The Brussels Government – whose formation has been held up for months – should be formed within "three to four weeks" as the Flemish liberals Open VLD have reportedly agreed to become the crucial fourth partner in a majority on the Dutch-speaking side.
For months the Dutch-speaking parties have been struggling to find a majority of nine seats, with only three ministerial positions to distribute between a coalition that would likely comprise four parties. This would leave one party without a minister or state secretary, and therefore without a say in government decisions. For this reason, Christian Democrat CD&V previously turned down the invitation to join.
After months of stand-still, progress might now be possible as the Flemish liberal Open VLD is reportedly willing to serve as the fourth party. Instead of a minister or state secretary, the party would settle for a government commissioner responsible for the budget, several sources confirmed to Belga News Agency on Thursday.
Alain Hutchinson (PS) is currently responsible for Europe and international institutions as a Brussels Government commissioner. But he is due to retire soon. Earlier this month, MR leader in Brussels (and the Capital Region's presumed future Minister-President) David Leisterh already suggested expanding the government commissioner's function to include budget control.
A liberal 'sacrifice'
It had been expected that the coalition party with the fewest votes would get the government commissioner position. This would have been Vooruit, which received fewer votes than N-VA and Open VLD, though still secured two seats. But Open VLD has now indicated it would be willing to "sacrifice" itself and take on the function.
The party will also be allowed to provide the vice-chair of the Brussels Parliament and will take on the Council of the Flemish Community Commission (VGC).
However, this plan faces an additional problem: one of the three Dutch-speaking ministers must be male. At present, the names circulating to fill these positions are all women (Elke Van den Brandt for Groen, Cieltje Van Achter for N-VA and Ans Persoons for Vooruit).
In response to the reports on Thursday, Dutch-speaking formator Van den Brandt said that news about an agreement was "premature" and declined to comment further. Other parties confirmed that negotiations were "intensifying" but also refused to comment further.
MR federal leader Georges-Louis Bouchez (left) and MR Brussels leader David Leisterh. Credit: Belga/Benoit Doppagne
But on the Francophone side, negotiators were optimistic that the formation would now move quickly. "We will be able to reach an agreement for the Brussels Government within three or four weeks, as long as the Dutch speakers make progress, but I know that they are," MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez said on BX1.
The French-speaking negotiators in Brussels met to discuss the French Community Commission (Cocof) on Wednesday. There, the party leaders were able to exchange views and have "a moment of clarification," said Bouchez – who was also in attendance despite the fact that he does not live in Brussels and has no seat in the Parliament.
The Francophone side of the Brussels government has long been settled, with liberals MR, socialists PS and centrists Les Engagés quickly reaching an agreement. This has held, despite tensions caused by the recent coalition agreement between PS, the radical left PTB-PVDA and greens Ecolo in the municipality of Forest, to which MR strongly objected.
Bouchez stressed that no time should be wasted. "The budgetary situation in Brussels requires us to have a government within three or four weeks. We have to be a little reasonable and rational."
