The leader of the Flemish liberal party (Open VLD) Frédéric De Gucht has told VRT News that a shutdown of public services in the Brussels-Capital Region will be on the cards if a new regional government is not formed by next April or May. Mr De Gucht, who is a negotiator in the as yet fruitless Brussels regional coalition talks, issued his grim warning in an interview with VRT News’ weekday television current affairs programme ‘Terzake’. The Brussels-Capital Region has been without a regional government with full powers since the June 2024 elections.
Flemish liberal leader warns that shutdown will be a reality in Brussels next April or May if no new regional government is formed
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In Tuesday evening’s interview, Mr De Gucht also complained about what he described as a "fundamental last of attention for Brussels” in Flemish politics.
The Flemish liberal leader believes that if no new regional government is formed, there will no longer be enough money to ensure that the Brussels-Capital Region can fulfill its obligation to the public regarding the provision of public services. The bank Belfius has already announced that the region’s half-a-billion-euro credit line will be stopped at the end of the year and Mr De Gucht believes that there is a genuine likelihood that ING will do the same.
If this happens choices will have to be made. The Flemish liberal leader says that in this case the repayment of interest on loans will take priority, followed by paying staff, with subsidies to organisations and associations being at the back of the queue. "A number of people, services and organisations will be left without money”
Also in the interview, Frédéric De Gucht defended the Open VLD’s decision to start negotiations on a regional budget without there being a majority among the Dutch-speaking parties represented around the negotiating table.
"We could continue to ask the Francophone socialists whether the Flemish nationalist could sit at the table, or we could ask the Francophone socialists to put their cards on the table and see whether they could save one billion euro. I note that after 9 weeks they have not been able to. They are addicted to spending money."
If there is an agreement reached on the budget, Mr De Gucht doesn’t believe that there will be a problem finding a majority among the Dutch-speaking parties. "Brussels is so sick that it is not in an ideological crisis, but in an existential crisis”.