Belgian prince's allowance cut over China contacts

Belgium has cut the allowance of Prince Laurent, the tearaway younger brother of King Philippe, in an unprecedented sanction for meeting foreign dignitaries without government consent.

Lawmakers voted yesterday to reduce the prince's 307,000-euro (USD 378,000) annual allowance by 15 per cent, a cut of 46,000 euros, following a recommendation by Prime Minister Charles Michel.

Prince Laurent, 54, was photographed last year wearing a military uniform while attending the 90th anniversary of the Chinese army at Beijing's embassy in Brussels -- a photo he himself tweeted -- without official permission.

He had earlier been reproached for meetings in Libya and for an unauthorised visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a former Belgian colony, in 2011.

The vote -- by 93 votes to 23, according to the Belga news agency -- is the first use of a 2013 law that permits a "retention" of allowances for members for the royal family if they break certain rules.

Prince Laurent had in a statement issued by his lawyer sought to win the sympathy of lawmakers, saying that the punishment "could cause him serious harm and was difficult to repair."
It complained that he could not work due to his royal status, and said that "three quarters of his allowances were part of costs related to his functions under the strict control of the court of accounts."