by Yannick Vanderborght | Sep 14, 2013 | News
In a recent interview (published by the daily De Morgen, 7 September 2013), one of Belgium’s most prominent policy analysts, Professor Carl Devos (Ghent University), argues that Flanders needs a “new left alternative” under the form of a “big leftist party”. Today, several parties such as the Green Party (Groen!), the Socialist Party (sp.a), and the smaller Worker’s Party (Pvda), are competing against each other at the left side of the political spectrum. Devos’s suggestion has triggered many reactions. In an opinion piece published by the same daily newspaper (De Morgen) on 10 September 2013, Ferdi De Ville, a postdoctoral research assistant at Ghent University, maintains that basic income should be at the core of this hypothetical “new left alternative”. Basic income, he writes, would make such alternative more attractive.
The opinion piece (in Dutch) is available at: https://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/2461/Opinie/article/detail/1701689/2013/09/10/Het-verdriet-van-links-we-zijn-alles-gaan-bekijken-door-een-kapitalistische-bril.dhtml
by Karl Widerquist | Sep 8, 2013 | News
The Sixth International Week of the Basic Income will take place 16 to 22 September 2013. For its 6th edition, the week of basic income will focus on raising awareness on the European Citizens Initiative for an Unconditional Basic Income. Proponents of Unconditional Basic Income in 22 Member States of the European Union have joined their forces to make this week of basic income a major event.
Web sites organizing a Week of the Basic Income are:
Germany, Switzerland, Austria (German language)
www.woche-des-grundeinkommens.eu
Netherlands, Belgium (Dutch language)
week-van-het-basisinkomen.nl
France, Belgium, Switzerland (French):
semaine.revenudebase.info
by Yannick Vanderborght | Aug 23, 2013 | News
The Flemish green party Groen! has recently suggested the implementation of a basic pension for all in Belgium. According to green MP Wouter De Vriendt (5 August 2013), the amount of such a basic income for the old should be fixed at 1000EUR per month. On top of it, individuals could add a “work bonus” depending on their past work record.
For further information, see the press release of MP Wouter De Vriendt (in Dutch)
by Yannick Vanderborght | Jun 19, 2013 | Research
Mateo Alaluf is a Professor of Sociology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Brussels, Belgium. In this opinion piece (in French), he focuses on the renewed interest in basic income throughout Europe, and insists on the fact that basic income is a neo-liberal idea. According to Alaluf, in a basic income society wages would be lower, and retrenchment in existing social programmes would be much easier. He rather advocates the reinforcement of existing programmes, and the introduction of a so-called “maximum income”.
The opinion piece can be found here (in French): https://www.rtbf.be/info/opinions/detail_l-allocation-universelle-contre-la-protection-sociale?id=8018227
by Yannick Vanderborght | Mar 11, 2013 | News
Following an interdisciplinary perspective (law, history, philosophy and sociology), this international symposium aims to clarify the relationships between activation policies, right to work and freedom of work. One prospective session will discuss two alternatives to the current “activation model”: the basic income guarantee and the employment guarantee (with Yannick Vanderborght from Louvain University, and Phil Harvey from Rutgers University respectively).
Further details and registration at: https://www.uclouvain.be/431261
