Belgium summons U.S. ambassador for second time over social media post
Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has summoned U.S. Ambassador Bill White for a second time this year after the diplomat posted an Instagram story mocking the country's Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke. The post, which showed a seemingly AI-generated image of Vandenbroucke on a cigar box, was widely seen as an attack on the minister's efforts to change health warnings on alcohol advertising.
The image featured the text "Damages every form of joy in life," a play on the proposed new warning label that would replace "alcohol abuse causes health damage" with "alcohol causes health damage." White captioned the image: "Who's the biggest loser in Belgium?"
Prévot, in a statement to Politico, said: "It is unacceptable that an ambassador uses such insulting language against a member of government." The foreign ministry confirmed the summoning, which was first reported by the Belgian news agency Belga. A spokesperson for Belgium's health ministry declined to comment.
Diplomatic friction over alcohol warning labels
The incident comes amid an active campaign by a trade association for Belgian brewers against a law proposed by Vandenbroucke in March that would alter the health warning on alcohol advertisements. The proposed change, from "alcohol abuse causes health damage" to "alcohol causes health damage," has drawn criticism from industry groups who argue it unfairly stigmatizes moderate consumption. Vandenbroucke has defended the measure as necessary to accurately inform consumers about the risks of alcohol.
White's post appeared to reference this debate directly, but Belgian officials framed it as an unacceptable personal attack on a government minister. Prévot's summoning marks the second such diplomatic rebuke this year.
Previous summoning over mohel probe
In February, White was summoned after he accused Brussels of antisemitism over an investigation into three Jewish mohels in Antwerp suspected of performing circumcisions without the required medical qualifications. White called the investigation "ridiculous" and pressured Vandenbroucke to intervene, asking him to "make a legal provision to allow Jewish religious mohels to perform their duties here in Belgium." The Belgian government responded by accusing White of interfering in the country's domestic and judicial affairs.
That incident set a tense tone for U.S.-Belgium relations under the Trump administration. White, appointed by President Donald Trump, has been a vocal presence in Brussels, but his social media activity has repeatedly drawn criticism from Belgian officials.
Reaction from Belgian political leaders
Conner Rousseau, leader of Vandenbroucke's party Vooruit, also responded to White's post on Instagram. "Bill can be a funny guy," Rousseau said, "but he knows nothing about healthcare. He only repeats what daddy Trump says. They only care about money, not our health."
Rousseau's comments reflect a broader frustration among Belgian politicians with what they see as White's tendency to inject partisan U.S. politics into Belgian domestic affairs. The foreign ministry's decision to summon White a second time signals that such conduct will not be tolerated, even at the risk of straining diplomatic ties with Washington.
The U.S. embassy in Brussels did not reply to a request for comment. The summoning itself is a formal diplomatic procedure in which an ambassador is called to meet with officials to receive a strong official protest. The fact that it has been used twice against White within a year underscores the seriousness of the situation.
As of now, there has been no public statement from the U.S. side regarding the latest summoning. The incident is likely to further complicate an already delicate diplomatic relationship, with Belgian officials calling for respect and professionalism from foreign diplomats operating in the country.