A Belgian court refuses to request Prince Laurent to obtain social security benefits

A Belgian court rejected a lawsuit filed by Prince Laurent, the brother of the current king and the youngest of King Albert II and Queen Paula, requesting the advantages of social security, along with his royal allocations, and the court described his demand – which is a precedent in the history of the country that extends for about 200 years – as “unjustified”.

Prince Laurent, 61, said that his professional activities make him eligible to obtain social security coverage for free business owners, stressing that his movement came from the standpoint of “initial” and not a financial motivation, yet the court decided that his duties are closer to civil service jobs that provide specific advantages, but it does not include an integrated social security system.

For his part, Prince Olivier Ricarett said that Prince Laurent is studying the possibility of appealing the ruling, adding: “We did not get the desired result, but the ruling was logical and detailed, and it could be understood.”

In 2018, a penalty was imposed on Prince Laurent to reduce his allocations by 15% for a year, following his meeting with foreign personalities without the federal government’s permission, and in 2024 the Emir received about 388,000 euros from the state treasury, and he resides in a house that does not pay his rent.

In an interview with the Belgian “RTB” station, the Emir stressed that the issue is not related to money, but rather to the principle, saying: “Any immigrant comes to this country that gets the right to social security, and I consider myself a migrant as well, although my family established this country.”

His lawyer, in an article published by the newspaper “Lusuer”, confirmed that the prince did not take this judicial procedure with a personal or random motive, but rather because he sees that social security is a constitutional right for every Belgian citizen, regardless of his financial situation.

He explained that Laurent actually gets a salary equivalent to a quarter of his royal allocations, as the rest is devoted to covering professional expenditures, such as traveling and employee salaries, which leaves him with a monthly salary of about 5,000 euros, which is similar to what senior executives receive, but without any social insurance coverage.

It is noteworthy that Prince Laurent is married to the British Claire, and they have three children in the twenties, and he expressed the anxiety he felt about the future of his family’s financial future, especially in light of his inability to demand medical compensation, or obtain a paid satisfactory leave, in the event that he was not granted social security coverage.

Prince Laurent heads an institution that cares about animal sponsorship, providing free veterinary services for more than 10 years, in addition to his repeated participation in activities representing Belgium and various councils, which makes him always busy.

It is noteworthy that Prince Laurent is not the only one of the Belgian royal family members who expressed his distress from his financial situation. On the “Guardian” and “Daily Mail”

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New life

In an interview with the Belgian newspaper “Hit Latist”, Prince Laurent revealed his desire to change, saying: “I am preparing for a new life, and I think I will live abroad, perhaps in Italy, I do not compare myself to Prince Harry, but I have always considered myself a pioneer, and I want a new start, in which I am more beneficial to society.”

He stressed that his desire to leave is not anger, but rather a look at a more independent and effective life.

. The court described the prince’s demand, which is a precedent in the country’s history, as “unjustified”.