all new songs

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Philippe becomes new Belgian king as Albert II abdicates

Posted on 10:26 AM by Unknown

Crown Prince Philippe has been sworn in as the new Belgian king after
the emotional abdication of his father Albert II.

The Oxford- and Stanford-educated, trained air force pilot took the
oath as the country's seventh king in a ceremony in parliament.

To warm applause, King Philippe, 53, promised to uphold the constitution.

Belgium has a constitutional monarchy in which the king plays a
largely ceremonial role.

One of the duties the monarch does have is trying to resolve
constitutional crises.

In his final address before signing a legislative act to step down,
79-year-old King Albert said his country must remain a "source of
inspiration" to Europe.
His resignation on the grounds of ill-health came after nearly 20
years on the throne and was timed to coincide with Belgium's national
day.

He stressed his wish that Belgium - split between the Dutch-speaking
north and the French south - remained united.
Balcony appearance
In a colourful ceremony topped off by trumpet fanfare and cannon-fire,
Philippe took his oath in the country's three official languages -
Dutch, French and German.
This was a reminder of the delicate political task that awaits him -
trying to mediate across the divide between French-speaking Wallonia
and Dutch-speaking Flanders, where support for independence has been
rising fast, says BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris.

Flag-waving supporters gathered in the midday sun waiting for their
new king and his wife, Mathilde, to greet them from the balcony of the
nearby royal palace.

"The new king is a bit of history," said Xavier De Graef, draped in
the red, yellow and black of the Belgian tricolour.

"That doesn't happen very often so we wanted to be here," Mr De Graef,
from French-speaking Liege, told Reuters news agency.

But not everyone was celebrating.

The far-right separatist Vlaams Belang party boycotted the swearing-in ceremony.

Meanwhile, Jan Jambon, parliamentary head of the N-VA party that wants
Dutch-speaking Flanders to break away from Belgium and favours a
republic, said the occasion "leaves me cold".

Constitutional crises
In the abdication ceremony at the royal palace in Brussels, the former
monarch told his son: "You have all the emotional and intellectual
qualities to serve our country well."

He thanked an audience of some 250 dignitaries and political leaders
"for all that you have achieved during my reign".

Ex-king Albert also thanked his wife, Paola, for the support she had
given him during his reign, and was in turn thanked by Prime Minister
Elio Di Rupo for his service to his country.

Mr Di Rupo holds the political power in the 183-year-old parliamentary
democracy.

Albert II then embraced his son and signed the official abdication
papers, ending his reign.

King Albert exercised his authority in mediating between political
leaders on the formation of a government during the 2010-2011
parliamentary stalemate, when Belgium was left without a government
for 541 days after elections failed to find a clear winner.

Tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French communities sometimes
run high, and the issue has brought down several governments, creating
frequent political instability.

Respect for the royal family, though, is one of the few factors that
crosses the communal divide.

King Albert's abdication comes only three months after Queen Beatrix
of the neighbouring Netherlands vacated the Dutch throne in favour of
her son Willem-Alexander.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Posted in | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Best of Shakira HD video Songs free dodwnload
    1.Gitana-Shakira (iloveallsongs) free download this video song                                 Download 2. Hips Don't Lie-Shakira (ilove...
  • Snowden apparently did not board Havana flight, but may leave Moscow Tuesday
    Snowden apparently did not board Havana flight, but may leave Moscow Tuesday By Kathy Lally, Anthony Faiola and Karen DeYoung, MOSCOW — Ed...
  • Paglu 2 (2012) Bengali movie HD & high Quality video song Love You Love You Oh My Paglu Sung By Mika & Shreya Ghoshal free download
  • Sensex-at-one-week-low-down-145-points
    MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex on Wednesday lost over 145 points to close at a fresh one-week low, pulled down by fag-end selling in blu...
  • Paula Deen re-scheduled for 'Today' on Wednesday
    Paula Deen re-scheduled for 'Today' on Wednesday NEW YORK—Paula Deen will appear on NBC's "Today" show on Wednesday, ...
  • Best of Enrique Iglesias HD Video Songs Free Download
    1. Tonight-Im Lovin' You-Enrique Iglesias (iloveallsongs) free download this video song                                 Download 2. Hear...
  • Rafat Er Gaan gulo (2012) - Saiya By Rafat.mp3 free download
    Download  ** mirror  Download  *
  • (no title)
    Patna: The National Investigation Agency or NIA today filed three FIRs in the Bodh Gaya blasts case. The FIRs have been filed in the cour...
  • Texas House Passes Measure Restricting Abortion
    AUSTIN, Tex. — The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a vigorously contested bill restricting access to abortion. The vote...
  • Challenge-2 (2012) Bengali Movie full album mp3 song free download
    Ki Je Holo -Challenge 2 (2012).mp3 free download Download Kicchu Chupi -Challenge 2 (2012).mp3 free download Download more song coming soo...

Categories

  • Latest Arabic Video song (1)
  • Latest Bangla Audio Song (BD) (2)
  • Latest Bangla Video song (1)
  • Latest English Audio Song (2)
  • Latest English Video song (13)
  • Latest Hindi Audio song (8)
  • Latest Hindi Video song (1)
  • Latest Kolkata Movie Audio Song (5)

Blog Archive

  • ▼  2013 (254)
    • ▼  July (158)
      • After 75 years of marriage, couple die one day apa...
      • Miami hostage standoff leaves 7 people dead
      • Apple Developer site hack: doubts cast on Turkish ...
      • T-Mobile Announces “Unprecedented Deal” This Summe...
      • Hacker Barnaby Jack dies in San Francisco aged 35
      • 'The Wolverine:' A Howling Good Time
      • Egypt: dozens killed in clashes between security f...
      • Lea Michele Has ‘Horrible Anxiety Attacks’ over Co...
      • Lady Gaga's Return To The VMAs: A Comeback And A C...
      • Hot posters of Poonam Pandey's Nasha
      • Aubrey Plaza talks awkward sexual scene in new mov...
      • Apple Earnings Tops Estimates on iPhone Sales, See...
      • Google takes another stab at the living room with ...
      • Google Unveils New Nexus 7
      • Prince of Wales accepts £10 from well-wisher to bu...
      • Spitzer asked about prostitutes amid Weiner scandal
      • How a terror attack backfired on Hezbollah
      • 6 Die in Egypt as Morsi Supporters Continue Protests
      • Amanda Bynes forced to undergo mental health evalu...
      • Nicki Minaj turns #throwback into #thong
      • Batman/Superman teamup movie coming in 2015
      • Judge delays hearing on Detroit bankruptcy, pensions
      • Apple Said to Buy HopStop, Pushing Deeper Into Maps
      • Google's Moto X phone coming Aug. 1?
      • Philippe becomes new Belgian king as Albert II abd...
      • Ex-Priest Seeks $450,000 From Wis. Archdiocese
      • The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
      • Ghosts beat minions as 'Conjuring' horror flick le...
      • Search widens for Ohio killer's victims
      • Stellar cast gives 'Red 2' all its color
      • GE posts small gain in profit, sees U.S. pickup
      • Stocks drop on weak tech earnings, oil
      • New photos show Boston bomb suspect's capture
      • Army: Radioactivity found in Cold War-era bunker a...
      • Suicide bomber kills 20 in Iraqi Sunni mosque
      • Microsoft Craters on the Surface
      • Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter call f...
      • Nelson Mandela spends 95th birthday in hospital
      • Dell Adjourns Vote on Sale as Some Big Investors S...
      • Thousands flee wildfire in California mountains
      • IDBI Bank net dips 28% in Q1 as provisioning for b...
      • TCS logs 15.5 pc jump in June qtr Net on strong vo...
      • Reliance Communications-RCom cuts 3G data rates by...
      • Reliance Communications-RCom cuts 3G data rates by...
      • Rupee defence dented as Rs. 12,000 crore RBI bond ...
      • Emma Roberts arrested for domestic violence in Canada
      • Adam Levine Engaged-to-Victorias-secret-model
      • iPhone 6 and Samsung: Not much in common
      • Tennis star dropped by Catholic youth group after ...
      • Europe Wants More Concessions From Google
      • Bank of America reports 63% profit increase
      • Senate agrees to stop 'nuclear' option
      • Google Maps 2.0 for iOS includes iPad support, liv...
      • Google Said to Weigh Supplying TV Channels
      • Microsoft puffs cheeks, gets ready to blow whistle...
      • B37's fellow jurors in Trayvon Martin trial bash h...
      • Mandela granddaughter expresses hurt at family dis...
      • Calif. wildfire destroys 7 homes, threatens more
      • 20 children die after eating school lunch in India
      • Elon Musk Posts Plan to Annouce Hyperloop Transit ...
      • U.S. Retail Sales Up 0.4% on Automobiles, Gasoline
      • Apple Probing Electrocution Death of Chinese iPhon...
      • Celebs, co-stars react to Cory Monteith's death
      • Apple iWatch Release Date Delayed To 2014? Enginee...
      • Citigroup's Profit Rises 42%
      • China’s G.D.P. Growth Slows as Government Changes ...
      • Wall Street rises slightly after Citigroup earning...
      • U.S. calls for Egypt military to avoid political a...
      • Brian Schweitzer move aids GOP in battle for Senate
      • BlackBerry Z10 prices come crashing down to as low...
      • Nine militants killed in U.S. drone, Pakistan air ...
      • JK Rowling revealed as author of The Cuckoo's Calling
      • Israeli leader vows to keep weapons from Hezbollah
      • Asiana Airlines considers legal action against TV ...
      • For Sanford and Zimmerman, time to move forward
      • AT&T to buy Leap Wireless for $1.2 billion
      • 23 injured in Pamplona as bull run ends in a stamp...
      • Mobile App Update Bonanza
      • Napolitano resigns as Homeland Security secretary
      • Democrats vow abortion fight in Texas
      • LG claims thinnest HD LCD smartphone display
      • UP: Man who allegedly raped, set on fire college s...
      • Nokia to introduce smarter features of expensive L...
      • Passport hassles thwart UN awardee's plan
      • Movie review: ‘Grown Ups 2’ is awful
      • Bernanke: Economy still needs Fed stimulus
      • Bug Bombs Explode in Manhattan Building, Injuring 8
      • Rate on 30-year mortgage hits 2-year high
      • Microsoft reshuffles company structure
      • Spooked by NSA, Russia reverts to paper documents
      • India vs Sri Lanka 2013 Tri-Series - Final
      • Shivam sidelined at Nasha promotions, says it's okay
      • Infosys likely to cut forecasts on US visa woes
      • PNB's KR Kamath leads bank chiefs’ clamour for a c...
      • Yep, Nokia Lumia 1020 packs 41-megapixel whopper c...
      • Jay-Z Says Samsung App Issues Were 'A Loss' For Ma...
      • JUSTIN BIEBER PISSES INTO RESTAURANT MOP BUCKET 'F...
      • Texas House Passes Measure Restricting Abortion
      • Patna: The National Investigation Agency or NIA t...
      • Sensex-at-one-week-low-down-145-points
    • ►  June (41)
    • ►  April (4)
    • ►  March (51)
  • ►  2012 (28)
    • ►  August (27)
    • ►  July (1)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile