Brussels government talks resume amid political deadlock
The political landscape in Brussels remains uncertain as mediators Christophe De Beukelaer of Les Engagés and Elke Van Den Brandt of Groen try to break the deadlock in government formation talks.
Their mediation follows the collapse of negotiations led by David Leisterh of MR, who failed to reach an agreement before his self-imposed deadline last Friday. The pair began their efforts in the early afternoon on Tuesday, first meeting with Open VLD.
Frederic De Gucht, leader of Open VLD in Brussels, described the meeting as "interesting", but declined to give further details. The Flemish liberals are reportedly open to sacrificing a ministerial post to secure a Dutch-speaking majority, while they have also been linked to talks with the right-wing N-VA.
Expecting little
After her meeting with the two mediators, Zakia Khattabi of Ecolo said she did not expect a new government in the next few months. She therefore called on all parties to assume their responsibilities in parliament and to pay attention to associations that risk losing their subsidies. Parliament can also play a role in the field of security, she said.
Other meetings scheduled for Tuesday were with Vooruit, DéFI, CD&V and PS. Les Engagés will be consulted on Wednesday. Notably, the far-right Vlaams Belang remains excluded from the talks.
Meanwhile, socialists PS, the second largest party in the Brussels region, has rejected the role of mediator, citing the need for a mediator trusted by all parties. MR and its allies blame PS for the continuing impasse.
Amid the political uncertainty, the ABVV-Brussels trade union and the BECI business federation have published an open letter calling on the leaders to stabilise the government. They stress the need for financial responsibility and a safer environment to maintain Brussels' status as Europe's dynamic and multicultural capital.
After 261 days without a regional government, pressure is mounting for a breakthrough.
© PHOTO BELGIAN_FREELANCE
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