Arts Centre Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium

Our banks are quickly collapsing. For years, they made record profits. Now they need tax money to sustain themselves. The government is no longer the bogeyman of the financial world. It became its saviour. But will more than € 20 billion go to Belgian banks to keep everything as it was? Or is it time for change? Netwerk Vlaanderen challenges politicians and civil society to formulate an ambitious and daring vision on the banking sector. Because banks are too important to leave them to bankers alone.

After the eruption of the credit crisis, Netwerk Vlaanderen made a few proposals for a different type of bank. A bank that would once again see to its key task: gathering savings and investing them where society needs them. This can be broken down in five principles:

• Banks should invest in real activity.
• Banks should invest proactively and at advantageous rates in activity that makes the transition towards a green and solidary economy possible.
• Banks should no longer invest in activity that is harmful to society.
• Banks should offer a clear insight into their activities.
• Banks should abstain from activity in tax paradises.

In first instance, we will look at the government to set up this kind of bank, because they have provided credit for the banks in need, and this cannot be a blank cheque. We will invite representatives of Flemish political parties Sp.a, Groen!, LDD and CD&V to react to these and other proposals: Dirk Van der Maelen (sp.a), Hendrik Bogaert (CD&V), Rob Vandevelde (LDD) & Jef Tavernier (Groen). Experts like Mark Lambrechts (Raad van Bestuur Ethibel, ex-directievoorzitter Mercator Bank, ex-voorzitter Vosec, ex-lid bestuur Belgische vereniging van Banken en Beursgenootschappen), Stefaan Decock (LBC), Michel Vermaerke (Febelfin) and Olivier Marquet (Triodos) will offer critical insights.
Journalist Ann Peuterman (Knack) will moderate the debate.

More names coming soon.