200 days ban on press conferences

One would have to be naive to think that De Croo’s communication service was going to open the doors to press conferences for me and break the previous omerta of Wilmès & co⁽¹⁾. Same clan, same mafia. They will all refuse to let the discourse go off the rails of official communication.

Guy Debord understood this well, when he wrote  » Every time we want to explain something by opposing the Mafia to the State, we are mistaken: they are never in competition. The theory verifies with ease what all the rumors of practical life had too easily shown. The Mafia is no stranger to this world; it is perfectly at home here. At the time of the integrated spectacular, it actually reigns as the model for all advanced business enterprises. »⁽²⁾. Our next articles will only support this.

The masters of organized censorship and fake news will not talk about the doctors who were fired in the middle of the « hospital saturation », just for having held a different speech than the one of the Nomenklatura⁽³⁾. Those who break the show are banned, with the power setting the example of what not to do if you want to keep your job. This is a warning: no counter-information can be born in the media. Do not say what you live, what you see, if it does not correspond to the reality that the power writes.

Some of you may have discovered the ineptitude (not to say the cynicism) of the government’s speech⁽⁴⁾, which only deigned to answer my questions months after they were formulated and under the financial threat of our lawyer, the only language they know.

I can be a journalist-spectator, riveted to the screens and confined with the reality they manufacture, but above all not enter and ask the questions that, in a press conference, could disturb their established order. Do not think. Do not ask questions. To be afraid. Accept. All

Below, find the latest exchanges with the communication service of Alexander De Croo.

« In some ways, the Party’s worldview is most forceful on those who are unable to understand it. It can make them swallow the most flagrant violations of reality because they do not grasp the enormity of what is required of them and are not interested enough in public life to notice what is going on. It is this lack of understanding that keeps them from going crazy. For them things are simple, they ingest everything without after-effects because what they swallow leaves no residue, just as seeds pass through the bird’s organism without the need to digest them.⁽⁵⁾

- Thursday, October 15 — Letter to Tom Meulenbergs, press service of Alexander De Croo

« Hello,

As a journalist, could you inform me of the dates and location of upcoming government press conferences for the National Security Councils?

I would also ask you to note my wish to attend the next press conferences of Mr. De Croo.

Thank you very much for your attention and I look forward to your reply,

Alexandre Penasse

Journalist — FO7882 »

- Referral on October 16

- Answer on October 16 from Lotte Van der Stockt

Hello Alexandre,

Thank you for your email. As we had to organize ourselves and restrict access to the press room in order to respect the instructions in force during this pandemic, we could not give access to all journalists/editors. We hope you will understand this.

There will be live streaming.

Do not hesitate to send us an email if you have any questions after the press conference.

Sincerely,

Lotte

Lotte Van der Stockt
Press officer
M +32 477 47 18 32
lotte.vanderstockt@premier.be

- My answer the same day

Hello,

I hear you. I will be attending the next one, so could you add me to the list of journalists?

Sincerely,

Alexandre Penasse

- Return of an email on October 20th

Hello,

Could you please note and confirm my attendance at the next press conference?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Alexandre Penasse

- Referred on October 21st

Hello,

What does your lack of response to me, a professional journalist, mean when press conferences follow one another? 

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Alexandre Penasse

P.S.: copy to my lawyer. 

- Referred on October 23rd

Hello,

Could you give me an answer as to whether I will be attending the next press conference. Due to lack of response, I was unable to attend this morning’s press conference again?

See you soon,

Alexandre Penasse

- Referred on October 28th

Hello,

7th attempt:

Could you give me an answer as to whether I will be attending the next press conference.

See you soon,

Alexandre Penasse

In the meantime there have been three unanswered phone calls and a message left on the answering machine.

On October 29, our lawyer, as with Gov. Wilmès, put the state on notice to communicate within the next 24 hours:

- the address and time of the upcoming press conference;

- confirmation of their agreement on my participation in the next conference. 

If not, the lawyer will be mandated to take further action (judicial and summary proceedings if necessary).

- On October 30, the head of the press office will respond⁽⁶⁾:

« Dear Editorials,

There will be a press conference after the Concertation Committee in the Bunker at 7pm, entrance via Rue Ducale 4, 1000 Brussel. (entrance from 6:45 pm).

As we had to organize ourselves and restrict access to the press room in order to respect the instructions in force during this pandemic, we could not give access to all journalists/editors. Only 1 person per medium. We hope you will understand this.

However, you can follow the press conference live:

There is a recording with gestural interpretation provided by Videohouse. To get the TV signal, please contact: mcr.bookings@videohouse.be — 02 254 56 93.

You can also use the following YouTube embed code FR to embed the video on your sites:

<iframe width=« 560 » height=« 315 » src=« https://www.youtube.com/ » frameborder=« 0 » allow=« accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture » allowfullscreen></iframe>

Or via the link on the Youtube channel: https: //youtu.be/MuTTa0Wdar4

- I will answer this same October 30:

Good evening,

So I see that after more than 190 days, attending a press conference physically is still forbidden to me.

What is this new « one person per medium » rule anyway?

To understand: you tell me that my status as a journalist does not change anything compared to the average citizen, since I can attend the live broadcast like everyone else. Is it serious?

Also, do we need a press card to watch the broadcast on You tube or whatever?

Could you tell me now when I will be able to attend a press conference in person?

See you soon,

Alexandre Penasse

You will have understood now how the political power arrogates to itself the control of reality…

But we don’t give up. We hope you do too.