The Brussels leader of the Francophone Socialist Party (PS), Ahmed Laaouej, downplayed on Friday the supposed plan by French-speaking parties to form a (partially functional) new Brussels Government without waiting for the Dutch-speaking representatives.
Flemish Minister Cieltje Van Achter (N-VA) immediately condemned the proposal by MR, PS, and Les Engagés as "unimaginable and disrespectful."
"The formator (MR's David Leisterh) has taken initiatives, consulting legal experts, which is part of his role,” Ahmed Laaouej told LN24. However, he stated: "Option number one remains to form a majority with Dutch-speaking parties, and we must stick to that as best as we can."
Laaouej noted that there is still an impasse on the Dutch-speaking side and that Francophones would not allow themselves to be held hostage by this.
While the idea of a partially renewed government on the Francophone side seems "practically possible," Laaouej questioned its political feasibility, advising caution.
The previous day on the same platform, David Leisterh, the Francophone formator for Brussels, had played down the likelihood of this option, labelling it as "extremely dangerous."
Leisterh confirmed consulting "several experts" to understand the options available but reiterated that the aim remains to secure a Dutch-speaking majority alongside the MR, PS, and Les Engagés trio.
