The Parliament of the Francophone Community (Wallonia-Brussels Federation) will vote on a motion of no confidence against the Media Minister Jacqueline Galant (MR).
An extraordinary plenary session will be held on Monday 23 February, following the motion submitted on Wednesday night by opposition parties PS, PTB, Ecolo, and independent MP Fabian Maingain.
Approval of the motion requires a majority vote, as outlined in Article 86 of the parliamentary rules.
Opposition parties argue that Minister Galant breached trust by refusing to answer their questions during a committee meeting on Tuesday, which focused on her controversial remarks about public broadcaster RTBF.
Instead of responding, the minister read a prepared statement, sidestepping pointed questions raised by opposition MPs.
In comments made on 13 January at a conference in Walhain, Galant stated she hoped the forthcoming replacement of RTBF’s general administrator and news director would shift the broadcaster’s editorial stance to align more closely with her political views.
Socialist opposition members emphasised that this is the first instance in the Federation’s history of a no-confidence motion being introduced against a government minister.
Despite this unprecedented move, Galant’s forced resignation appears unlikely, as members of the ruling MR-Engagés majority remain united in support of her.
Jacqueline Galant has faced resignation before. In April 2016, under the Michel government, she stepped down as Federal Mobility Minister following criticism of her handling of security lapses at Belgian airports prior to the Brussels attacks.
