Brussels Regional Government launched last week a second phase in an initiative to give its international residents a say in the politics, future and development of the region.
One in three people living in Brussels is a citizen of another country. They can vote in municipal and European elections but not in the regional elections. For the International Brusselers, who build their lives here, this is an unfair democratic deficit and a missed opportunity, according to the Brussels-Capital Region.
As previously reported, in 2021, the regional government launched an on-line platform to find out the priorities of its international residents. The ideas on the platform resulted in the ‘Manifesto of the International Brusseler’ with a set of policy recommendations. The Manifesto includes 22 proposals and was created by some 1500 online and face-to-face participants.
Brussels Voice, the second phase in the regional government’s initiative, aims at taking deliberative democracy a step further. Brussels Commissioner for Europe and International Organisations, in cooperation with Brussels Parliament, will recruit 45 International Brusselers, selected at random among those who register.
The participants, representing a diverse cross-section of Brussels’ international communities, will attend three workshops with multi-lingual facilitation in September – October at commissioner.brussels before spending a full day at the Regional Parliament working and debating alongside members of the parliament.
The topics in the workshops will be chosen from the proposals in the Manifesto of the International Brusseler, but the goal is already clear: define the specific challenges affecting non-Belgians in Brussels, and explore how the Region can help.
Marie Raverdeau works for an international NGO in Brussels and attended one of the policy co-drafting workshops last year. “It was really inspiring to be in a room with other non-Belgians who were full of positive ideas for Brussels. This can be a frustrating place to live, but it’s also a wonderful city and it’s our home.”
“So I’m really happy to hear that the Region is asking us to speak up again, even though we won’t be able to vote in next year’s regional elections. I hope Brussels Voice will lead to some real improvements in everyday life, and pave the way to more opportunities for meaningful participation.”
“The international community is of paramount importance to Brussels, the capital of Europe,” commented Alain Hutchinson, the Brussels Commissioner. “Activities linked to the presence of international organisations in our Region already account for more than 20% of economic output and employment in Brussels.
“But International Brusselers are not just Europeans working in the EU institutions or other international organisations. They come from all over the world and contribute to all aspects of the economic, social and cultural life of our Region. I´m therefore delighted to invite them all to seize the opportunity to make their views heard on the political issues that affect their daily lives!”
In the past three years, Brussels Parliament has been regularly organising Deliberative Committees, where citizens chosen by lot and members of the parliament examine and debate issues affecting the future of the Region, before jointly formulating recommendations for political leaders. Brussels Voice is an extension of this.
“Brussels is the whole world in one city,” explained Rachid Madrane, President of the Brussels Parliament. “It's vital that everyone who lives here has a say on its future, whether they have Belgian nationality or not. This is why the Brussels Parliament agreed without hesitation to the invitation from Brussels Voice to collaborate closely in this new cycle of consultation for International Brusselers.
International residents can learn more about Brussels Voice and register here (deadline 16 July). To participate in the workshops, no special knowledge or skills are required but you cannot hold both Belgian and another citizenship. You are at least 16 years old and have lived in Brussels for at least one year.
The Brussels Times
