2017 in Belgium

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See also:	Other events of 2017 List of years in Belgium

Events in the year 2017 in Belgium .

Incumbents

• Monarch: Philippe ^[1]
• Prime Minister: Charles Michel

Events

January

• 17 January – Public outcry about Romanie Schotte, crowned Miss Belgium 3 days before, posting a Pile of Poo emoji in response to a racist comment about somebody in the background of one of her Instagram photos, many taking it to indicate agreement with the comment. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

February

• 14 February – Mayor of Mechelen, Bart Somers, wins world mayor of the year award, ^[5] for his efforts to promote integration and prevent crime. ^[6]

May

• 24 May – Thousands demonstrate in Brussels to protest Donald Trump's presence for a NATO summit. ^[7]
• 25 May – Donald Trump addresses NATO summit in Brussels. ^[8]

June

• 20 June – June 2017 Brussels attack: after an explosion without casualties in Brussels Central Station, a suspect is shot dead by patrolling soldiers. ^[9]

August

• 25 August – August 2017 Brussels attack: two soldiers injured in a knife attack; Islamic State claims responsibility. ^[10]

October

• 30 October – Carles Puigdemont and others facing rebellion charges for their role in the Catalan declaration of independence take refuge in Belgium. ^[11]

November

• 11 November – Rioting and looting in Brussels after celebrations of the Morocco national football team qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup turn violent; ^[12] 23 injured, including 22 police officers. ^[13]

Sports

July

• 2 July – Stage 2 of the 104th Tour de France ends in Liège, with Marcel Kittel as winner. ^[14]
• 3 July – Stage 3 of the 104th Tour de France starts in Verviers.

Deaths

François Van der Elst

• 5 January – Luc Coene, economist (b. 1947). ^[15]
• 11 January – François Van der Elst, footballer (b. 1954). ^[16]
• 21 January – Marc Baecke, footballer (b. 1956). ^[17]
• 1 February
  • Étienne Tshisekedi, Congolese politician (b. 1932). ^[18]
  • Antoon Verschoot, bugler (b. 1925). ^[19]
• 8 February – Jan Vansina, historian and anthropologist (b. 1929). ^[20]
• 9 February – Serge Baguet, cyclist (b. 1969). ^[21]
• 20 February – André Vlayen, cyclist (b. 1931). ^[22]
• 27 February – Marcel De Corte, footballer (b. 1929). ^[23]
• 2 March – Édouard Close, politician (b. 1929). ^[24]
• 6 March – Eddy Pauwels, cyclist (b. 1935). ^[25]
• 12 March – Patrick Nève, racing driver (b. 1949). ^[26]
• 17 April – Nicolle Van Den Broeck, cyclist (b. 1946). ^[27]
• 30 April – Jean De Mesmaeker (Jidéhem), cartoonist (b. 1935). ^[28]
• 15 May – Ulrich Libbrecht, philosopher (b. 1928). ^[29]
• 20 May – Emile Degelin, filmmaker (b. 1926). ^[30]
• 24 May – Pierre Seron, cartoonist (b. 1942). ^[31]
• 1 June – Leon Lemmens, bishop (b. 1954). ^[32]
• 6 June – François Houtart, radical priest (b. 1925). ^[33]
• 1 September – Annette Wademant, screenwriter (b. 1928)
• 7 December – Philippe Maystadt, politician (b. 1948). ^[34]

References

1. "Philippe, king of Belgium | king of Belgium". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
2. "Raciste, la nouvelle miss Belgique? Romanie Schotte se défend". La Libre Belgique (in French). 17 January 2017.
3. "Racisme: Miss Belgique 2017 au coeur d'une polémique". Jeune Afrique (in French). 17 January 2017.
4. "Betoging tegen Miss België in Brusselse straten". De Morgen (in Dutch). 31 January 2017.
5. "Belgian mayor wins world prize for work on integrating immigrants". The Guardian . 16 February 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
6. World Mayor: Profile Mechelen Mayor Bart Somers, The World Mayor Project, 14 February 2017. Accessed 15 June 2017.
7. Daniel Boffey (24 May 2017). "'Trump not welcome': demonstrators take to the streets of Brussels". The Guardian . Retrieved 15 June 2017.
8. Daniel Boffey; Jennifer Rankin (25 May 2017). "Trump rebukes Nato leaders for not paying defence bills". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
9. "Brussels train station blast being treated as terror attack". Associated Press . 20 June 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
10. "Islamic State claims Brussels knife attack on soldiers". The Daily Telegraph . 27 August 2017.
11. "Catalan leaders facing rebellion charges flee to Belgium". The Guardian . 31 October 2017.
12. "Incidents dans le centre de Bruxelles après la qualification du Maroc pour le Mondial". RTBF (in French). 11 November 2017.
13. "Emeutes à Bruxelles". RTBF (in French). 12 November 2017.
14. "Team Sky's Froome and Thomas suffer a spill before Kittel wins Tour stage two". The Guardian . 2 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
15. Xavier Counasse (6 January 2017). "Luc Coene, ex-gouverneur de la Banque nationale de Belgique, est décédé". Le Soir (in French). Retrieved 24 January 2017.
16. "Ex-international François 'Swat' Van der Elst overleden". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 11 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
17. Vergauwen, Michaël. "Marc Baecke (60) overleden". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 January 2017.
18. Aaron Ross (2 February 2017). "Congo's main opposition leader, Etienne Tshisekedi, dies". Reuters. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
19. "Former bugler Antoon Verschoot dies at the age of 91". Last Post Association. February 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
20. "Jan Vansina (1929–2017)". University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on 2017-05-14. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
21. Frank Eeckhout (9 February 2017). "Voormalig Belgisch kampioen wielrennen Serge Baguet (47) overleden". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 June 2017.
22. "Oud-wielrenner André Vlayen overleden tijdens fietstocht". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 20 February 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
23. "Ex-Anderlecht-aanvaller Marcel De Corte (87) overleden" (in Dutch). Sporza. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
24. Michel Gretry (2 March 2017). "Edouard Close, ancien bourgmestre de Liège, est décédé". RTBF . Retrieved 15 June 2017.
25. "Ex-geletruidrager Eddy Pauwels (81) overleden" (in Dutch). Sporza. 7 March 2017. Archived from the original on 10 March 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
26. "Patrick Nève, ancien pilote belge de Formule 1, est décédé". RTBF. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
27. "Nicole Van den Broeck, ancienne championne du monde de cyclisme sur route, est décédée" (in French). RTBF. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
28. "Décès de Jidéhem, auteur belge de BD et pilier du journal "Spirou"". La Libre Belgique (in French). 2 May 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
29. Peter Malaise (17 May 2017). "Ereburger Ulrich Libbrecht overleden". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 June 2017.
30. "Le cinéaste Emile Degelin est décédé à Louvain" (in French). RTLInfo. 20 May 2017. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
31. Jacques Schraûwen (24 May 2017). "Les Petits Hommes perdent leur créateur" (in French). RTBF . Retrieved 15 June 2017.
32. "Hulpbisschop Leon Lemmens overleden". Gazet van Antwerpen . 2 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
33. "François Houtart, prêtre, sociologue et militant". La Libre Belgique (in French). 6 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
34. "Gewezen minister van Financiën overleden". De Standaard.