Belgium summons US ambassador over Instagram post mocking health minister

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has summoned US Ambassador to Belgium Bill White for the second time this year, following a satirical Instagram post targeting Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke.

White posted on social media, asking, "Who is the biggest loser in Belgium?" alongside what appeared to be an AI-generated image of Vandenbroucke on a cigarette pack. The image seemed to mock the minister's efforts to change health warnings on alcohol advertisements, with the pack labeled: "Harms all forms of enjoyment in life."

In a statement to Politico, Prévot said, "It is unacceptable for an ambassador to use such insulting language about a member of the government." The Belgian Foreign Ministry confirmed the ambassador had been summoned.

Belgium had previously summoned Ambassador White in February after he accused Brussels of antisemitism over an investigation into three Jewish religious leaders in Antwerp suspected of performing circumcisions without the required medical qualifications. White called the investigation "ridiculous" and pressured Vandenbroucke to intervene, prompting the Belgian government to accuse him of interfering in the country's internal and judicial affairs.

Conner Rousseau, leader of the Vooruit party to which Vandenbroucke belongs, also responded to White's Instagram post, saying the ambassador "knows nothing about healthcare and only follows what Trump says."