There is "no miracle cure" for the drug-related violence in Brussels, said newly-appointed Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) in the Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs on Wednesday.
Quintin was summoned for an emergency session in the Parliament's Interior Committee on Wednesday afternoon, where he was questioned by MPs about the (lack of) strategy to address the recent shootings.
"There is no miracle solution for drug-related violence. There is not even a final solution, I think," he said. "But just because you may never win the war definitively doesn't mean you should not fight it."
Merging police zones
On Tuesday, Quintin took part in the Brussels' Regional Security Council (RSC), which brings together the mayors of the 19 Brussels municipalities, the chiefs of police of the six police zones, the director-coordinator and judicial director of the federal police, and Brussels' new Public Prosecutor Julien Moinil.
Moinil, who specialises in organised crime and drug trafficking cases and is now a Public Prosecutor in Brussels, previously called for more resources and investigators. During the RSC, he reportedly presented a new plan to deal with organised crime, but no details of this have been communicated yet.
As part of its mission to increase safety and security in the Brussels Region, the new 'Arizona' Federal Government wants to merge Brussels' six different police zones, the coalition agreement states. However, they did not provide a clear timeline.
Police outside Clémenceau metro station on Wednesday. Credit: Belga / James Arthur Gekiere
Following the series of four shootings that took place last week (and potentially a prevented fifth one on Tuesday evening), several MPs asked Quintin when that operation would be completed. However, he did not have any concrete answers.
"It is in the coalition agreement and I am a servant of the state, so I will implement that," he said. "But rushing would not make any sense. That has to be consulted and explained before we apply it, and that is what I am going to focus on in the coming weeks."
When discussing his policy statement in four to six weeks, Quintin may be able to give more details, he said.
'Quick win'?
In any case, the merger of Brussels police zones is a sensitive political issue. Opposition party PS is not in favour, MP Khalil Aouasti made clear on Wednesday. "The federal police are responsible for metro and rail security, not the local police zones. Do we really think the merger will be the answer in the fight against drug trafficking if no work is done on refinancing and filling the staff cadres at the Brussels Public Prosecutor's office?"
Meanwhile, Vlaams Belang MP Ortwin Depoortere stressed that "the security theme has been neglected for far too long" and there should be more emphasis on repression. While he does believe the merger of Brussels police zones is a "quick win," he does not think it "will happen this year." According to Depoortere, the new government is investing far too little in security.
Open VLD MP and former Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt also called the investments in police and justice "somewhat disappointing, certainly for this year" (€75 million in 2025). Merging the zones in Brussels "could be a piece of the solution", but there is also a need for "VIP" or "Very Irritating Police," he stressed.
Police pictured near the Clemenceau metro station, which was closed off after a shooting on Thursday morning. Credit: Belga/Hatim Kaghat
"We need to patrol, check in certain neighbourhoods not three times a month but three times a day. With a unit of command (as has now temporarily been introduced in Brussels), I assume we can already achieve that in anticipation of a merger."
However, Groen MP Matti Vandemaele does not believe in a merger or in the deployment of military forces to solve the problem in the short term. He stressed that prevention is also important in the story. "More neighbourhood inspectors are needed, people who know the neighbourhood. With only ‘shock reactions’ here and there, the problems in the neighbourhoods will not disappear."
