Vooruit leader Conner Rousseau said that it certainly looks like white smoke will be coming from the Brussels Government conclave today.
"From what I hear, the intention is to arrive at a final text today," he said, Belga News Agency reports comments from Rousseau's TV appearance on VRT on Thursday.
Since Tuesday morning, seven parties, which have a majority in both language groups, have been meeting at the University Foundation in Brussels to form a Brussels Government. In the past few hours, it has been rumoured that an agreement could possibly be reached today.
There are positive signs that an agreement may be soon announced. MR and Les Engagés have invited their activists to a party congress on Thursday evening at 20:00, according to RTBF.
In Villa Politica, Vooruit leader Rousseau answered in the affirmative when asked whether white smoke could be expected today from the Brussels government conclave.
"From what I hear, the intention is to come up with a final text today. Apparently, certain people have to go on skiing holidays – that always helps. Whether it will all be perfectly worked out, I don't know. But I want to be positive, we have to move forward. Things will then have to be clarified."
MR's Georges-Louis Bouchez pictured talking to the press before the start of the conclave for the formation of a Brussels Government, Tuesday 10 February 2026, in Brussels. Credit: Belga
Rousseau added that it is important for Vooruit's negotiator Ans Persoons that reforms are carried out in Brussels, but that attention must also be paid to issues such as affordable housing and cleanliness.
Despite the long process of forming a government, the Vooruit chairman wanted to be positive.
"When there is an agreement, everyone will find a hundred things to be negative about, but an agreement is better than no agreement," he said. "Every step forward is a step gained for Brussels and the whole country."
Since Thursday morning, Brussels formateur Georges-Louis Bouchez switched to bilateral talks with the various parties and mutual discussions after a whole night of negotiations. It is understood that both the budget and the coalition agreement were put on the table.
On Tuesday morning, negotiators from MR, PS, Les Engagés, Groen, Anders, Vooruit and CD&V began a long meeting in conclave format at the University Foundation in Brussels at the invitation of MR leader Bouchez.
This formation notably excludes the Flemish nationalists N-VA, who were being pushed to be included in a coalition by Anders (formerly known as Open VLD), even if their popularity in Brussels is limited.
At the start of the meeting, the formateur Bouchez insisted that the negotiators would not leave the building until they had a coalition agreement in hand. According to him, this should be possible by the end of the week.
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