With four shootings in Brussels in less than 24 hours – and footage of men with Kalashnikovs in a metro station – politicians, businesses and residents alike are asking the authorities to finally get to grips with drug-related violence in the Capital Region.
In the space of two days this week, three shootings took place in Brussels: two in Anderlecht and one in Saint-Josse-Ten-Noode. On Friday, Brussels residents have woken up to a fourth overnight shooting, which killed one person in the Peterbos district of Anderlecht.
Meanwhile, a new Brussels Government has still not been formed as some parties still refuse to get behind the negotiating table, leading to a lack of structure to combat the issue.
But with the incidents this week just the latest in a long series, neighbourhood committees are asking if the authorities will ever tackle the issue. If the escalating drug violence doesn't prompt political parties to form a government, what will?
'Brussels deserves better'
"Brussels can no longer wait for a government. We need immediate and concrete measures to restore order and respect in the face of an untenable situation," said Eric Vandezande of the 'Forty Committees' umbrella organisation of Brussels neighbourhood associations. "We no longer want hollow speeches or promises without a future. The people of Brussels feel abandoned and left alone in the face of insecurity."
"Brussels deserves better. The apparent indifference of politicians is jeopardising everyone’s security. Without a government and urgent action by the authorities, an entire population is at risk of falling into anger and extremism," he wrote in an open letter.
The committees are once again sounding the alarm and demanding immediate results from the political authorities in Belgium: specifically the affected Brussels municipalities, the Brussels-Capital Region and the new Federal Government.
Police outside the Clemenceau metro station, which was closed off after a shooting, Wednesday 05 February 2025. Credit: Belga/James Arthur Gekiere
"Confronted with a lack of basic security, a lack of cleanliness and growing extreme poverty, many Brussels residents feel abandoned," said Vandezande. "These problems are closely linked and therefore cannot be viewed separately."
The region should "not waste any more time" in forming a Brussels government. Despite a linguistic majority on both sides, negotiations have not even started, as Francophone socialist PS refuses to sit down with Flemish rightwing N-VA. "We have been waiting for a new government team too long, but it must take responsibility immediately."
More resources for the police and justice system are one thing, but the public space must also be maintained and "a real social policy for the homeless and undocumented people" is needed, he stressed.
Security is fundamental
On Wednesday, Belgium's new Interior Affairs Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) called the shootings "a new wake-up call" to start the negotiations for a Brussels Government again, while new Brussels Prosecutor Julien Moinil spoke of a bullet hole found in a child's bedroom and wondered "how many deaths it would take" for the authorities "to react appropriately to the gravity of the situation."
Meanwhile, the Brussels Chamber of Commerce (BECI) also pointed out the "urgent need" for a Brussels Government, in response to the shootings. "We have been saying it for months: security is fundamental to restoring a climate that is favourable to the economic dynamism of Brussels."
BECI emphasised that the new Federal Government has made security, including the security of Brussels, one of its priorities. "The Brussels-Capital Region must urgently follow suit. A government must be formed in Brussels, now."
