Anthony Zacharzewski
@anthonyzach.be
Working to make European democracy work. "Refreshingly free of the usual platitudes". Belge par choix, Brits door opvoeding, Polish roots. President of Demsoc.org
The European Parliament building in Brussels is a triumph of floor numbering. There is a logic (the building has different levels in different wings around the main atrium) but I never got over having meetings on the 5-and-a-halfth floor.
November 10, 2025 at 7:52 AM
The European Parliament building in Brussels is a triumph of floor numbering. There is a logic (the building has different levels in different wings around the main atrium) but I never got over having meetings on the 5-and-a-halfth floor.
Dawn over the Med near Cagnes-sur-Mer. On my way to Marseille for a work day with a colleague.
November 10, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Dawn over the Med near Cagnes-sur-Mer. On my way to Marseille for a work day with a colleague.
Terrasse views: spectacular.
November 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Terrasse views: spectacular.
The Fondation Maeght in St-Paul-de-Vence has an amazing building and setting - a couple of the sculptures make me think of the public art in Hemel Hempstead.
November 9, 2025 at 2:55 PM
The Fondation Maeght in St-Paul-de-Vence has an amazing building and setting - a couple of the sculptures make me think of the public art in Hemel Hempstead.
Brief stay with friends in the hills above Antibes and it looks like my one day here is going to be lucky with the weather.
November 9, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Brief stay with friends in the hills above Antibes and it looks like my one day here is going to be lucky with the weather.
Brunch with @dzyrl.bsky.social and @parool.nl before we go our separate ways for a couple of days - me to Marseille for work, her back home to Brussels.
November 8, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Brunch with @dzyrl.bsky.social and @parool.nl before we go our separate ways for a couple of days - me to Marseille for work, her back home to Brussels.
Just finished watching the excellent new opera “Ali” at La Monnaie / De Munt. The true story of a Somali boy fleeing Al Shabab to Europe. Truly operatic in scale and emotion but with a fantastic score melding European, Arabic and Somali language and music. Strong recommend for Brusseleirs.
November 5, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Just finished watching the excellent new opera “Ali” at La Monnaie / De Munt. The true story of a Somali boy fleeing Al Shabab to Europe. Truly operatic in scale and emotion but with a fantastic score melding European, Arabic and Somali language and music. Strong recommend for Brusseleirs.
Complaints about lack of bilingualism in Brussels hospitals from the Flemish independentists www.lesoir.be/708943/artic...
November 4, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Complaints about lack of bilingualism in Brussels hospitals from the Flemish independentists www.lesoir.be/708943/artic...
Your language settings saved you this far, bucko, but you knew we were going to catch up with you in the end.
November 4, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Your language settings saved you this far, bucko, but you knew we were going to catch up with you in the end.
This morning on Cat TV: the roadworks on the Place de l’Yser, again.
November 3, 2025 at 7:12 AM
This morning on Cat TV: the roadworks on the Place de l’Yser, again.
November 2, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Le Soir burying a truly amazing resurrection story below the fold.
October 30, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Le Soir burying a truly amazing resurrection story below the fold.
Fair to say that the frituur Belga in Geneva is not doing things by halves. Good frietjes too.
October 28, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Fair to say that the frituur Belga in Geneva is not doing things by halves. Good frietjes too.
Geneva near sunset, snow on the mountains behind Mont Blanc, Jet d'Eau jetting, still a little warmth in the air. It was a good move to leave my hotel room for the penultimate call of the day.
October 28, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Geneva near sunset, snow on the mountains behind Mont Blanc, Jet d'Eau jetting, still a little warmth in the air. It was a good move to leave my hotel room for the penultimate call of the day.
Having a coffee in Geneva so good and so needed it almost justifies the six euros I had to pay for it.
October 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Having a coffee in Geneva so good and so needed it almost justifies the six euros I had to pay for it.
Flags (a bit limp tbh)
October 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Flags (a bit limp tbh)
Sounds excellent and can confirm after a long country walk in the sun and a rural beer festival where we got chatting to the guy who’s spent 40 years running the local basketball team (and got complimented on our Dutch). Warm glows all around, not just from the 8% beer.
October 26, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Sounds excellent and can confirm after a long country walk in the sun and a rural beer festival where we got chatting to the guy who’s spent 40 years running the local basketball team (and got complimented on our Dutch). Warm glows all around, not just from the 8% beer.
Big Sky Province (aka West-Vlaanderen)
October 26, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Big Sky Province (aka West-Vlaanderen)
At the Poperinge beer festival with @dzyrl.bsky.social, which calls itself “de gezelligste bierfestival van ‘t land” and while we’ve not been to every one to compare (yet), I wouldn’t bet against it.
October 25, 2025 at 8:11 PM
At the Poperinge beer festival with @dzyrl.bsky.social, which calls itself “de gezelligste bierfestival van ‘t land” and while we’ve not been to every one to compare (yet), I wouldn’t bet against it.
On a bus in the flat countryside between Passendale and Ieper (or as Brits know them Passchendaele and Ypres). Friteries and roadside nail salons interspersed with signs for war cemeteries. Reminder of what we have to defend.
October 25, 2025 at 9:53 AM
On a bus in the flat countryside between Passendale and Ieper (or as Brits know them Passchendaele and Ypres). Friteries and roadside nail salons interspersed with signs for war cemeteries. Reminder of what we have to defend.
Watching Charleroi v Anderlecht in the year of our lord 2025 and one of the sponsors is a local coal merchant. I know it’s the Pays Noir but I would have been no less surprised to see an advert for Brylcreem or chaperones.
October 24, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Watching Charleroi v Anderlecht in the year of our lord 2025 and one of the sponsors is a local coal merchant. I know it’s the Pays Noir but I would have been no less surprised to see an advert for Brylcreem or chaperones.
This sort of thing drives me wild. Fossil fuels make Europe dependent. Climate change and disasters will smash its economy. Uncertainty hurts business planning. This is meant to be the pro-business party? Absolute stupidity.
October 24, 2025 at 5:31 AM
This sort of thing drives me wild. Fossil fuels make Europe dependent. Climate change and disasters will smash its economy. Uncertainty hurts business planning. This is meant to be the pro-business party? Absolute stupidity.
The sculpture of the (grammatically masculine) Rhône and (grammatically feminine) Saône near their confluence in Lyon has a similar “sure did, boss. Real sexy, just like you asked” energy.
October 23, 2025 at 4:19 PM
The sculpture of the (grammatically masculine) Rhône and (grammatically feminine) Saône near their confluence in Lyon has a similar “sure did, boss. Real sexy, just like you asked” energy.
This chart is from @samfr.bsky.social's latest Substack post on PR fascinating in a small detail.
New Zealand (the purple line) introduced proportional representation in 1996 - yet its pathway is indistinguishable from the UK and Canada, which didn't.
Two party decay is not system-related, iow
New Zealand (the purple line) introduced proportional representation in 1996 - yet its pathway is indistinguishable from the UK and Canada, which didn't.
Two party decay is not system-related, iow
October 23, 2025 at 11:58 AM
This chart is from @samfr.bsky.social's latest Substack post on PR fascinating in a small detail.
New Zealand (the purple line) introduced proportional representation in 1996 - yet its pathway is indistinguishable from the UK and Canada, which didn't.
Two party decay is not system-related, iow
New Zealand (the purple line) introduced proportional representation in 1996 - yet its pathway is indistinguishable from the UK and Canada, which didn't.
Two party decay is not system-related, iow
Here in Belgium I got an email, the entirety of which is attached below.
October 19, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Here in Belgium I got an email, the entirety of which is attached below.