The Brussels Parliament’s Mobility Commission rejected two proposals for a parliamentary enquiry into the management of the Metro 3 project on Tuesday, with four votes in favour, nine against, and one abstention.
The proposals were put forward by PTB and Team Fouad Ahidar following a Court of Audit report highlighting several irregularities and hearings with representatives of the High Council.
On 24 October, the Brussels Parliament decided to set up a special commission to examine the matter.
Several members of the Mobility Commission justified their rejection by citing the Brussels Prosecutor’s preparation to open a judicial investigation into Metro 3.
Some, including Brussels MP Clémentine Barzin and Aurélie Czekalski (MR), Stijn Bex (Groen), Ibrahim Donmez (PS), and Sofia Bennani (Les Engagés), did not rule out supporting an inquiry at a later stage if the special commission fails to produce results, such as acquiring testimony or documentation.
Brussels MP Hicham Tahli (Écolo) abstained during the vote using similar reasoning, while Joëlle Maison (DéFI) announced she would abstain during the plenary session vote.
MP Oliver Rittweger de Moor (PTB) criticised the special commission as lacking investigative power, calling a parliamentary inquiry the "heavy artillery" needed for serious cases.
Meanwhile, MP Fouad Ahidar argued that a special commission is more about "political voluntarism" than uncovering the truth in what he described as the "open-air scandal" of the costly and slow Metro 3 project.
