Brussels government formation: Groen condemns Francophone proposal about low-emission zone

The parties negotiating a new Brussels government on the French-speaking side – MR, Les Engagés and the PS – propose to postpone the introduction of the stricter low-emission zone (LEZ) emissions standard from early 2025 to early 2027. Elke Van den Brandt of Flemish green party Groen, who is trying to form a coalition on the Dutch-speaking side in Brussels, reacted indignantly.

Just days before the start of work in the Brussels Parliament, there is still no new Brussels government. But according to the MR, Les Engagés and the PS, some dossiers need to be addressed urgently, including that of the low-emission zone (LEZ). They propose to delay the introduction of the stricter emissions standard from January 2025 to early 2027. That stricter emissions standard includes a ban on EURO 5 diesel vehicles, which would exclude a lot of diesel cars.

“1 January 2025 is tomorrow,” stated the three parties. They point out that the LEZ has already brought about fleet renewal and improved air quality, but not everyone with a EURO 5 vehicle has yet been able to buy a new vehicle. The delay would allow those people to “adapt to the next phase at a realistic pace”. According to the parties, this is a “pragmatic approach”.

“A clear breach of trust”

Elke Van den Brandt, who is trying to form a coalition on the Dutch-speaking side, reacted indignantly at the proposal. The Brussels leader of Groen pointed to “the major challenges Brussels faces, such as the budget, liveability and mobility”. She also said that the method adopted by the three French-speaking parties was unprecedented. “The low-emission zone is a very sensitive issue and must be discussed at the negotiating table,” she stressed. ​

According to her, the fact that MR, PS and Les Engagés are “negotiating agreements in back rooms” is a “clear signal that they want to work without the Dutch-speaking parties”. For her, “this is a clear breach of trust and a lack of respect for the Dutch-speaking parties ahead of the formation of a new Brussels government”. ​ She also underlined that “to govern Brussels requires a majority along the Dutch-speaking side” and that Groen “won the Brussels elections convincingly with a programme for a city on a human scale”.

Forming a Brussels government is a complex affair: the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking parties first agree with whom they want to govern within their language group. Together, those two majorities then form the Brussels government. On the French-speaking side, formal negotiations have begun between MR, PS and Les Engagés, but the process is still stalled on the Dutch-speaking side.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Groen's Elke Van den Brandt talks to the press during the post-election meeting of Flemish and French-speaking green parties Groen and Ecolo, in Brussels, ​ 09 June 2024 © BELGA PHOTO DAVID STOCKMAN}