"Put Brussels under federal supervision and abolish the region" say both the Flemish People's Movement, the VVB and the Consultation Centre of Flemish Associations, the OVV. According to these organisations, the Brussels Region has become an inefficient layer of government that ‘contributes to stagnation rather than solutions’.
‘Brussels deserves better than political stagnation, institutional fragmentation and mounting debts,’ they insist. According to the VVB and the OVV, the federal government should take charge and temporarily take over with a view to future state reforms.
This criticism does not come out of the blue. The Brussels Region has now been without a new government for 387 days, and according to the two associations, this is partly due to the attitude of the Francophone socialists of PS. The Francophone socialist party stands accused of blocking any attempt at a workable majority.
A different model for Brussels
According to the associations, it is time for a different model of government for Brussels. They want to do away with what they call the ‘institutional over-complexity’ of Brussels and are calling for the abolition of the Brussels Region.
Exactly what a new administration should look like remains vague for now. However, the VVB and the OVV stress the importance of reform: ‘Brussels does not deserve a standstill, but an efficient and transparent administration that responds to the real needs of its citizens and shows respect for the Flemish presence.’