A Belgian philosopher has published a thought-provoking essay about Brussels in the New York Times, casting a global spotlight on the Belgian capital’s thorny political, economic and social problems.
In a piece entitled ‘My city is the heart of Europe, and it’s not going well’, Anton Jäger, a historian of political thought at the University of Oxford, argues that through its well-documented political dysfunction, Brussels offers other cities an important lesson in the “limits of urban power”.
Brussels, he writes, has undergone a “decades-long experiment in self-rule” under the administration of the Brussels-Capital Region, which is “now under serious strain”.
As regular readers of The Brussels Times will know, the capital region has been without a working government for over a year after parties failed to reach an agreement following the June 2024 elections.
While praising his home city’s achievements – notably its “robust” public transport system, which he says “easily outdoes those of larger European cities” – Jäger laments the “signs of dysfunction” affecting daily life in Brussels.
“Signs of dysfunction – from rising homelessness to crumbling infrastructure – are accumulating, and a fiscal crisis not unlike New York City’s in the 1970s is on the horizon," he writes.
“Escalating drug violence has even led some to liken the city to crime-ridden Marseilles in France. Brussels, it seems, is nearing the end of its experiment in urban autonomy.”
'Nuclear option' of a federal takeover
Jäger suggests that a “federal coup” might be on the horizon as a "nuclear option" to address the city’s problems. “An effective takeover could take place through a constitutional loophole,” he says. “If the city’s international role is deemed to be under threat, the Federal Government can act as a guardian of its budget.”
Over the summer, Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) referred to the city as a “failed state” which is making a “laughing stock” out of Belgium. He said the Federal Government would be willing to play the role of the IMF to assist the capital, but warned there “would be strings attached”.
According to Jäger, the problems facing Brussels should serve as a cautionary tale to cities like New York, which are "dreaming of better worlds" through greater political autonomy.
“Brussels offers an important lesson in political realism and the limits of urban power," he argues. "Even in an age of globalization, national power will always constrain civic autonomy."
