This Friday, at the headquarters of the Mouvement Réformateur, President Georges-Louis Bouchez and Brussels formateur David Leisterh held a press conference to address the current deadlock in forming the Brussels government.
For several months, efforts to form a stable majority in Brussels have run into major obstacles. The recent formation of a Dutch-speaking coalition including the N-VA has triggered an irrational blockage by the French-speaking political parties Ecolo and PS.
"The situation is extremely complex. Brussels cannot remain without governance, but some blockages are irrational and put the region's future at risk," explained formateur David Leisterh.
The assessment is alarming: a dramatic budget deficit, the worst in the country, rating agencies ready to review Brussels' financial rating, and institutional tensions blocking all progress.
MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez added: "It is absurd to claim that Brussels can be governed without cooperation with the leading Flemish political party. Those who refuse to sit at the table must explain why they are abandoning Brussels residents in the middle of a storm."
A call for collective responsibility
Faced with this crisis, Georges-Louis Bouchez and David Leisterh have taken a major initiative: inviting all political party presidents, along with their Brussels leaders, to meet and find a solution.
"This is the moment to show that we are ready to act for the good of citizens. Those who come will show that they want to give Brussels a future. Those who refuse will have to answer for their choices," said Leisterh.
MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez also criticised rigid political stances: "You cannot refuse to negotiate with a democratic party like the N-VA while claiming to want to get Brussels out of the crisis. Responsibility must take precedence over electoral calculations. Brussels is the capital of Belgium and of Europe. If we don't act, it won't just be Brussels residents who suffer, but the whole country. Brussels' recovery is a national issue."
David Leisterh stressed the urgency of the reforms: "We must simplify structures, reduce public spending and invest in security and mobility. Brussels can become one of the best-performing regions in Europe if we act now. We are ready to do our part. Now everyone needs to get involved."
The MR remains firmly committed to getting Brussels out of this deplorable impasse.
