Charleroi's city council adopted its 2025 budget on Monday night after several hours of debate, with a number of austerity measures failing to find favour with the opposition.
The Parti-Socialiste/Les Engagés majority voted in favour of the budget, while the opposition Mouvement Réformateur (MR) and Parti du Travail Belge (PTB) voted against.
The budget is marked by significant efforts in both income and expenditure, imposed by the Walloon government following the granting of a new loan of €112 million in December 2024.
The Oxygène Agreement, which the city accepted in exchange for the loan, includes a series of fiscal measures totalling over €20 million. While the city refused to implement some of these measures, it had to find alternative solutions with an equivalent impact.
At Monday’s meeting, the MR party criticised the new taxes, arguing that they were unjustified in a city where the “weight of social action is excessive.” According to the liberals, the current efforts are the result of a historical situation.
The PTB party described the budget as very austere, highlighting unfavourable measures such as an increase in the property tax, higher parking fines, the end of free childcare, and reduced funding for certain services.
