comics artist (Élodie d'Avray, Costa).
October 5 October Rik Pareit, 66, journalist and writer. Philippe Vandevelde, Philippe Tome, 62, comics writer (Le Petit Spirou, Soda, continued Spirou et Fantasio) and artist (assistant of Dupa, Turk and Bob de Groot). 22 October – Marieke Vervoort, 40, athlete. 23 October – Michel Nihoul, Belgian criminal (Dutroux affair), dies at age 78.
November 22 November – Gaston Durnez, 91, journalist, poet, writer and comics writer (De Geschiedenis van Sleenovia, came up with the name of the comics character Detective Van Zwam by Marc Sleen).
December 7 December – Dani Dacquin, 84, comics artist (Adam en Eva, De Lotgevallen van Lotje, Yoeko). 14 December – Panamarenko, 79, sculptor. 22 December – Freek Neirynck, 70, theatre director, journalist, actor, writer and comics writer. 30 December – André Smets, 76, politician.André Smets, ex-bourgmestre de Herve, est décédé durant la nuit, sudinfo.be 30 Dec 2019
See also
2019 European Parliament election
References
Links