Swedish Premier Ulf Kristersson has attended a ceremony of remembrance at the site of Monday night’s fatal shooting that claimed the lives of two Swedish football fans. A third fan was injured. The ceremony took place on the Sainctelette Square in downtown Brussels where two of the victims had fled into offices before being gunned down. Belgian PM Alexander De Croo headed a sizeable Belgian delegation that included home minister Verlinden.
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Swedish PM honours terror victims, PM De Croo concedes "something went wrong" (VIDEO)
Colin Clapson
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Following the ceremony Mr De Croo spoke with PM Kristersson and European commission president Von der Leyen.
Afterwards at a news conference he stressed his conviction Europe would win its battle against terrorism if it worked together.
PM De Croo concedes that something went wrong on Monday: “When two people are killed, a mistake has been made. Ahead of the Belgium-Sweden match a security analysis was conducted, but the question is, was all available information used. The impact of the conflict between Israel and Hamas was considered, but in the case of Sweden we know there is an additional dimension” Mr De Croo said referring to the burning of Korans in the Nordic country.
Swedish Premier Kristersson added that Sweden faced exactly the same problem when it came to the removal of failed asylum seekers. The suspected killer was a failed asylum seeker, who had ignored an order to leave Belgium. The conservative politician said he had no reason to reproach Belgium given the reports the gunman even visited Sweden when he was not allowed to do so and was even convicted there.
Commission president Von der Leyen says member states should be given the powers to expel failed asylum seekers that pose a threat to a country’s law and order. At present member states can only request that people leave. The commission president noted the measure was one of a raft contained in the new EU asylum and migration pact. The attack in Brussels, she added, showed the pact needed to be approved forthwith. Ms Von der Leyen is convinced the pact will be approved during the Belgian EU presidency during the first half of 2024. She also agreed member states should co-operate more readily to get third countries to accept expelled nationals.