As the attempts by Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) to form a majority on the Dutch-speaking side in the Brussels Government are not leading anywhere, Fouad Ahidar – who gained the second-most seats – will start contacting the other parties in efforts to form a coalition.
For several weeks, Van den Brandt – whose party won four seats – has been trying to form a majority with the liberal Open VLD, socialist Vooruit and centrist CD&V parties. However, as there are only three ministerial positions to divide, this would become tricky with a four-party coalition.
To solve the issue, Van den Brandt offered to let CD&V (the smallest party in her envisioned coalition) appoint a Government Commissioner instead of a minister – an offer that CD&V rejected.
A different formula for Groen would be to start talks with Team Fouad Ahidar, which won three seats. Groen and Ahidar have seven seats together, meaning they need only two more to form a majority. However, neither Open VLD nor Vooruit wants to collaborate with Ahidar, preventing Van den Brandt from making progress in the negotiation process.
On Thursday, Ahidar confirmed on Flemish radio that he would himself start contacting parties to talk about forming a coalition. "I am tired of waiting."
Vetoes and political differences
On the French-speaking side of the Brussels Government, election winners MR also previously vetoed a cooperation with Team Fouad Ahidar. But speaking on the radio, Ahidar said that the Francophone liberals were not as strongly against working with him as they had indicated.
Ahidar explained that although MR contest a number of his positions, an agreement on the Dutch-speaking side must come before the differences between Ahidar and MR can be addressed.
The Dutch-speaking liberal Open VLD is a bigger problem for Ahidar, who said they are refusing to collaborate with him in order to remain in power. As a result Ahidar blamed them for the "dramatic financial situation of the Brussels-Capital Region." He added that he has received "many calls" from people in Vooruit (which Ahidar left to start his own party) who are willing to partner with him in the Brussels Government. But he said "a number of people at the top" (of Vooruit) are against this.
Fouad Ahidar pictured during the oath ceremony in the Brussels Parliament. Credit: Belga/Hatim Kaghat
Ahidar criticised the "incorrect and harmful" accusations that he runs a Muslim party that wishes to introduce Sharia law. He emphasised that he is in favour of a separation between Church and State and countered that it is the other parties who fail to apply secular principles by allowing government personnel to wear headscarves in Flemish cities but not in Brussels.
Vooruit and Open VLD chose not to respond to Fouad Ahidar's statements on Thursday. As the leader of the largest Flemish party in the Capital Region, Van den Brandt is currently leading talks to form a majority in the Dutch-speaking side of the Brussels government. She repeated her previous statements, saying that "a coalition with Team Fouad Ahidar did not appear to be an option after speaking to other parties. That is why I am exploring a path with four parties."
Ahidar also announced that he would participate in the upcoming local elections in "nine or ten" municipalities, including the City of Brussels, Molenbeek, Jette, Ganshoren, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Anderlecht and Schaerbeek. "Saint-Gilles and Forest remain to be seen, I still have to look at the candidates."
While Ahidar could not yet comment on the specific lists in all those municipalities, he stressed that they would "include former members of Groen, Vooruit and Open VLD." He himself will head the list in Jette, where he lives.
MR, Les Engagés and... PS?
On the French-speaking side, MR (20 seats), PS (16 seats) and Les Engagés (8 seats) are also trying to determine whether the three parties can start government negotiations, Belga News Agency reports based on various sources.
Together, the parties would have 44 seats – a comfortable majority in the 72 seats on the French-speaking side of the Brussels Parliament. However, finding an agreement will not be easy: while the liberal MR has already committed to working with centrist Les Engagés in the Walloon and French-speaking Community governments, the ideological gap to socialist PS is very wide.
David Leisterh (MR), who is in charge of forming the French-speaking majority in the capital, does not wish to get caught up in a specific issue but also does not want the formation to drag on until the municipal elections in October.
For him, the 20 September deadline mentioned by Federal formator Bart De Wever (N-VA) is important because all regions must then communicate their budget drafts to the European Commission.
