A hundred concerned and outraged Brussels residents observed 89 minutes of silence on Sunday afternoon in protest against the delay in forming a Brussels government.
Organisers of the action stated that the silence represented 89 elected politicians, urging them to abandon vetoes and engage in substantive discussions about the future Brussels government.
Joost Vandenbroele, one of the organisers, emphasised that the action aimed to signal to Brussels politicians the anger and frustration over the lack of a government. He expressed deep concern about the city’s direction.
Brussels faces numerous problems, including recent shootings related to the Brussels drug trade and territorial conflicts, rising debt, and declining creditworthiness. Confidence in political institutions is also plummeting.
These are just a few of the many issues plaguing the region. “Every day, Brussels loses ground, and the debt increases by 4.6 million euros. We need a positive and inspiring agenda. Brussels residents deserve this. Politicians must make decisions and break the deadlock,” Vandenbroele urged.
Among the attendees were not only citizens but also officials, like Inge Paemen, spokeswoman for Brussels Mobility, who finds it “terrible” that “politicians can only communicate like children and have yet to address the problems meaningfully.” Paemen pointed to security, budgeting, homelessness, and the impending impact of federal measures on Brussels. “It’s outrageous that our politicians are not addressing these issues,” she said.
