Brussels government formation: mediators suggest coalition without N-VA
Mediators Elke Van den Brandt and Christophe De Beukelaer have during a press conference on Friday declared that a coalition with MR, PS, Les Engagés, Groen, Open VLD, Vooruit and CD&V is the only workable option for forming a Brussels government. N-VA would thus be left out. By Monday evening, the seven invited parties must decide whether they want to start negotiations to form a government.
The mediation initiative of De Beukelaer of Les Engagés and Van den Brandt of Groen followed the collapse of the negotiations led by David Leisterh of MR, who failed to reach an agreement after almost nine months. The negotiations were in a deadlock after Francophone socialist party PS left the negotiations because Flemish conservative party N-VA became part of the Dutch-speaking coalition. The Brussels PS vetoes N-VA's participation in a future Brussels government.
“This option has a majority in both language groups and in the Brussels parliament as a whole"
“We have done everything possible to make the previously existing coalitions succeed,” the mediators said on Friday. “Despite these discussions, open and respectful, we had to conclude that the vetoes against this coalition could not be overcome.”
The formula involving MR, PS, Les Engagés, Groen, Open VLD, Vooruit and CD&V has the advantage of bringing together three political families plus Groen. “This option has a majority in both language groups and in the Brussels parliament as a whole,” stated the mediators.
New cooperation platform
The mediators aim to compensate for leaving out N-VA with the intention to be extra active on cooperation between the Brussels government and other levels. To this end, a new cooperation platform would be set up between Brussels on the one hand and both the federal level and the other regions on the other hand. This intention should be a clear sign to N-VA that the Brussels government wants to cooperate with the party of the prime minister, the Flemish minister-president and Flemish minister for Brussels Cieltje Van Achter.
"This is how Brussels politicians submit to dictates of the PS"
Van Achter however already reacted sharply on X. “This is how Brussels politicians submit to dictates of the PS. Thanks to CD&V, Groen and Les Engagés,” she stated in her post. The reaction of Brussels Open VLD leader Frédéric De Gucht will now be crucial, as he made it clear several times – even earlier on Friday itself – that he only wants to enter a Brussels government with N-VA.
The mediators have asked the seven parties that would form the Brussels coalition to come to a meeting on Monday evening. They must then indicate whether or not they want to start government negotiations. David Leisterh of MR would then become formateur again.
Christophe De Beukelaer and Elke Van den Brandt © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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