In the wake of eight shootings in Brussels in nine days, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has called on all different authorities in Belgium to work together against rising drug-related violence and organised crime.
With organised crime, drug wars, and shootings high on the Belgian agenda, De Croo spoke in Parliament on Thursday to urge all actors to work together.
"The current security issues in Belgium will never be solved if the blame is constantly shifted from one level of power to the other." He impressed the importance of acting decisively rather than "try[ing] to absolve ourselves of our own responsibilities."
Standing united
The fight against drug trafficking and related crime has been a priority for De Croo's government: spurring action in Antwerp, Brussels and elsewhere. He called it a "common issue" and gave assurances that "the recent incidents are being taken very seriously," with responses at the local, regional and federal levels.
"Some of our cities are being targeted by gangs of traffickers organised on an international level." He said they have no respect for the rule of law and have enormous financial resources at their disposal. Given the challenge faced, he stressed the importance of not allowing any chinks in the armour: "the last thing we must do is stand divided".
He reasoned that "pointing fingers won't solve anything" and stressed that "a lasting solution will not just appear in the blink of an eye... These are difficult decisions requiring major investments. But we are making them."
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
Investment in equipment to deal with the problem effectively has been increased in recent months. For instance, scanners have been installed in the Port of Antwerp and explosive suitcases developed to quickly destroy confiscated drugs. He also drew attention to an enlarged staffing budget, which led to the appointment of a National Drug Commissioner.
"There is still an extraordinary amount of work to do and that is not going to be easy. But we will only prevail by acting together. We must all understand that this is the number one challenge." De Croo cautioned against the tendency to divert blame, warning that the first reaction should not be to deny responsability but to assess instead where each authority could improve.
"If Brussels loses, everyone loses – including Flanders, including Wallonia, including the international institutions that we have in Brussels. So yes, it is an absolute priority for us. And for once, let's please put all our energy into working together, not pointing fingers at each other."
