Belgium's Prime Minister Elio di Rupo summoned Bellens on 15 November and dismissed him without any severance payment, Bloomberg reported. Di Rupo told reporters after a cabinet meeting that the federal government's confidence in the now ex-CEO had been "irreversibly damaged" by repeated and accumulated outbursts. Di Rupo also mentioned "certain promotions and departures of senior staff" as a reason for Bellens' dismissal. In addition, the potential sale of a Belgacom building in Brussels to a real estate company where Bellens serves as a director prompted an internal review. An audit later found no wrongdoing.
The next CEO's salary will now be limited by a new Belgian law. In September, annual pay for employees at public companies was capped at EUR 290,000, although Belgacom has some flexibility as it is only partly state-owned (53.5%). The company declined to make Bellens available for comment.
