Brussels informators Christophe De Beukelaer (Les Engagés) and Elke Van Den Brandt (Groen) have resumed talks to form the regional government.
Formation talks collapsed when formator David Leisterh (MR) failed to bring together an agreement by his self-imposed deadline last Friday. They have since entered a new phase, with De Beukelaer and Van Den Brandt each assuming a role as official mediators who will try to get negotiations back on track. The pair held a first meeting with Open VLD at 13:00 on Tuesday.
MR's David Leisterh pictured in a press conference of French-speaking liberal party MR at their headquarters in Brussels. Credit: Belga
Open VLD's Brussels leader Frederic De Gucht said it was an "interesting" three-way conversation. He declined to give any further details. "Our ideas on the formation are well known," he said. "We are a reasonable party. Our goal is to make Brussels better in five years."
The party has agreed to forgo a ministerial portfolio so that its seat can be used to form a majority in the Dutch-speaking college. The Flemish liberals are said to have forged an agreement with the rightwing Flemish party N-VA party.
Other players at the table
Other meetings are scheduled with the informators on Tuesday: with Ecolo at 14:30; Vooruit at 16:00; DéFI at 17:30; CD&V at 19:00 and PS after 20:00. Les Engagés will be heard on Wednesday.
The far-right Vlaams Belang is the only national party that will not meet the informators.
De Beukelaer and Van den Brandt took on their role after PS declined the position. Although the francophone socialists are the second largest party in the Brussels region, it says talks can only be led by a party that is "trusted by all".
PS is considered by MR and other rivlas to be at the centre of months-long impasse in talks. Brussels has not had a Regional Government for 261 days.
