Several political parties have lifted their vetoes against the Team Fouad Ahidar, though lingering reservations remain, following a roundtable discussion on Sunday organised by a civic collective.
Participants largely supported appointing a Francophone-Dutch-speaking duo to mediate and revive dialogue necessary for forming a fully functional government.
However, uncertainty persists regarding the composition of this duo.
Most parties favoured the idea of a duo comprising MR and Groen representatives. Yet this proposal hit a snag when former Groen formatrice Elke Van den Brandt, who has played a role in similar processes recently, announced conditions for proceeding. These include lifting long-standing vetoes, such as that against Team Fouad Ahidar, without compromising the principle of state neutrality—a key concern for the MR and DéFI parties. Similarly, resistance from PS, Ecolo, and DéFI toward working with the N-VA remains unresolved.
The PS reaffirmed its opposition to the N-VA’s confederalism project. Alain Maron of Ecolo added that any stance by Francophone Greens on such matters must first go through a general assembly.
Budgetary consensus appears closer, with all parties except the PTB agreeing in principle on a €1 billion savings plan.
For the first time, representatives from all Brussels Parliament parties, except Vlaams Belang, which was not invited, convened at the initiative of a citizen coalition. The event included groups like “We Are Brussels” and “Respect Brussels,” alongside various stakeholders such as employers, social services, artists, academics, and neighbourhood committees.
