Belgian Parliament discusses reparations to Congo for colonial misdeeds

In the aftermath of Belgian King Philip's speech in Kinshasa unanimously described as "historic", the question of possible reparations to Congo was debated in the Belgian Federal Parliament on Thursday.

On the second day of an official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Belgium's King Philip reaffirmed his "deepest regrets" for the wounds of the colonial past during a speech on Wednesday. On Thursday, the future of relations with the former Belgian colony was the main topic of discussion in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. 

During that discussion, Guillaume Defossé of majority party Ecolo (French-speaking greens) stated that "Belgium will have to decide on reparations", albeit not necessarily financial ones.

"I am not guilty. The Belgians of today are not guilty of Belgium's colonial past," Defossé said. "But we have inherited this past and the collective responsibility to assume this delicate, difficult, disturbing heritage," he stated.

"For us, there can be no question of reparations," Jasper Pillen (Open VLD, Flemish liberals) responded. "The Belgians alive today have no fault for the past and cannot pay for the past," Pillen argued. According to Pillen, there are enough themes where Belgium can support Congo. 

Opposition party N-VA (Flemish nationalists) also opposed the idea of possible reparations to Congo. "Let's look at people's current problems. Let's not give in to false guilt", said Tomas Roggeman (N-VA).

In his response on behalf of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD), Deputy Prime Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) emphasised that the Congolese are not asking for an official apology. "Above all, they want us to write a new chapter together and to look to the future," he said. "In order to write that new chapter together, it is important that we reconcile with the past. It is in that context that the King's words should be understood."

(KOR)

Guillaume Defossé (Ecolo) pictured during a plenary session of the Chamber at the Belgian Federal Parliament on 9 June 2022 © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM