King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium welcomed representatives from the European institutions to the Royal Palace of Laeken for the annual New Year's reception.

The event, attended by over 200 guests, included the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who had a private meeting with the King earlier in the day.

Notable attendees also included Margrethe Vestager, Vice-President of the European Commission, various European Commissioners like Didier Reynders, and Members of the European Parliament such as Hilde Vautmans and Benoit Lutgen. Admiral Hofman, the Belgian Chief of Defence, was also present.

In his welcoming speech, King Philippe acknowledged Belgium's current presidency of the Council of the European Union, which commenced on January 1. He expressed that the presidency is already "in full swing" and emphasized Belgium's commitment to dialogue and consensus as part of its national identity. The King sees the EU Presidency as an opportunity to bring people together and achieve positive outcomes, pledging to work collaboratively for the promotion of democracy, prosperity, and human well-being in Europe and globally. Photo by Wikimedia commons.