PM Bart De Wever’s brand-new government is heading for a second photo shoot in as many days. The first version on the royal palace steps yesterday attracted considerable criticism after the only four women ministers were overshadowed by their far more numerous male colleagues. Will photographers now take a different approach?
The situation is complicated by protocol: ‘Ministers’ places will be the same, because that is protocol, but all the ministers’ faces are going to be in the picture this time round,’ the parliamentary press officer explains.
All four female ministers are pictured in the second row. Because of the lighting and the size of their larger male colleagues on the front row, they can hardly be seen in the first version. It’s a very masculine image that was widely slated given the fact there was already so much criticism because the government is predominantly male – 11 out of 15.
This afternoon in parliament, there will be a second chance. A different line-up there will not be, says press officer Tom Van Acker. ‘The line-up in the chamber of representatives will be the same as in the royal palace, because that is protocol. The prime minister will be in the middle, flanked by the deputy prime ministers. They are followed by the other ministers according to seniority.’
All people in the photograph thus have a fixed place.
In the course of Tuesday, while Belgium waited for the new government's first statement to parliament that had been delayed by half an hour, new photographs emerged.