Respect goes both ways: Flemish Ombudsman on aggression between citizens and government

Flemish Ombudsman Myriam Parys appeared on the Flemish radio program WinWin to discuss the increasing tensions in interactions between citizens and public services.

The relationship between government and citizens is under pressure. Citizens sometimes complain about unfriendly or incorrect communication from public services, for example via the Flemish Information Line 1700 or VDAB. But the reverse is also true: public services report a rise in persistent complaint behavior, abusive emails, and even physical aggression. The Flemish Ombudsman Service observes these tensions in its own complaint data and receives signals from various departments.

During the WinWin broadcast, Flemish Ombudsman Myriam Parys explained what signals the Flemish Ombudsman Service receives about interactions between citizens and civil servants, how organizations such as VAPH deal with this, and which measures exist to protect staff. She emphasized that respectful communication works in both directions and that accessibility is essential to prevent escalation.

Feeling unheard

“We are seeing a growing harshness in the relationship between citizens and government. Citizens sometimes feel unheard, get stuck in regulations, receive no response, or do not understand a decision. Civil servants, in turn, increasingly must handle difficult conversations and are confronted with frustration and sometimes even aggression. The challenge is to restore mutual respect,” says Parys. “Behind every complaint is a request to be heard. Many people do not primarily file a complaint to prove they are right, but because they feel unheard. A clear explanation, a phone call, or an apology often prevents more conflicts than yet another letter.”

Citizens have the right to expect polite and respectful treatment, even when the answer is negative. But the same applies to citizens. Civil servants are not punching bags for frustrations about policy or regulations. Anyone working at a counter or answering the phone has the right to a safe working environment.

New Service Charter of the Flemish government

The Flemish Ombudsman links this issue to the new Service Charter, which requires the Flemish government to provide both physical and telephone contact options. “Many frustrations arise not because people do not get their way, but because they cannot reach a real person, do not receive an answer, or do not understand why a decision was made.”

The response to this growing harshness is not only to take firm action against aggression, though that is necessary. Equally important is investing in a government that remains accessible, understandable, and human. That is exactly why the new Service Charter is so important, Parys explains. “Trust is built when citizens feel there is still a human being on the other side. The new Service Charter aims to place more emphasis again on accessibility, personal contact, and clear service delivery. That is a positive development and can hopefully help build a respectful relationship between government and citizens.”

You can find a link to the WinWin interview on our website.

Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise spoke about the situation in the country. The interview was conducted by journalist Ulla Länts.

OTSE POSTIMEHEST ⟩ Ülle Madise: kui me ei taha vabadustest ilma jääda, tuleb senine andmete kogumise praktika lõpetada 

Le Pacte européen sur la migration et l’asile a été mis en oeuvre au Luxembourg par la loi du 11 juin 2026 portant mise en œuvre du pacte européen sur la migration et l’asile. L’une des principales nouveautés introduites par ce cadre légal est la mise en place d’une procédure de filtrage, ou screening, applicable aux ressortissants de pays tiers qui se présentent sur le territoire national.

En vertu de l’article 17 de cette loi, l’Ombudsman, dans l’exercice de sa mission de Contrôleur externe des lieux privatifs de liberté (CELPL), a été désigné comme autorité de contrôle du nouveau Centre de filtrage.

Dans le cadre de cette nouvelle mission, l’Ombudsman Claudine Konsbruck, accompagnée de son équipe, a effectué une première visite spontanée des locaux du Centre de filtrage le lundi, 15 juin 2026.

Le centre est installé de façon provisoire au 1er étage de la Direction de l’immigration.

Lors de cette visite, l’Ombudsman a pu constater la mise en place progressive du dispositif dans des locaux provisoires et exigus.

Le CELPL dresse un rapport écrit de cette visite qui sera publié sur son site internet.

L’Ombudsman continuera à se rendre au Centre de filtrage chaque fois qu’elle l’estimera nécessaire et opportun.

On June 17, 2026, Public Defender Levan Ioseliani participated in the International Conference on Disinformation Strategies, Artificial Intelligence and the Role of Social Networks in Ensuring the Reliability of Information.

The participants in the two-day conference are discussing the impact of disinformation on electoral processes, disinformation as a policy challenge (mechanisms, triggering factors and impact), the role of artificial intelligence and social networks in electoral processes.

Speaking at the event, Levan Ioseliani emphasized the importance of protecting the right to vote, drew attention to the threats arising from disinformation, manipulation and influence on public opinion, and mechanisms for protecting against them. He introduced the participants to the mandate and activities of the Public Defender during the election period and reviewed the cooperation established between the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the Public Defender in this direction. He also thanked CEC for this cooperation and expressed his readiness to share practice with relevant agencies and international organizations.

The 13^th International Conference of Election Administrations is being organized by the Central Election Commission and is being attended by representatives of election administrations from 23 countries, international organizations working on election issues, and companies working in the field of election technologies, as well as representatives of the legislative and executive authorities of Georgia.

The Ombudsman, Endrit Shabani, today received a group of activists who have exercised their constitutional right to protest and against whom the police have initiated criminal proceedings. Based on their complaint, the institution has initiated the verification of the actions of the police so far.

The activists claim that the proceedings against them are unfounded and aim to discourage their right to protest.

The Ombudsman is assessing whether these police actions meet the principles of proportionality and necessity, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Albania and Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

"The right to peacefully protest is a fundamental right and must be guaranteed at all costs. When the police prosecute citizens only because they protested, the burden of proof is not on the protesters but on the police, who must prove that they have actually violated the law", declared Shabani.

The Ombudsman will continue the administrative investigation into the police's conduct to ensure that in any case the right to assembly is not violated.