How to mess up a press conference

There is probably more than a dozen ways to really mess up a press conference. One of the speakers doesn't show up, press is invited on the wrong date or technical tools like beamers or microphones don't work. But I hadn't heard this one before.

Now suppose you are organising an international press conference. Journalists from countries all over the world are waiting in the room to hear your message. Only to find out that the speakers at press conference will all speak in Dutch language. Now that's quite unusual.

Exactly this happened today at an international press conference of Flemish nationalist political party Vlaams Belang. Journalists from a.o. France, Spain, Norway and Japan couldn't understand a word of what was said. The did get an English handout but that could have been shared via e-mail as well, what obviously would have saved them a lot of time. I wonder if any international coverage will come out of this. And if these journalists will turn up for Vlaams Belang's next press conference....

Richard