Francesca Vanthielen

Francesca Vanthielen is a well-known figure on Belgian TV, thanks to her work as a journalist and news anchor for the business channel Kanaal Z. Here she presents the monthly Trends Talk and moderates debates. Francesca obtained a master in Applied Economic Science and a master in International Politics at the Catholic University of Leuven. In 1999 she post-graduated in Acting at the Mountview Theatre School in London. After this she hosted several popular TV programmes on national television, played in two films and appeared in several television series. For four years she was an active ambassador for UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). At present Francesca is very much involved in the topic of climate change. She is one of the founding members of the Belgian Climate Case, a citizen’s initiative that won a legal procedure against Belgian policymakers in June 2021. Although the Belgian federal and regional governments were condemned for negligent climate policy and violating human rights, the Belgian Climate Case appealed to enforce stringent reductions thresholds. The appeal sentence is to be expected at the end of 2023.