Sven Gatz (Open VLD) has announced he is resigning from the regional Brussels Government due to health problems.
Gatz, 58, has been struggling with health issues for some time, but continued to work in the meantime, Belga News Agency reports.
On Wednesday, he indicated that he could no longer continue in his ministerial role. In a statement published on social media, Gatz said: "My ongoing health problems leave me with no choice [but to stand down]. Even in day-to-day affairs, Brussels deserves leaders who can give their all.
"Unfortunately, my health, which has been severely tested for a year now, no longer allows me to do so: after a serious infection, a long stay in hospital, and several operations, I have still not returned to my normal state."
Gatz was serving as an outgoing minister while waiting for the current government to be formed following the June 2024 elections. He was the Finance and Budget Minister in the Brussels Region since 2019.
Dirk De Smedt, also from the Flemish liberal party Open VLD, will take over his position in the caretaker government. He is Director-General of the Brussels Taxation Regional Public Service.
'I am also aware of my responsibility'
In his statement, Gatz referred to "mixed feelings" about his time as minister in Brussels. Reflecting on his period in office, he said: "It is with mixed feelings that I look back on my executive mandate in Brussels. I can be pleased with my efforts to promote Dutch-language education and multilingualism.
"But despite various initiatives such as necessary savings, protective measures, and a moratorium on staffing, I have not been sufficiently successful in maintaining the stability of the regional budget. Although this is a collective responsibility of the outgoing government, I am also aware of my own responsibility."
The statement comes in the wake of controversy over the way the Brussels budget was managed in recent years. Research by The Brussels Times in collaboration with De Tijd revealed that a series of unconventional techniques were used to draw up the region's budget.
Gatz strongly defended the Brussels Debt Agency's practices and responded that all available information on the budget had always been shared with the Brussels Parliament.
A return to parliament
Gatz's political life has been a remarkable one. In the last elections, he was elected to the Brussels Parliament as the lead candidate with 2,306 preferential votes. However, due to the ongoing malaise in the formation of a new government, he remained a caretaker minister throughout this period.
Gatz will now return to serving in the Brussels Parliament. "I will now, after a 14-year hiatus, return to parliament, where I want to reflect and reinvent myself politically," Gatz said. He will then observe a reserve period of a few months - "desirable for a former minister," he added.
He signed off with a promise to continue his commitment to the city and the region. "Having grown up in Brussels, I know better than anyone the ongoing love-hate relationship we have with this charming, international-style swamp. My love for Brussels remains unconditional," he said.
