Inauguration of the Belgian Presidency in Mini-Europe
At the start of the Belgian Presidency, Mini-Europe and the European Movement - Belgium will organise a festive and symbolic inauguration in the Mini-Europe park. An enormous Belgian flag and a human chain will highlight the trio presidency and in particular the start of the Belgian Presidency. This event will also underline that civilians form the centre of the European project.
Just as with the previous Belgian Presidency (in 2001), the European Movement - Belgium (EMB) and Mini-Europe will organise a festive inauguration of the Belgian Presidency. Since the Treaty of Lisbon the trio presidency has been given prominence. That is why also at this solemn opening ceremony space will be given to the trio of countries: Spain/Belgium/Hungary. The conferment of the Spanish to the Belgian presidency will play a central role. Hungary will also take a prominent place in the inauguration. Several personalities (representatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the three countries of the trio) will speak at this solemn inauguration, after which a big European flag will be symbolically spread out in the park. A big flag of the presidency will also be placed on the Atomium. Several hundred civilians from the 27 member states of the EU will be invited to the event. They will afterwards form a “human chain” between the miniatures of the three countries in the park. The whole event will be filmed from the air and from the Atomium, capturing the strong visual character of this inauguration.
