Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has sparked political and media uproar by ironically commenting on the heatwave affecting Belgium, recommending enjoying the good weather with a pool, beer, and barbecue. These statements come during a week when the country expects record temperatures.
"Two days it's hot and it seems like we're all going to die again. Dude, dude, where do these journalists find these guys?", wrote the Flemish nationalist leader on his social media. The minister also recommended enjoying the good weather and said he would send "photos later of the pool, a cool (beer) Stella, and barbecue".
The comment, published last Friday as temperatures began to rise, has drawn criticism days later as record temperatures approach and health and meteorological authorities issue multiple warnings for extreme heat.
Several politicians, newspaper editorials, and columns in Belgian media have reproached Francken for the tone of his message, considering it presents the heatwave as a media exaggeration and ignores the situation of the most vulnerable people, outdoor workers, or those without air conditioning, a garden, or a pool to protect themselves from the high temperatures.
"No, Theo Francken, not everyone has an office job, air conditioning, and a private pool," wrote philosopher Seppe De Meulder, author of an opinion piece in De Wereld Morgen. Meanwhile, francophone liberal politician Michel Henrion accused the minister of resorting to "climate-skeptic populism".
The public broadcaster RTBF also questioned whether the minister's words constituted a form of populism, while Le Soir Mag wrote in an editorial that Francken was aligning himself "with the climate-skeptic American leader," referring to Donald Trump, a politician for whom the Flemish nationalist has previously shown sympathy.
Belgium continues to suffer on Wednesday the consequences of a heatwave that has already led to the cancellation of train and bus services, the suspension of classes in some educational centers, and the closure of monuments like the Atomium, among other measures.
