The forced resignation of the top duo behind the non-profit organization responsible for managing the transformation of the Jubelpark site, CEO Paul Dujardin and operational director Yasmina Amire, will not change the plans for Jubelpark 2030. science policy, to BRUZZ.
To make the slightly decrepit park shine like never before by the bicentenary of our country: that is the idea behind the Cinquantenaire Park 2030 project, which should result in “a new socio-cultural flagship for Belgium”.
In concrete terms: the extensive renovation of the park and its museums, coupled with innovative initiatives to make the site “a beacon of science and art”, the covering of the traffic tunnel that today splits the park in two, and a focus on socio-cultural activities and catering establishments.
“The intention is that every Belgian and every tourist in Belgium comes to visit here and can spend a whole day”, said State Secretary for Science Policy Thomas Dermine (PS) when the spectacular-looking transformation came under a lot of media attention at the end of April and with the necessary superlatives.
Today, the gigantic project – even referred to as a collective “moonshot” by Prime Minister De Croo – has to compete against a first (you) crisis.
250 million
The funds earmarked for the large-scale renovation project currently amount to 155 million euros. Ultimately, the project would even cost 250 million euros.
The association that is responsible for coordinating the project, Horizon 50-200, also receives an annual subsidy of 580,000 euros, money from the PPS Science Policy (Belspo).
That operating amount partly goes to co-financing the programming in the Cinquantenaire Museums, but would have completely evaporated before this year, according to an internal audit. It cost both CEO Paul Dujardin and operational director Yasmina Amire the head, it was announced on Tuesday morning. Neither could be reached for comment.
Paid for next year
In a response to BRUZZ, Belspo chairman Arnaud Vajda explains the dismissal of Dujardin and Amire. “The Board of Directors of Horizon 50-200 has indeed kicked them out, because the grant amount for this year has already been fully spent in the first six months without approval from the Board of Directors,” said Vajda.
It is not the case that the funds have not gone to non-profit projects, emphasizes Vajda, “but, for example, payments have already been made for exhibitions that are to take place next year. That is not the intention”.
The result is a “more minimal” operation of the non-profit organization for the rest of this year. For example, the exhibition about Josef Hoffmann, which will start in October, will now be fully owned by the Royal Museums of Art and History.
The intention is to keep both internal and external employees of the project on board “as much as possible”, says Vajda.
“Positive about the future”
In any case, the Cinquantenaire project itself will not be jeopardized, say the Belspo CEO and Secretary of State Dermine in unison.
“Until further notice, I remain confident in the non-profit organization Horizon 50-200 to realize the assignment that has been assigned to them. That mission remains unchanged: to guide the Cinquantenaire site into a new era. The progress achieved will be presented to the Council of Ministers before the summer recess,” said State Secretary Dermine.
A crisis manager must guarantee the operation of the non-profit organization in the coming weeks, concludes Vajda. Meanwhile, replacements for Paul Dujardin and Yasmina Amire are being sought.
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
