This Wednesday, 28 May, at the BIP, the Mouvement Réformateur presented its regional policy statement to save Brussels. A thorough, rigorous and costed document, the result of in-depth work led by David Leisterh and backed by Georges-Louis Bouchez.
This initiative comes after a year of political deadlock in the capital. Faced with the impasse, the MR is proposing a way out of the crisis through substance, putting forward a clear, well-constructed vision open to all democratic parties.
“Rather than negotiating positions and balances of power first, we decided to put the substance on the table first. That's a rare approach. It's politically risky, and I want to commend David Leisterh for it. It's the noblest way to do politics,” said Georges-Louis Bouchez. What we are doing here may be a revolution in the way a government is formed: not first agreeing between parties, but first agreeing on solid reforms.
This statement is based on a working method built on 3 principles: listening to Brussels' active forces immediately after the elections, defining priorities, and objectifying as many of our proposals as possible using sources from official institutions and bodies.
The first priority is budgetary. We are proposing a 7-year recovery path, in line with European requirements. The aim is to bring the regional debt down to €400-500 million by the end of the legislature, through structural savings of €200 million per year. “There's no point promising new policies if we don't restore a sound budgetary trajectory. That's a basic condition,” David Leisterh reminded.
Reforming the Brussels administration is another central focus. The current inefficiency of certain procedures, such as issuing permits, which now takes four times longer than elsewhere. This red tape blocks housing creation, building renovation and, above all, employment. Yet with an unemployment rate of 15%, Brussels ranks 245th out of 281 European regions. To address this, we want to limit unemployment benefits to 2 years, as in Flanders, and set up a much more dynamic activation system, based on a timetable and enhanced support.
We are also targeting priority investment zones: Midi station, the canal, the Heysel plateau and the Sablon district. The idea is to offer attractiveness and visibility to investors and job creators. “We need to rebuild a middle class in Brussels. That means employment, activation and economic recovery,” insisted David Leisterh.
Security is also among the priorities. We advocate maximum use of the Minister-President's powers in this area, as well as the merger of police zones. “Brussels finally has a government of the rule of law. Now it just needs a pilot to fully activate it,” said Georges-Louis Bouchez.
When it comes to quality of life, Brussels has a cleanliness problem. We want a complete reform of waste collection. “It's not normal for friends visiting from abroad to arrive in Brussels and tell you: your city isn't clean. Brussels residents deserve better.”
On mobility, the Good Move plan must be ended in its current form, in favour of a more balanced approach between users. We advocate a significant increase in investment in public and alternative transport (metro, train, S-network), with a deliberate use of public-private partnerships, along the lines of the Greater Paris model.
Finally, the climate component is approached pragmatically: 70% of CO₂ emissions come from Brussels' building stock. Rather than increasing public debt, we propose innovative financing mechanisms for energy renovations.
This text will be submitted to the Brussels Parliament immediately. It will also be sent to all democratic political parties, with the exception of the PTB, Team Fouad Ahidar and Vlaams Belang. We expect a response by Monday, 2 June.
“We expect a response by Monday. Not to form a cartel, but to see who wants to work towards Brussels' recovery.”