President Joachim Gauck, Germany, Grand-Duke of Luxembourg, King of the Belgians, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, Swiss President, Johann Schneider Ammann. Picture by Royal Palace Brussels.
By Baron Henri Estramant.
Eupen, Ostbelgien, Kingdom of Belgium, 7-8 September 2016: HM The King of the Belgians hosted the heads of state of German-speaking countries, their representatives and spouses for an informal summit held in Brussels and Eupen, capital of the Belgium’s German-speaking eastern region. The Belgian monarch was accompanied throughout the functions by HM The Queen of the Belgians. It was the first time for the Kingdom of Belgium, wherein the originally German dynasty of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (today the House of Belgium, an offshoot of the House of Wettin) reigns, to host the summit.
The summit gathers annually the heads of state or their representatives from Europe’s German-speaking countries, that is, the countries wherein German can be used as an administrative language and also at courts of law. In some other European countries such as Denmark or Romania, German enjoys a status of a language for a minority group yet cannot be used within the administration or as a language at courts of law.
The summit was attended by the German Federal President Joachim Gauck and partner Daniela Schadt, HRH The Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the Swiss Federal President Johann Schneider-Ammann and spouse Katharina Ammann as well as HSH The Hereditary Prince Alois von und zu Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg and Deputy of the Sovereign Prince (Regent) and his wife HRH Princess Sophie von und zu Liechtenstein, Duchess in Bavaria. The latter belongs to the same line of the Bavarian Royal House as the late Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians (née Duchess in Bavaria), wife of King Albert I and great-grandmother to King Philippus of the Belgians.
At the informal meeting the focus topics this years were start-ups by young professionals and the hectic political situation in the EU and the Middle East.
The delegations were treated on their arrival day to a dinner at the Château de Laeken, and continued the next day the political agenda at Heidberg Convent in Eupen. There the delegations were greeted by the Minister-President of the German-Speaking Community, Oliver Paasch and his strongman in Brussels, Alexander Homann.
German-speaking summits began in 2004 at Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, with the attendance of the then heads of state of the hosting country, Liechtenstein, Austria and Germany. This year Austria is not partaking because the country is yet to elect a new head of state. Since 2014 Belgium and Luxembourg are members of the group.
For more information:
The Belgian Monarchy: https://www.monarchie.be/language_selection?destination=<front>
German Embassy to Belgium (HE Ambassador Rüdiger Lüdeking): http://www.bruessel.diplo.de
Swiss Embassy to Belgium (HE Ambassador Christian Meuwly): https://www.eda.admin.ch/bruxelles
Embassy of Liechtenstein to Belgium (HE Ambassador Sabine Monauni): http://www.regierung.li/ministries/ministry-for-foreign-affairs-education-and-culture/diplomatic-representations/brussels-b/staff-contacts/
Embassy of Luxembourg to Belgium (Chargé d’affaires, Minister Counsellor and Consul Jean-Claude Meyer): http://bruxelles.mae.lu/fr
Embassy of Austria to Belgium (HE Ambassador Jürgen Meindl): https://www.bmeia.gv.at/oeb-bruessel/
Government of Eastern Belgium (Minister-President Oliver Paasch): http://www.dgregierung.be/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-2963/
Representation of the German-Speaking Community before the Belgian Federal Government (Director Alexander Homann): http://www.dglive.be/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1989/3283_read-30045/
