Bart 
De Wever

*** Ce discours a été prononcé à Anvers le 21 octobre 2025 en anglais lors du Global Maritime Forum. Seule la parole compte.***

 

 

Mister President,

 

Distinguished guests in all your respective functions, titles and capacities,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you this morning to Antwerp, the proud port city on the river Scheldt.

For twelve wonderful years, I had the honour of serving as the Mayor of Antwerp.

As you may know, Belgium is a rather complex country — so you will not be surprised to hear that I still hold the title of titular mayor today.

Even as Prime Minister, I remain a member of the city council. 

And I also continue to serve as a board member of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

That says two things about me.

First, I am a proud Antwerpian and carry this city with me wherever I go.

And second, I continue to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the interests of the Port of Antwerp and its industry.

Because Antwerp is the engine of Belgium’s prosperity. A driving force for the economic growth of the Low Countries. And a beacon of international trade on the European continent.

That is why I sincerely say to all of you:

Thank you. 

Thank you to the Global Maritime Forum, to the many business leaders, and to the representatives of governments and international organizations such as the IMO.

Thank you all for being here.

*

Ladies and gentlemen,

Antwerp hosts Europe’s second-largest port and the second-largest petrochemical cluster in the world after Houston, Texas.

Together, Antwerp’s port and petrochemical cluster form the largest maritime-industrial complex in the world.

Over the years, I have guided countless political leaders and influential CEOs through the port. 

Usually, the visit begins with a briefing at our stunning Port House — but I always insist on taking them up in a helicopter. Because only from above can you truly grasp the immense scale of this port complex.

The reaction is always the same: sheer astonishment.

That is why I am so pleased that this Global Maritime Forum is taking place here, in our Antwerp Stock Exchange — the historic symbol of our city’s free-trade spirit: centuries old, and unrelentless.

Only a few months ago, between these same columns, we had the honour of welcoming President Ursula von der Leyen for the European Industrial Summit.

Both gatherings put Antwerp firmly on the map — and, if I may say so, quite rightly.

After all, modesty is not the most famous Antwerp virtue.

But their value is all the greater because the fundamental values of both summits are so similar.

Free trade, free movement of goods, strong logistical chains, sustainable industry and transport — these are foundations of economic growth and of a prosperous future.

President Dieleman referred earlier to the Antwerp legend of the giant Antigoon and the Roman soldier Brabo.

It became popular in the fifteenth century, when Antwerp’s trade flourished and the port gradually became the centre of the trading flows of the Habsburg Empire.

Of course, it is just a myth — but, like all myths, it tells a deeper truth about those who tell it.

Free trade and tolerance are part of Antwerp’s DNA.

When the city was captured by the Spanish in 1585 during the Dutch Revolt, the young Dutch Republic closed the Scheldt to free navigation.

It took three long centuries — until 1863 — for the river to reopen.

And yet, the people of Antwerp never gave up their trading spirit.

From the nineteenth century on, the port began its extraordinary revival.

That work continues today.

Antwerp — and by extension, Belgium — has always kept its eyes fixed on maritime progress.

More than 80% of world trade is transported by sea.

In the European Union, 80% of exports and 50% of imports depend on maritime transport.

Everyone in this room knows the simple truth: no shipping, no shopping.

And yet, that awareness is not as widespread as it should be.
Too few people understand how deeply our prosperity depends on the sea: they suffer from ‘sea blindness’, a serious but not uncurable disease.

*

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the latest Shipping Competitiveness Index from the Centre for Economics and Business Research which was published last month, Belgium placed 13th out of 44 countries with a profound maritime interest.

We sit along the busiest waterway in the world after Singapore — the Channel — with 150,000 ship transits each year.

The port of Antwerp provides a gateway to one of the most prosperous regions in the world. Because of its geographic position 80 kilometers inland, it provides companies with a tremendous logistical advantage.

As a ‘gateway port’, its economic impact radiates over the entire continent, powering manufacturing, retail and energy sectors all over Europe, making it a critical pillar of the EU Single Market.

According to the National Bank, Belgium’s sea and inland ports account for roughly 7% of its GDP, and about 250,000 direct and indirect jobs. That’s nearly 6% of total national employment.

Belgium is, beyond any doubt, a maritime country — open, export-driven, and globally connected.

But that openness also makes us vulnerable — to geopolitical shocks and macroeconomic uncertainty.

The theme of this summit, “Uncharted Waters,” is therefore perfectly chosen. But I would like to make one important remark: we are indeed sailing in uncertain waters, but they are not really unknown. We had merely forgotten about them. 

Some of the current evolutions in the world are taking us back to the international politics we knew in the nineteenth century.

For the first time since the Second World War, Europe witnesses armed conflict between two sovereign nations. 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked, unjustified, and in violation of every international treaty. It threatens the democratic values we hold dear.

Meanwhile, multilateralism is making way for transactionalism. Protectionism and zero-sum politics are back on the agenda across the Atlantic.

Tariff deals are imposed while the World Trade Organization must watch powerlessly.

Great powers threaten each other with port fees and put maritime trade under pressure.

The truth is that the uncertainty caused by all these developments will not disappear soon.

But the faster we adapt, the faster we can turn these challenges into opportunities.

Within the European Council there is a growing consensus to turn this moment into a catalyst for change. There is a will to finally strengthen Europe’s internal market and economic resilience.

Europe can make enormous progress if it further and more deeply integrates its market.

The true single market, with a Capital Markets Union, will increase production, encourage investment in innovation, and stimulate consumption.

But to compete sustainably on a global scale, we must also strengthen our resilience — in critical sectors like raw materials, energy, defence, industry, and infrastructure.

I do, however, link two fundamental conditions to that resilience.

First, it must be built in full cooperation with the private sector — not driven solely by governments. That is also essential for smaller EU countries that cannot match the state aid schemes of larger economies.

Second, this resilience must remain open. A resilient Europe is not a “Europe first”.

Resilience without autonomy is naïve. But autonomy without openness is autarky.

That is why Europe must accelerate free trade agreements with countries that feel trapped between the American and Chinese zero-sum approach to trade.

Europe’s strength lies in trust, stability, and partnership — in win-win cooperation.

The momentum for new partnerships is there.

Across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, countries are looking to Europe with renewed interest. Even Canada and Australia are turning their gaze back to us.

Europe cannot afford complacency.

Europe is like a marathon runner — slow to decide and hesitant to accelerate — but now it is time to pick up the pace and set clear priorities. 

I will continue to advocate for that relentlessly.

*

Ladies and gentlemen,

These developments are also of great importance to the maritime sector — for both economic progress and for security.

First, economic progress.

I already said that Europe must become more resilient in terms of energy. Today the EU imports about 55% of its energy needs. Too often we depend on countries on which we would rather not depend.

We must continue to pursue our climate and sustainability goals — primarily because such investments make our logistics and industry more efficient and smarter.

But we must do so in a technologically neutral way, without taboos. And we must forge new partnerships, for example in hydrogen, to support the energy transition.

That is especially important for the maritime sector, where massive electrification — just as in heavy industry or logistics — is not for tomorrow.

The challenge of strengthening Europe’s internal market and resilience will also increase the importance of the maritime sector.

A more competitive and economically stronger Europe is simply good for trade.

Second, on the issue of security.

As mayor, I worked for years with my colleagues from Rotterdam and Hamburg to raise political awareness of international organized crime. To build new partnerships with source and transit countries. And to propose new measures to secure international trade, like strengthening the ISPS code for port areas.

I am pleased that steps have been taken, not only in Europe — for example with the European Ports Alliance — but also internationally, under the auspices of the IMO, to build new barriers to protect our logistics chain and companies from the ruthless impact of criminal networks.

The visit of US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to Antwerp last month was an important signal that, even when multilateralism is under pressure, cross-border cooperation remains possible.

Beyond organized crime, recent years have also seen a shift in maritime security.

Since the war in Ukraine, the EU has developed a maritime security strategy. And there are several other reasons for concern.

Offshore wind farms and data cables – the arteries of our information society – may not capture the imagination, yet they are increasingly targeted by espionage fleets such as Russia’s military surveillance service GUGI.

A large part of this maritime infrastructure is in private hands, meaning that the first impact of such geopolitical challenges falls on private companies.

In the Pacific, a kind of submarine Iron Curtain is developing between the US and China over data infrastructure — which could have serious consequences for digital communication.

Meanwhile, the so-called “shadow fleet” or “dark fleet” undermines confidence in global trade by violating international rules.

Energy supply, international trade, and digital communication — both on and below the sea surface — are critical interests that require close cooperation between civil and military structures.

The result must be an integrated maritime security chain, in which private companies, security services, and public authorities reinforce one another.

That maritime security is closely linked to Europe’s major investments in its defence industry and innovation — in sensors, surveillance, satellites, unmanned systems, and cybersecurity — through both internal and external partnerships.

It is clear that maritime security and trade are top priorities for Europe, and certainly for Belgium.

*

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am sure all these topics will come back during the sessions and exchanges you will have during this summit.

I therefore wish you plenty of interesting conversations, fruitful contacts and new insights.

I hope you will enjoy Antwerp and have the opportunity to absorb the atmosphere of our beautiful city — the Manhattan of the sixteenth century. At that time, a Latin inscription adorned this Stock Exchange:

In usum negotiatorum cuiuscumque nationis et linguae —
“For the use of merchants of every nation and every tongue.”

That open and free trading spirit has always remained part of Antwerp’s identity and continues to inspire this country.

Our Low Countries, Belgium, Flanders and Antwerp remain, and will always remain, open for business.

Thank you.