Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort issued a plea on Saturday for the Brussels Region to be truly recognised for its value by the country's other regional entities and the Federal Government.
Rudi Vervoort, member of the French-speaking Socialist Party, was speaking at midday during the official speeches at the Iris Festival at the Palais des Beaux-Arts.
Addressing the crowd, Vervoort called for Brussels to be "recognised as a Region in its own right by all".
As a capital city and essential economic engine for the rest of the country, "strong support" is needed for the development of Brussels' mobility infrastructure, particularly as a hub serving 400,000 daily commuters.
He also emphasised the city's security issues, arguing that more funding is needed for law enforcement and judicial services to tackle the challenge of escalating drug mafia activities in Brussels and other Belgian cities.
Vervoort championed continuous optimisation of public service functions and regional institutions with a project dubbed "Optiris". He then expressed the hope that, whatever the outcome of the elections, "parties in Brussels will come together to form a Brussels project," at the service of the capital's residents.
Brussels "should not be held hostage to any interests other than its own," Vervoort asserted. Yet the heart of his message was aimed at the Federal Government and the country's other entities. "I call for strong federal intervention in Brussels, particularly in the areas of security and mobility."
"Everyone in this country should have the development of their capital in their heart, because its development reflects on the whole country," he insisted.
This weekend, the Iris Festival in Brussels marked the 35th anniversary of the creation of the Brussels Region. At the official reception at the Palace of Fine Arts, Brussels Parliament President Rachid Madrane also echoed Vervoort's call for the development of the metropolitan community.
Various events in Brussels are being held to mark the celebrations. The official day is 8 May, and takes its name from the eponymous flower – the yellow iris—also called flower of Lys, which is the symbol of the region and is pictured on its flag. It is the day of the victory against Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
