The world order is changing and new alliances are being formed around Europe. But not in Brussels, where local politicians remain at loggerheads as the francophone Socialist Party (PS) refuses to negotiate as long as the rightwing Flemish nationalists N-VA are represented in the Dutch-speaking college.
As global affairs are strained by a US President who has little regard for established security commitments, the need for direction has never been so critical. European allies are scrambling to up their defence spending and forge new alliances. It has been a baptism of fire for Belgium's new Federal Government, barely a month old and forced to confront existential challenges.
But for the country's Capital Region, some MPs are willing to put their principles above the immediate need for a government. Brussels is currently in the midst of a spate of drug violence, with 11 shootings leaving two people dead so far this year. At the same time, the region's finances are in a desperate state, heavily indebted and without an executive body to decide on reforms that might address the deficit.
For months, exasperated citizen's groups and businesses have called on local MPs to "take responsability", set aside their differences, and form a regional government for the good of Brussels and its residents.
Their appeals have been unanswered as on Friday evening the man charged with leading negotiations, David Leisterh of the francophone Mouvement Réformateur (MR), was forced to concede defeat. "Despite all the strength and patience I have been able to muster, the positions of the various parties do not allow for the formation of a majority. Several partners have prevented any reasonable exploration of a solution," Leisterh lamented.
What now?
Such a long (and to this point fruitless) formation period for the Brussels Government is unprecedented. But with no prospect of an election re-run there is little option but to try again with the negotiations, even if patience has already been exhausted.
In Leisterh's place, efforts to bring about an agreement will be led by "initiators" in the French and Dutch-language electoral colleges. On the French side, Christophe De Beukelaer of Les Engagés will lead talks; on the Dutch side Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) takes the reins.
Speaking on the radio on Monday morning, De Beukelaer expressed shock at the block that led to Leisterh's resignation and hope that the announcement has "helped parties take a step back, reconsider their positions and find a solution for Brussels." He acknowledged that the actual negotiations haven't even started and said that "substantive issues" should be approached.
De Beukelaer and Van den Brandt are holding meetings on Monday afternoon with all parties that won seats in the Brussels elections. This does not include the far-right Vlaams Belang. Whilst they said they don't want to set a deadline, they recognised that the region can't afford to waste more time.
But although the new "informers" are seen to be conciliatory and have already made "good contacts" on Monday, the central hold-up remains: PS has been emphatic in its refusal to form a government with N-VA, the party of Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Yet on the Dutch-language side, Open Vld has insisted on including N-VA in the formation. Open Vld is itself foregoing a ministerial portfolio in order to make a majority.
N-VA's Mathias Vanden Borre (left) and N-VA's Cieltje Van Achter after meeting with Groen's Elke Van den Brandt last year. Credit: Belga/Hatim Kaghat
The Brussels dilemma
Cieltje Van Achter, the N-VA leader, asserted on Monday that Francophones cannot dictate the composition of the Flemish majority in the regional government.
Whilst PS insists that it will uphold the "democratic reality of the Brussels parliament leans more to the left" by blocking N-VA, Van Achter argues that "Francophones cannot dictate who is in the Flemish majority, nor vice versa." She said that Leisterh had adhered to the rules and the Flemish majority but this was overlooked by PS.
Without any action taken to rein in the region's swelling deficit, the credit rating for the Brussels Capital Region has been downgraded and Belfius bank has reduced its cash credit line for the region from €500 million to €200 million.
