The French-speaking socialist party PS wants a new Brussels Government before 21 July (Belgium's national holiday), according to a memorandum intended to serve as a basis for talks between potential left-wing coalition partners.
Nearly one year after the elections, negotiations in Brussels are still at a complete standstill. Therefore, Brussels PS leader Ahmed Laaouej took the initiative last week to set up a left-wing government in the Brussels Region.
On the French-speaking side, the Belgian Workers' Party PTB-PVDA and greens Ecolo would be part of this government. On the Dutch-speaking side, Laaouej contacted greens Groen, regionalist newcomer Team Fouad Ahidar and socialist Vooruit.
The six parties met for the first time on Tuesday for talks and were given a basic memorandum from PS. In it, the socialist party argues for a return to a balanced budget within ten years. Additionally, there is talk of an "ambitious employment policy," large-scale renovations with a focus on affordable housing and a new timetable for the further roll-out of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in the region.
Finally, the French-speaking socialists want to work on a "profound reform" of the institutions and a "reaffirmation" of bilingualism and the representation of linguistic minorities.
Take it or leave it?
Meanwhile, Francophone liberal MR – the largest party in Brussels – is not part of the left-wing exercise, but last week also drew up its own basic text in parallel. This was sent to all parties except PTB-PVDA, Flemish far-right Vlaams Belang and Team Fouad Ahidar.
Brussels Groen leader Elke Van den Brandt regrets that MR did not include more of her party's demands in its policy statement, she said on Friday. She sent MR a list of 43 points for the drafting of the text, but she said that only four of these made it into the policy statement.
"I am not saying that the entire text is bad, but MR is presenting it as 'take it or leave it'," she said. "Groen is open to dialogue and wants to talk about the substance, so let's do that. Let's sit down and talk. At the moment, there is no dialogue. There is nothing."
Meanwhile, the new leader of the Francophone centrist Les Engagés, Yvan Verougstraete, called on the liberal parties MR and Open VLD in Brussels to accept a coalition with the Greens and Socialists – abandoning the N-VA on the Flemish side.
L’exaspération de la situation politique bruxelloise a légitimement amené Christophe De Beukelaer à passer en revue tous les scénarios possibles pour sortir BXL de l’impasse.
Il n’y a que 3 options pour une majorité côté NL: 1. Groen-OpenVLD-Vooruit-CD&V: proposé par les… — Yvan Verougstraete (@YVerougstraete) May 31, 2025
In a message on social media, Verougstraete said that the only realistic option on the Flemish side is a coalition with Groen, liberals Open VLD, socialists Vooruit and Christian Democrats CD&V.
For months, Les Engagés had been backing a formula with N-VA. But according to Verougstraete, that scenario makes any French-speaking formula redundant because PS, greens Ecolo and regionalist DéFI reject it. Additionally, governing with Team Fouad Ahidar is not an option for MR, DéFI and his own party.
"Unless PS, Ecolo and DéFI change their minds about N-VA, we can approach the problem from all angles, but given the figures – if we want to avoid PTB-PVDA and Team Fouad Ahidar – the liberals must accept the first option 'with the socialists and greens'," he said.
According to Van den Brandt, a coalition with MR and PS has a large majority, "but then both parties will have to talk to each other again." The stalemate in Brussels is due to certain individuals "putting their own interests above the common good," she said.
Backing down?
Meanwhile, Fouad Ahidar said that if Verougstraete wants to avoid his party, it is because he "has not read our programme," he said on Monday. According to him, Verourgstraete excluded Team Fouad Ahidar in his call this weekend to form a new Brussels Government under the influence of his MR colleague Georges-Louis Bouchez.
Previously, Verougstraete described Team Fouad Ahidar's vision as "conservative and religious," which he said is "incompatible with [Les Engagés'] vision."
"He has not read our programme," said Ahidar. "There is a point in it about freedom of religion. He should stop speaking like this." For him, Brussels negotiator for Les Engagés, Christophe De Beukelaer, is "close to us" because he "sees us every day in Parliament." "I thought Verougstraete was a great man, but he certainly got a call from [MR leader] Georges-Louis Bouchez telling him to 'back down' and he backed down," Ahidar said.
He remains cautious about the attempt by Brussels PS leader Ahmed Laaouej to bring six parties to the table to form a progressive majority. "I do not know if this is serious or a diversionary tactic," he said, but he confirmed his interest in the idea.
Fouad Ahidar. Credit: Belga/Hatim Kaghat
Feedback from the various parties is awaited to see whether a new meeting will be organised "tomorrow or the day after tomorrow," but Ahidar has strong doubts about the PTB-PVDA's ability to join a government that will have to implement austerity measures.
While Brussels CD&V negotiator Benjamin Dalle praised the policy paper presented by MR on Wednesday as a "substantive exercise containing many proposals to tackle the challenges," he also identified a number of issues for his party.
Above all, however, Dalle called on MR and PS to stop their war of words, return to the negotiating table and talk to all partners who together can form a stable majority. "CD&V will continue to take a constructive approach to forming a Brussels government that will finally tackle the challenges facing the region."
'Disrespectful' approach
For Vooruit, MR's policy statement could form the basis for negotiations "only if significant changes can be made to its content," said the party's negotiator Ans Persoons. She also "urgently" asked MR to take a different approach, saying that it is "disrespectful" that the press and some parties received the text before it was delivered to all parties.
She states that the document discusses many topics, while others are unfortunately absent. "The statement has a clear right-wing liberal slant. For Vooruit, the text can form the basis for negotiations, but only if significant changes can be made to its content," said Persoons.
Persoons urges MR, as the largest party in Brussels, to take a different approach. "We believe it is appropriate in the very short term to convene the parties necessary to form a majority and agree on a different method together, and to present a multi-year budget table" in order to correctly assess the impact of the proposals on the table.
N-VA's Cieltje Van Achter and Les Engagés' Christophe De Beukelaer. Credit: Belga/Arthur Gekiere
For N-VA Brussels, MR's policy statement is a serious and far-reaching proposal "in which we see sufficient elements to quickly sit down at the table and continue negotiations." N-VA is therefore prepared to start talks on the basis of this memorandum, negotiator Cieltje Van Achter announced on Monday afternoon.
"Our key points remain clear: simplification of the Brussels administrative landscape, strengthened guarantees for bilingualism in the region, and a transparent budgetary process. We have been insisting on this for a year now," she said.
Van Achter reminded all parties that so far only one Flemish coalition has been formed in Brussels: Groen, N-VA, Open VLD and Vooruit. All other options have been explored and have come to nothing.
"I therefore make a clear appeal: let us now sit down at the table with the majorities that have been formed. It has taken long enough. What the people of Brussels expect from us is that we sit down together as adults and finally start a discussion about the substance."
