There seems to be a breakthrough in the protracted Brussels government formation talks. Francophone liberal MR, socialist PS and centrist Les Engagés are set to restart discussions with Flemish ecologist Groen, liberal Open VLD and socialist Vooruit. In order to secure both a majority of lawmakers in the French-speaking and Flemish groups, the MR is proposing ceding a junior minister’s post that would be offered to someone from civil society "who is compatible to Bart De Wever’s Flemish nationalist N-VA".
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Brussels government talks: 6 parties set to return to the table as MR moots “N-VA friendly minister”
Colin Clapson
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The MR claims its leader Georges-Louis Bouchez has unblocked the negotiations ‘with an innovative solution’.
‘After several weeks of respectful and constructive talks, negotiations on the formation of a Brussels government will be able to resume on Monday with six parties, namely the MR, the PS, Les Engagés, Groen, Vooruit and Open VLD,’ the MR announced.
Both Frédéric De Gucht (Open VLD) and Christophe De Beukelaer (Les Engagés) have confirmed the intention. ‘If the PS, the N-VA and the MR have reached an agreement, I will be the last one to prevent it,’ Mr De Gucht told press agency Belga.
But in the course of Monday it emerged that some differences still remained and that bilateral talks were being held in an effort to iron out these differences.
Sought: "N-VA-compatible" junior minister
In the Flemish group of Brussels lawmakers Groen, Open VLD and Vooruit are one seat short of a majority. The Flemish liberals’ Frédéric De Gucht has always stated that he does not want to enter a government without the N-VA and is now agreeing with the solution that has been worked-out.
N-VA and Flemish Christian democrat CD&V would not take part in the formal negotiations, but MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez wants to find a way out of the impasse that has meant Brussels is without a regional government since the xpoll in June 2024.
MR is now willing to relinquish one junior minister’s post to a figure from civil society with N-VA credentials.
Francophone daily La Libre explains this would allow the N-VA to support the government without actually joining. This construction was devised because Francophone socialist PS isn’t prepared to govern with the N-VA- in the same team, but Flemish liberal Open VLD is unwilling to drop the N-VA under any circumstances.
N-VA negotiator and Flemish minister for Brussels Cieltje Van Achter gave a cautious reaction: "We are monitoring whether this initiative can finally lead to a majority that makes sense in terms of content and institutions and to a government that tries to put things in order."