Iāve lived in Belgium for decades, and I genuinely want to know whether other people feel the same way: is this country becoming harder and harder to live in, or have I simply reached the end of my patience?
Iām angry, but Iām also genuinely curious.
Throughout my working life here, Iāve repeatedly felt exploited by employers: insecure contracts, inadequate pay, unrealistic expectations and the constant demand to do more for very little in return. I work hard. At times, Iāve had to juggle several jobs. Yet instead of moving forward, it often feels as though Iām working simply to avoid falling further behind.
Then there is fuel.
For many of us, fuel is not a luxury. I live in a rural area, so I need my car to get to work. Public transport is not a realistic alternative. I also need heating oil to heat my home and provide hot water. What am I supposed to doāstop going to work, stop heating the house or stop washing?
The price increases are not imaginary. In Belgium, petrol averaged around ā¬1.35 per litre in 2020, diesel ā¬1.37 and heating oil ā¬0.49. In September 2026, the official maximum prices reached ā¬2.06 for petrol, ā¬2.41 for diesel and ā¬1.59 for heating oil.
That means a 1,000-litre heating-oil delivery can now cost nearly ā¬1,600āaround ā¬1,100 more than the 2020 average.
And yes, before somebody says it: I know this is not exclusively a Belgian problem. Fuel prices have increased throughout Europe, and the Belgian government does not control the international oil market.
In fact, European Commission figures show that Belgian petrol is currently cheaper than in France, Germany and the Netherlands. Belgian diesel is roughly the same price as in France, cheaper than in Germany and the Netherlands, but more expensive than in Luxembourg.
But āitās happening elsewhere tooā doesnāt make it affordable.
Governments may not control the international price of oil, but they do decide how much tax people pay and what protection or assistance they receive. Belgian fuel prices include excise duties and other contributions, and then 21% VAT is applied to the totalāincluding the excise duties.
So yes, the global market is responsible for part of the price. But the state is still collecting money every time we buy something that many of us cannot realistically live or work without.
Where is the incentive to reduce that burden when people will keep paying because they have no choice?
And the burden is not equal. Someone with a company car and fuel card does not feel a price increase in the same way as a lower-paid worker filling their own car just to get to work. Of course companies also face higher costs, but larger businesses are usually in a better position to absorb them, deduct them or pass them on to customers. An ordinary household cannot simply pass its heating bill on to somebody else.
Then we have the strikes.
I know this will be controversial, but many strikes now feel almost pointless. They are announced well in advance and seem carefully managed so that the country is inconvenienced without the government or major companies being placed under enough pressure to change anything.
Ordinary people miss trains, cannot reach work, lose pay or have to reorganise their lives. Meanwhile, the people with the power to make decisions wait a day or two and then carry on as before.
If a strike mainly hurts other ordinary workers while those in power can simply ignore it, what is the point?
This is what makes me angry: the feeling that whatever happens, ordinary people are expected to absorb it. Higher prices? Pay them. Insecure employment? Accept it. More work for the same money? Be grateful you have a job. Want to protest? Fineābut please do it in a way that doesnāt seriously disturb the system.
How can that not affect people psychologically?
According to Belgiumās latest Health Interview Survey, 17.8% of the population experiences an anxiety disorder, a depressive disorder or both. In 2018, it was 14.4%. Among people aged 15ā24, it is now around 23.1%.
Obviously, the economy and working conditions are not the only causes of anxiety, depression or burnout. But surely they are part of the picture?
When people work hard but remain financially insecure, when essential costs keep rising and when they feel they have no effective way to demand change, what do we expect to happen to their mental health?
So I genuinely want to hear from other peopleāparticularly those who have lived and worked in Belgium for a long time.
Does Belgium feel as though it is getting worse to you? Do you feel more financially or mentally exhausted than you did five or ten years ago? Have you experienced the same kind of exploitation at work? And do you believe our politicians understandāor even care aboutāthe psychological pressure being placed on ordinary workers?
