King Philippe, on the Belgian throne since 2013, accompanied by Queen Mathilde, is expected on a state visit to France from October 14 to 16. On the program for these three days: a grand dinner at the Élysée, a preview visit to an exhibition at the Château de Chantilly dedicated to Louise d’Orléans, the first queen of Belgium, and an official reception at the town hall of Lille.
The royal couple will be accompanied by the five minister-presidents of the regions and communities of Belgium and will also participate in meetings with university presidents, business leaders and Belgian artists who have long lived in France.
“This trip is marked by a certain solemnity, because it is a state visit. But a sovereign, in principle, only makes a state visit to another country once per reign.explains a good connoisseur of the Belgian monarchy. By coming to Paris, King Philippe responds to the state visit that Emmanuel Macron and his wife themselves made to Belgium in 2018.
38,000 French people cross the border every day
The King of the Belgians also visits France very often. He was there again for the Olympic Games last August. But this trip has a particular significance because it is intended, for three days, to celebrate the good relations between neighbors and allies: our two countries indeed cooperate closely within the framework of the European Union; the French appreciate Belgian culture, without always knowing, moreover, that an artist comes from the other side of the Scheldt; 38,000 French people cross the border every day to work in Belgium, while 8,000 Belgians make the journey in the opposite direction.
Even if the pomp of state visits, with a welcoming ceremony, a toast at dinner and a full Republican Guard, may seem outdated, at a time when European heads of government telephone each other daily, these meetings make it possible to strengthen ties. state-to-state ties. They also make it possible to do business: King Philippe will participate in an economic forum in the presence of around a hundred business leaders operating in the two countries. Belgian companies having invested in France have created 130,000 jobs there, while French companies employ 170,000 employees in Belgium. France is Belgium’s third supplier and second customer for its exported products.
The right to pursue with limits
Despite these good relations between Paris and Brussels, there are some annoying subjects. One of them concerns the crossing of migrants across the border or the fight against cross-border crime. French and Belgian police officers benefit from the right of pursuit, but the Belgians cannot make an arrest in France, while the French are authorized to do so on the Belgian side… This inequity comes up regularly in bilateral discussions. But it will not be on the menu of the visit. On the other hand, the King of the Belgians will be keen to celebrate the numerous cross-border cooperations which allow, for example, the inhabitants of Hauts-de-France to seek treatment indifferently in France and in Belgium.
Finally, it should be noted that while respecting protocol, the King of the Belgians will travel by train. It will be accompanied by a reduced suite, giving a less formal character to this visit. “He will travel in an ordinary wagon. The Belgian monarchy no longer has a royal train. The old royal carriages are now in a museum in Schaerbeek,” indicates a well-informed Belgian official. It must be said that the journey takes an hour and a half. Then the monarchy will take the Eurostar, the train which has also done a lot to bring Brussels closer to Paris.
