Over nine months since the 9 June elections, Brussels is still yet to form a government. Citizens were called on to make their voices heard in an action on Friday.
Under the name 'Passing the hot potato', the action aimed to denounce the lack of government and raise awareness for its impact on public funding, social and cultural services, and general civil society.
At noon, around a hundred people, including artists, social workers, activists, and concerned citizens, gathered at Place Saint-Jean.
The event, which featured music and humour, included a waffle sale to raise funds for "Brussels' finances," and a giant foam potato which was passed through the crowd. Both the fundraising piggy bank and the "hot potato" were placed in front of the Brussels Parliament at around 14:00.
The petition promoted with the event, 'We Still Exist!', has so far been signed by at least a thousand Brussels residents and nearly 300 organisations, "For almost ten months, the formation of the Brussels government has stalled. Too many vetoes, too many egos," the petition states.
"While political inaction prevents any decision-making, we continue to move forward [...] but we do so in uncertainty, and our resilience, especially financial, is wearing thin," emphasise the signatories, including FeBIO (Federation of Inclusion Enterprises), Brussels By Night, and the Jacques Franck Cultural Centre.
Friday's action was organised by multiple organisations, including the Brussels Art Network, RABKO, and the welfare assistance centre, CAW.
"We demand an ambitious, inclusive, and sustainable project for Brussels. We exist, we will resist, we will protest," RABKO wrote on its website.
