On Wednesday night, the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean municipal council approved the 2025 accounts, which showed a deficit of €11.6 million on the ordinary service for the financial year and a cumulative deficit of €24.4 million.
The debate exposed sharp divisions over who was responsible for the commune’s financial position between the left-wing majority and the liberal opposition.
Finance alderman Abdelkarim Haouari (MaMa) said the deficit in the budget, which had initially projected a small surplus, was due to a series of additional costs and lower-than-expected income.
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He pointed in particular to the 2024 deficits of the CPAS social welfare centre and the police zone, which were carried over into 2025, as well as lower tax and parking revenue, rising pension costs, and a €2 million reserve required by the Brussels Region.
“Our main concern is poverty,” mayor Catherine Moureaux (PS) said. She argued that the forecasting formulas imposed by higher levels of government, both federal and regional, do not reflect the reality in Molenbeek, and called for a united front of working-class municipalities to demand greater solidarity.
The majority also criticised the shifting of financial burdens linked to decisions by the federal Arizona government. Hind Addi (PTB-PVDA) called for structural refinancing and for the federal government to cover the consequences of people being excluded from unemployment benefits.
MR-Open VLD rejected that interpretation. Didier-Charles Van Merris denounced what he called “cardboard budgets”, while Olivier Mahy described the 2025 management as “total recklessness”.
The accounts were approved by 24 votes in favour and 10 abstentions, with no votes against.
