Belgium’s national festivities cost over €1 million

Belgium’s national holiday celebrations in 2013, including the military parade and accompanying festivities in and around Brussels, cost a total of about €1 million, according to De Zondag.

In July, 2013, the military parade alone came with a price tag of approximately €760,000. The accompanying festivities tacked on another €260,000, while the fireworks display cost about €61,000. All in all, celebrations surrounding the Belgian national holiday cost the country €1,081,438 in 2013.

Vlaams Belang MP Barbara Pas, who requested the figures from interior minister Jan Jambon (N-VA), called the event a "massive waste of money." According to Pas, such exuberant spending of taxpayer money is irresponsible. "Especially at a time when people have to dig deeper into their pockets… Tax money is there to perform essential public functions, not to send coloured plumes of smoke flying through the air," she told the newspaper.

Minister Jambon already promised to hold a meeting with the company that constructed the public stands for the fireworks show; their invoice for the event totalled €192,632.