Following a controversy over a bilingual greeting on a Belgian train, Alba criticized Belgium's strict language laws and called for a more open-minded approach to bilingualism, emphasizing the importance of welcoming all passengers.

Alba expressed gratitude to supporters across Belgium and questioned whether multilingual announcements should be banned on international trains, advocating for changes to the current language regulations.

The incident involved train conductor Ilyass Alba greeting passengers with 'Goeiedag, bonjour' in Vilvoorde, which was deemed illegal under local language laws after a passenger complaint was upheld.

This controversy centered around the use of a bilingual greeting in a region where Dutch is the primary language, highlighting the legal restrictions on language use in Belgium.

The Permanent Commission for Language Supervision ruled that Alba should have used 'Goeiemorgen' instead to comply with the area's language regulations.

Current regulations specify that conductors may only use both Dutch and French once a train enters the bilingual Brussels region, complicating language use for train staff.

While SNCB could face a warning for not enforcing language rules more strictly, they defended Alba's actions as being focused on customer service and welcoming travelers.

Despite the complaint, Alba was not sanctioned and received support from SNCB, which stated that his greeting was meant to warmly welcome all travelers.

Alba, who has over 50,000 Facebook followers, capitalized on the situation by launching a line of coffee mugs with the phrase 'Bonjour Goeiedag,' showcasing his popularity and the public's interest in the issue.

The incident, which occurred in November 2024, drew significant media attention and prompted parliamentary questions about SNCB's language policies and the broader issues of bilingualism in Belgium.

This episode underscores the complexities of language laws in Belgium, a country with a multilingual population where regional language regulations often lead to legal and cultural debates.