The Flemish Government has postponed its decision on distributing subsidies for sociocultural adult organisations, initially scheduled for Friday, to a future meeting.
These subsidies support groups such as Davidsfonds, Okra, Femma, the Gezinsbond, and Bond Zonder Naam.
The allocation of funds for sociocultural adult work has long been a sensitive issue in Flanders. The previous government faced backlash from the Constitutional Court when it tried to exclude subsidies for organisations it deemed “segregating based on ethno-cultural background,” labelling the move discriminatory.
In recent years, specific organisations receiving these subsidies have also faced scrutiny. For instance, former Minister-President Jan Jambon ordered an investigation into two non-profits — vzw Vrede and vzw Getbasic, which runs the platform Dewereldmorgen.be — due to their positions on the Middle East conflict.
Between 2018 and 2023, over 100 organisations collectively received more than €70 million annually. Last Friday, Culture Minister Caroline Gennez raised the topic of allocating funds for the 2026–2030 period, but the discussion was postponed. While the exact reason for the delay remains unclear, the timing coincides with a turbulent week in government, marked by budget agreements and major cuts to subsidies.
Independent MP Maurits Vande Reyde has called for the complete abolition of these subsidies. He argues that they are often used by ministers to cater to their political base and cited examples such as funding for trade unions, pacifist organisations like vzw Vrede, and other groups including travel agencies and life coaches. “We’d do best to eliminate this entire subsidy scheme,” Vande Reyde stated.
