Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) has put on hold the rollout of new police uniforms, following criticisms in Wallonia that they breach language laws and have colours that are "too Flemish".
After 25 years, Belgium announced plans to introduce new uniforms in 2023, officially unveiling the new design last year. However, the country's new police uniforms do not appear to have received the 'all clear' yet.
In response to a question in the Federal Parliament on why the rollout was taking so long, Minister Quintin (MR) said he is "still waiting for an adapted proposal in terms of colours", Gazet van Antwerpen and Nieuwsblad reported.
The debate has put a hold on the plan to roll out the new uniforms for 45,000 police officers in Belgium.
Several police officers in Flanders and Wallonia have been testing a pilot version of the uniform in dark blue with yellow accents, featuring the word 'politie', written in Dutch – but not in French.
This has caused controversy in French-speaking Belgium. Some officers have preferred not to risk wearing the trial uniform, concerned over compliance with Belgian language laws.
Although the federal police uniform design is the same nationwide, the language in which 'police' is written on the back depends on the region. For Flemish police officers, it says 'politie', and in Wallonia it says 'police'.
Minister of Interior Bernard Quintin at a plenary session of the Chamber at the Federal Parliament in Brussels, 09 October 2025. Credit: Belga / Dirk Waem
For Walloon federal MP Éric Thiébaut (PS), who questioned Quintin on the uniform, it is clear that his "Flemish colleagues would have fallen from their chairs if the Flemish police had been equipped with uniforms with the 'police' inscription in French".
Moreover, some have also suggested that the dark blue and yellow palette is too close to black and yellow, the colours of the Flemish flag.
In comments to The Brussels Times, a spokesperson for the General Confederation of Public Services (CGSP), representing police officers, noted that the minister considers that the uniform is "too similar to the Dutch police uniform".
The chairman of the Permanent Committee of the Local Police (VCLP), Nicolas Paelinck, also confirmed that "the minister wants the uniform a little lighter blue", in comments to Nieuwsblad.
Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden, at the presentation of the new Integrated Police uniform, in Brussels, on 31 May 2024. Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
The current dark blue uniform with orange accents was introduced 25 years ago, in 2001. The new uniforms, a project initiated a few years ago by former Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), were supposed to be available nationwide by the end of 2026.
Budget worries
Besides linguistic sensitivities, the project also raises questions about cost and priorities.
Paelinck earlier argued for the importance of these new uniforms, despite the high cost. "The current uniforms are 25 years old. They do not inspire respect. I call them ‘fanfare costumes," he told Nieuwsblad.
Meanwhile, the ACV police union said, "We cut on everything to the point where budget cuts are depriving some services of police vehicles. In such a situation, is it really justified to invest in new uniforms? Especially since the expense is far from modest."
ACV also stressed that Quintin still has to complete the merger of the six local police zones in Brussels into a single zone by 2027, following the law’s approval in July 2025.
Minister Quintin's office did not respond to The Brussels Times' request for comment.
