A fresh division has become clear in the Brussels government following a disagreement between the Socialist Party (PS) and the Greens (Ecolo) about building houses on the "Friche Josaphat", a former train yard that has been allowed to rewild. Neither of the French-speaking parties seems open to compromise on the issue, with Ecolo seeking to protect one of Brussels' "bastions of biodiversity."
Until recently, few political commentators would have expected that 16 hectares of land between the municipalities of Schaerbeek and Evere could destabilise the government of the Brussels-Capital Region. Yet the episode has highlighted the growing tensions between protecting the environment and providing affordable housing.
The regional government purchased the site in 2006, with the plan to build a new neighbourhood on the old industrial land. Yet in the meantime, it became one of Brussels' riches areas of biodiversity, with 1,175 species identified at the end of 2020.
Its newfound status as one of the capital's last bastions of biodiversity meant that when Ecolo entered government in 2019, it hardened its position on the long-proposed housing project, initially reducing the number of units to be built from 1,500 to 1,200.
In the public interest?
A public enquiry revealed that a majority of the 2,000 citizens surveyed disagreed with the housing project. This led Ecolo to ask for the proposal to be reviewed in the summer of 2022.
Tweet translation: "Let's build affordable housing in Brussels and let nature remain in the city, even in the Josaphat brownfield! With Groen, we are calling for a more sustainable alternative to add housing in already built-up areas."
Furious with the Greens' change of heart, the French-speaking socialists – who have long pushed for more affordable housing – have refused to engage in negotiations until 9 March, when the public contract was due to be awarded. Yet with an agreement between the arguing government factions unlikely, the public bodies in charge of the project took matters into their own hands and last week independently decided on a potential bid for the housing project.
'A denial of democracy'
In light of the decision taken by public bodies to push ahead, Ecolo has levelled accusations of "denying democracy" and again highlighted the project's unpopularity among citizens. The party has blamed the PS and Brussels' Minister-President Rudi Vervoort's doorstep for overlooking the popular will.
A spokesperson for Ecolo told The Brussels Times that Vervoort "bypassed the government by strong-handling public bodies led by PS". However, Le Soir reports that these authorities are not in the majority PS members, suggesting that other parties are also keen to see the housing project come to fruition.
Related News
- French-speaking liberals continue to push for nuclear extensions
- Division reigns among Belgium's francophone parties
- 'No place for irony in politics': Magnette backlash for Flanders vs. Wallonia joke
Nonetheless, "it felt like a stab in the back for (Ecolo)" the spokesperson said; so much so that party ministers Alain Maron and Barbara Trachte stormed out of a government meeting last Thursday. "We are sending a clear message to the socialists. It is up to them to earn back our trust by putting new proposals on our table."
It remains to be seen how big of an issue the dossier will be to government unity, which still has over a year until next year's regional elections, which are set to shake up the capital's political scene.
