To "unblock the political situation" in the capital, Brussels formator on the French-speaking side David Leisterh (MR) is inviting national party leaders to take part in the difficult negotiations to form a new Brussels Government.
In an unprecedented effort to break the deadlock, Leisterh announced his intention to involve the national leaders of the French-speaking parties. Leisterh made the announcement at a press conference on Friday, flanked by MR's national leader Georges-Louis Bouchez.
"Brussels is on fire and almost everyone stays on the balcony. I will not withdraw (as formator) but I won't just stand and watch," Leisterh said. As the list leader of the party with the most seats in the capital, Leisterh is expected to become Minister-President of the next Brussels Government.
Looking for a compromise
After the 9 June elections, a French-speaking majority (liberal MR, socialist PS and centrist Les Engagés) was established relatively quickly. The negotiations were more complicated on the Dutch-speaking side but a majority (ecologist Groen, rightwing N-VA, liberal Open VLD and socialist Vooruit) was finally found at the end of November.
Shortly after, PS pulled out of negotiations because it did not want to enter into a government that included N-VA. However, securing a majority without PS is proving impossible on the Francophone side. No other majority can be found among Dutch-speaking parties either.
On Friday, Leisterh stressed that as formator on the French-speaking side of the Brussels Government, he will continue to work towards a compromise.
Mont des Arts in Brussels city centre. Credit: Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck
Leisterh therefore calls on the other parties in Brussels to "be responsible" so that a new regional government can be formed quickly. He cited the groaning finances of the Brussels-Capital Region, problems with (organised) crime and structural issues.
Bouchez has repeatedly been criticised for his interventions in the Brussels' formation process despite the fact he lives in Mons and is himself involved in difficult discussions to form a Federal Government.
"Brussels is on the edge of the abyss," Bouchez said in the press conference on Friday. "Brussels' problems transcend the Capital Region's borders. Why should only Brussels residents be allowed to negotiate?"
Will PS play ball?
In response to Leisterh's announcement, the Socialist Party issued a statement from its headquarters to reiterate that Ahmed Laaouej is the PS president for Brussels and therefore is the interlocutor.
"The PS negotiator for the Brussels government formation is Ahmed Laaouej. Since the creation of the Brussels Region, it has always been the president of the Brussels Federation of the PS who leads the negotiations," the statement read. It added that there was no point in engaging with the party's national leader Paul Magnette, because he has exactly the same position as Laaouej: "There isn't even a cigarette paper separating the position of the Brussels PS president and the national PS president."
The PS expressed surprise at the MR's stance. "For three weeks the Brussels MR has not contacted the PS negotiators," it said.
