Bart 
De Wever

*** Deze toespraak is uitgesproken op 28 juni 2026. Enkel het gesproken woord telt.***

Thank you, Ambassador White, for organizing this event in honor of this very special occasion – the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

A century ago, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary, then-president of the United States Calvin Coolidge gave a remarkable speech that is still well worth revisiting today.

In that speech, he described the Declaration of Independence as “the most important civil document in the world.” He called its publication “an incomparable event in the history of government.”

As a historian, I tend to be prudent with grand historical claims. But when it comes to recent history, the former president’s words are hardly exaggerated. In fact, they are true.

The ideas in the Declaration gave rise to a nation of exceptional strength and prosperity.

Coolidge understood this well.
A century ago, he said the following:
“We live in an age of science and of abounding accumulation of material things. These did not create our Declaration. Our Declaration created them. The things of the spirit come first. Unless we cling to that, all our material prosperity, overwhelming though it may appear, will turn to a barren scepter in our grasp.” End quote.

These are powerful words – words that make me feel proud to stand here before you this evening, celebrating the Declaration and the deep historic bond between our two nations.

In 1814 – after two years of war that saw the burning of both the U.S. Capitol and the White House, the United States and the United Kingdom concluded their last peace agreement. This historic event took place just a few dozen miles to our west, in the city of Ghent. The Treaty of Ghent has proved remarkably durable. Its peace endures to this day.

And of course, during the First and Second World Wars, it was on our soil that American soldiers made some of their greatest sacrifices in the name of our collective freedom.

Honoring this shared history, in the name of the Belgian people, I humbly present a token of gratitude to the American people.

The gift is too fragile to hand over tonight, but it will be delivered to the U.S. Embassy in the coming days.

May it serve as a symbol of our enduring friendship, and of the values that unite us across the Atlantic.

The following video tells its story. Thank you.