And so, to the long and illustrious tradition of leaders and their instant semiological indicators, from Margaret Thatcher and her handbags to Ronald Reagan and his red tie, George W. Bush and his cowboy boots, and Silvio Berlusconi and his tie knot, we add, of of yesterday, Elio di Rupo, the new prime minister of Belgium, and his red bow tie. So is this an example of sartorial laziness? Is it a refusal to wear a tie like other ties, but only his own tie? Or is it a political strategy? Personally, I lean toward the latter explanation.

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