Brussels N-VA called on people on Saturday morning to celebrate the Flemish Community holiday in Brussels, saying the capital is an indispensable part of Flanders and that its Flemish presence must be defended.
The party said Brussels has become difficult for many Flemish people to understand and increasingly hard to defend. Even so, it argued that the city remains a place where the Flemish Community is present every day, where Dutch continues to have opportunities and keeps growing.
“Whoever lets go of Brussels lets go of a part of Flanders,” leading Brussels N-VA figures said. They included Flemish Minister for Media and Brussels Cieltje Van Achter, Brussels MPs Gilles Verstraeten and Mathias Vanden Borre, and Senator Karl Vanlouwe.
The Brussels branch said that while criticism of the city’s governance is justified, Flanders must still actively defend its ties with Brussels. It added that Flemish politicians in the capital should continue to speak clearly about their Flemish identity and openly point out where the administration is falling short.
N-VA said the Flemish Community holiday was a moment to show that Flanders is alive in Brussels and to underline what it sees as the capital’s inseparable link with Flanders.
The party coupled its appeal with sharp criticism of the current Brussels administration. It said the lengthy process of forming a regional government had produced an administration marked by missed opportunities.
As an example, it pointed to the Anderlechtse Haard housing dossier, which it said had become a symbol of mismanagement in Brussels, political manoeuvring and a lack of responsibility.
The Brussels N-VA branch also rejected recent proposals to align Brussels more closely with a French-speaking federation. It was referring to a form of French-speaking federalisation reportedly hinted at by MR chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez.
According to N-VA, such proposals ignore the important role of the Flemish Community in the capital. The party said tens of thousands of Brussels residents deliberately choose Dutch-language education, childcare, culture and public services.
