A proposal from the French-speaking Socialist Party (PS) for an emergency Brussels-Capital Region Government was deemed "inadmissible" by the Brussels Parliament's secretariat.
On Wednesday, the Brussels branch of PS organised an impromptu press conference. Leader Ahmed Laaouej called for an "emergency government," and the appointment of David Leisterh (MR) as Brussels Minister-President, Belga News Agency reported on Wednesday evening.
In the eight months since the June 2024 regional elections, little progress has been made in the formation of a new government.
Discussions are currently at a standstill because PS (which would form the French-speaking majority together with MR and Les Engagés) are vetoing the presence of Flemish nationalists N-VA (which would form the Dutch-speaking majority together with Groen, Vooruit and Open VLD).
Laaouej proposal for appointing Leisterh as the Region's Minister-President would be carried out via a secret ballot in the Brussels Parliament, without waiting for a majority agreement.
However, the proposal was deemed "inadmissible" by the services of the Brussels Parliament, Belga News Agency learned late on Wednesday.
The detailed opinion was outlined in a letter sent to Laaouej, signed by the current President of Parliament, Bertin Mampaka (MR), according to a copy of the document obtained from a reliable source, viewed by Belga.
Unblocking impasse?
With the proposal, PS hoped to create a way out of the current impasse which it partly created. The party said the move would invoke a procedure that is reportedly inscribed in the special law on Brussels institutions, in the event that a government is not established via traditional means.
The ministers of the Regional Government would also be appointed by the Brussels Parliament, without needing a majority in both language groups. The emergency government under Leisterh would then have to draft a new budget.
Laaouej tabled the proposal in the presence of several Brussels PS leaders. Among them were outgoing Federal Minister Karine Lalieux and City of Brussels Mayor Philippe Close.
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The initiative is yet another message that the French-speaking socialists do not want to work with the Flemish nationalists under any circumstances. It also puts Leisterh in a difficult position, as he has been trying to form a new Brussels Government with a majority in both Brussels language groups for more than six months.
Meanwhile, Flemish minister for Brussels, Cieltje Van Achter (N-VA), reacted dismissively on social media. "Brussels does not need a PS proposal that only distributes posts," she said. "Brussels needs a real government that reforms and makes choices. PS refuses to negotiate and refuses to make choices, and is now trying to sideline the Flemish majority. Madness."
This article was updated at 17:51 with new information.
