The MR+ of the City of Brussels presented its majority agreement (with PS and Les Engagés) on Monday evening at the city's first council meeting. After 2 months of negotiations, several flagship measures can be highlighted around 3 clear priorities: order, emancipation and harmony.
Interview with David Weytsman, lead candidate and future President of the CPAS.
What are the important points you want to highlight?
We build all our measures around three key words. First, Order: security is being strengthened, the budget must be kept under control, and mobility simplified. Then Emancipation: we want responsible and supported Brussels residents. Finally, Harmony: the city must become more beautiful and cleaner!
What kinds of measures does that involve?
Maximum crackdown! More checks, more sanctions, more security. The free ride is over for dealers, street racers and aggressive beggars. With more police on the streets, more cameras and clear rules, every offence will be punished. Illegal dumping will no longer go unpunished: immediate fines and mandatory community service for offenders. We will end the absurd clutter of useless concrete blocks, free up public space and renovate our parks and historic sites. Our buildings and artworks will be lit, secured and showcased.
And what about smooth traffic flow, which matters so much to Brussels residents?
Let's restore order to mobility! No more chaos from two-wheelers on the pedestrian zone: total ban! Our pavements will be thoroughly renovated to make the city accessible to everyone. Cycle links will be made safer, but not at the expense of pedestrians or motorists. Security on public transport will be strengthened, and we will reconnect neighbourhoods affected by Good Move. Free parking from 7pm (instead of 9pm) will become a reality in several neighbourhoods.
It's also about a more prosperous city…
Prosperity and emancipation through work and property! More real emancipation. Supporting our businesses means supporting employment. Zero municipal tax for 2 years for young entrepreneurs, tax support for struggling shops, creation of start-up incubators and simplification of administrative procedures. Less bureaucracy, more prosperity! Young project holders will also have their own Young Entrepreneurs' Houses to launch their businesses.
But the real revolution is access to homeownership. End of the all-rental model! Tenants of public housing (CPAS, Regie) will be able to become owners according to clear criteria. Every new public project will follow the 50% rental / 50% ownership rule.
So emancipation is an important word for MR+ in Brussels?
The CPAS is not a lifelong refuge but a springboard to independence. Every beneficiary will sign a social integration contract: assistance will be temporary and conditional on concrete commitments. No more lifelong welfare dependency! Support must empower, not infantilise.
Emancipation also means access to culture and sport. We will launch a Culture Pass for 16-21 year-olds, a Sport Pass for 6-25 year-olds, and a Seniors Pass for our elderly residents. Sport will become a tool for socio-professional integration with dedicated programmes.
Your programme also highlights measures related to nature.
We want Brussels residents to have better access to green spaces. This will happen through the rehabilitation of parks (Royal Park, Meudon Park…), a large-scale tree-planting plan, new walking areas in NOH and Mutsaert, and by halting the destruction of the Donderberg site in Laeken.
A final word on the financial context?
Stop the waste, make way for discipline! Brussels' finances are on the brink of collapse, and the truth is worse than we imagined. No more needless spending! We will impose budgetary discipline: audits of discretionary subsidies, elimination of duplication between the City and the CPAS, and mergers of public housing companies for greater efficiency.
Every policy measure will be evaluated to prove its effectiveness. More control, less waste! Governing means planning ahead, not spending without counting!
