Brussels negotiators clinch government agreement

Brussels negotiators clinch government agreement
A coalition agreement was Credit: © Belga

An agreement was reached for a majority coalition government in Brussels' regional parliament in the early hours of Wednesday, putting negotiators on track for kicking off the new legislature by July 21.

After talks that lasted well into the night, an agreement text of around 120 pages long was announced at around 3:30 AM on Wednesday, according to Belgian media.

A "green and social" coalition agreement is set to map the way through the new term in the Brussels-Capital Region.

The coalition agreement includes ambitions to make Brussels a carbon-neutral city by 2050. The agreement also includes provisions to invest in the development of housing and in making the city's buildings more energy-efficient.

During the negotiations, media reports suggested that the agreement also included plans to generalise the Zone 30 to the whole regional territory of Brussels, or to further develop tram and metro lines.

The representatives of the greens (Écolo, Groen), socialists (PS, one.burssels-s.pa) the Dutch-speaking liberals Open Vld and the francophone DéFi party are expected to present the agreement to their respective parties later on Wednesday, where a press conference is set to take place as well.

The parties are next expected to discuss how the competencies will be divided between the members of the coalition.

News of the agreement put Brussels on track to have a government by July 21, making it the second parliament to reach an agreement since the elections in May, after the German-speaking Community.

Gabriela Galindo

The Brussels Times


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