Belgian Prime Minister Attends Controversial Concert by Munich Philharmonic
On Saturday evening, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever attended a performance by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in Essen, conducted by Israeli maestro Lahav Shani. The visit has ignited mixed reactions, coinciding with the orchestra’s recent removal from the Flanders Festival Ghent program, reports 24brussels.
The Munich Philharmonic was initially set to perform in Ghent on September 18, but festival organizers cancelled the event. They cited “insufficient clarity about the conductor’s position towards the genocidal regime” in reference to the Israeli government as the reason behind this decision.
De Wever condemned the cancellation and opted to travel to Essen to show his support for the orchestra. He shared a photograph from the concert on Instagram, asserting: “There will never be room for racism or antisemitism in this country, under any circumstances.”
“That is where I draw the line,” he added. “I strongly condemn the recent cancellation of the Munich Philharmonic by the Flanders Festival Ghent, solely on the basis of the origin of conductor Lahav Shani. I insisted on delivering this message to him personally and to express my appreciation for his contribution to the power of music.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly acknowledged De Wever’s gesture on social media, stating: “I thank the Belgian Prime Minister for the strong sign of solidarity he has given with his visit to the Munich Philharmonic in Essen. Dear Bart De Wever, we cannot allow this flagrant antisemitism to take root.”
The incident has created divisions within Flanders’ government. Flemish Minister President Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) distanced himself from De Wever’s action, while Culture Minister Caroline Gennez (Vooruit) supported his stance.
Vooruit party leader Conner Rousseau criticized De Wever, urging him to refocus on pressing national issues like the budget. He contended that De Wever should dismiss the N-VA representatives involved in the cancellation decision.
Additionally, N-VA MP and Aalst Mayor Christoph D’Haese threatened to resign from the festival’s board unless it rescinded the decision regarding Shani’s concert, which he labeled “wrong.”
The far-right Vlaams Belang party has demanded an emergency meeting of the Flemish Parliament’s Culture Committee, accusing the festival of “the purest form of government censorship on the basis of origin.”