Christophe de Beukelaer always had a yearning for politics, but now he's turning over a new leaf.
De Beukelaer, 38, sent shockwaves through the Brussels political world last week when he announced he would stand down as the leader of Les Engagés in Brussels and walk away from politics, citing frustration with the "the limitations of politics" and a longstanding sense of frustration over the ongoing impasse in the formation of a Brussels Government.
He has promised to stay until a "solution is in sight" - whether that’s a new government or next year’s budget being passed - but has vowed to leave this year. His replacement has already been selected. Gladys Kazadi will become the new leader of Les Engagés' in Brussels when he leaves.
In an interview with The Brussels Times, de Beukelaer was refreshingly frank about the role his ego played in entering politics - and in leaving it.
"My ego wanted that in the beginning, it gave me a certain importance to be always in the press, to be seen, but today, I think I am more mature and my ego has grown out of it," he told us.
When he was first elected in 2012, De Beukelaer became the youngest councillor in Woluve-Saint-Pierre and in the Brussels Region. During his first term, he was responsible for areas such as information technology and ensuring accessibility for people with reduced mobility. Notably, he launched the 'Wolubus', a social taxi service aimed at improving mobility for older people.
In 2016, he was elected president of the cdH (Humanist Democratic Centre) youth party, the former Christian Democratic Party, which was the precursor to Les Engagés. In May 2019, he became the councillor for transport and public works, before being elected as Brussels regional MP.
Les Engages' Christophe De Beukelaer and Gladys Kazadi pictured during a plenary session of the Brussels Region Parliament. Credit: Belga.
On 25 January 2025, he gained international attention by announcing that he would convert his deputy's salary into Bitcoin for one year, aiming, he claimed, to raise awareness about the potential of decentralised finance. This made him the first European MP to be paid in Bitcoin. "I am not saying everyone should do it, I did it as a political act," he told the The Brussels Times.
He also campaigned for Brussels parliamentarians to face financial penalties for "not doing their job" in the Brussels government formation saga. "I even tabled a proposal to cut the salaries of all Brussels deputies and ministers by 40% to reflect the political gridlock. I believe politicians should be held financially accountable when their actions contribute to paralysis," he said.
The paralysis that the region is suffering from has often been blamed on political parties' unwillingness to compromise over the role of the N-VA (Flemish nationalists) in the government.
De Beukelaer summarises the situation succinctly: "Some do not want to co-govern with them [the N-VA], and others don't want to form a government without them, but it all comes down to adopting a party-line, rigid posture instead of putting Brussels and its residents first.
"To put your party before Brussels, to me, is genuinely dangerous, although I am not saying that everyone is like that; there are extremes at both ends," he adds.
We sat down with him on 17 September, exactly a month after he had a conversation with his father and finally made the decision to quit politics. The idea has been brewing in his mind for more than two years. He informed his inner circle weeks earlier and then announced it publicly to allow for an orderly transition.
De Beukelear claims he will not abandon his responsibilities mid-crisis. "I'll continue to contribute to the negotiations and help where I can," he said. "If there's a government or a budget to secure, I'll be here."
Talking to a wall
He has come full circle since his first open letter in the press, written in 2017. Back then, young De Beukelaer said that "politics is not a profession" and professed to wanting to end 'le cumul des mandats' (the practice whereby officials hold two or more elected positions).
At the time, he advocated for the idea that a part-time politician needs to spend the rest of their time outside of the political world, encountering "different realities".
De Beukelaer, who hasn't ruled out a return to the political fold one day, claims that entrepreneurship and innovation are at the heart of what he does, and believes that this spirit no longer exists in politics.
"It felt like I was screaming in the desert or talking to a wall - defending ideas like cryptocurrency, digital sovereignty and innovative school pedagogies", he said. "The political world is 10 to 15 years behind."
"The political world is 10 to 15 years behind on certain issues" - Christophe De Beukelaer. Credit: Anas El Baye/The Brussels Times.
The solution, he says, is to go where innovation is already happening, and hopefully find concepts that politics can later absorb. "I am already receiving phone calls, but I am focusing on my gradual departure and Brussels for now."
