PS and Ecolo reject formateur Leisterh’s final call for Brussels coalition talks

Formateur David Leisterh’s final attempt to break the political deadlock in Brussels has been rejected by both PS and Ecolo. The two parties dismiss his call to join coalition talks with N-VA. 

David Leisterh, the formateur leading negotiations for a new Brussels government, had made a final appeal to the French-speaking parties PS (Socialists), Ecolo (Greens), and Défi to join the coalition talks. According to the newspaper La Libre, he sent a letter on Sunday evening urging their leaders to help resolve the ongoing political crisis in the Brussels-Capital Region.

Leisterh acknowledged that the attempt to replace Flemish nationalist N-VA with Christian Democratic CD&V, a move strongly supported by Brussels PS leader Ahmed Laaouej, had failed. “At the end of this first week of discussions, it has become clear that the Dutch-speaking coalition announced in late November - Groen (Greens), N-VA (right-wing), Open VLD (liberal), and Vooruit (socialist) - is the only viable option”, he wrote. 

“None of these partners are willing to reopen negotiations to bring CD&V into the government, given that previous attempts between June and November never succeeded. Therefore, we must work with this coalition despite any concerns or hesitations.”

PS and Ecolo reject call

Leisterh’s appeal was swiftly rejected on Monday morning by key leaders from PS and Ecolo. Brussels PS chairman Ahmed Laaouej dismissed it as a “publicity stunt” and criticised Leisterh for ignoring CD&V’s willingness to negotiate. 

”This latest media move is more about partisan tactics than genuinely seeking a solution”

“The formateur has disregarded CD&V’s openness in just three days. This latest media move is more about partisan tactics than genuinely seeking a solution. Unbelievable”, Laaouej said on social media.

Ecolo’s Brussels parliamentary leader Zakia Khattabi was equally critical. “The Brussels formation process has been nothing more than a PR exercise”, she said on X. “First, they announced a policy note that we never saw, and now we get a letter.” 

“The liberals at MR have set their course - Les Engagés on the Francophone side and N-VA on the Dutch-speaking side - then they call on others to take responsibility. I have never seen a formation process this biased. Who is really in charge?”

”I have never seen a formation process this biased. Who is really in charge?”

Final call

Leisterh’s appeal was a final attempt to break the political deadlock in Belgium’s capital. With an agreement now seemingly out of reach, his resignation as formateur seems almost inevitable. 

But what will happen next? Ahmed Laaouej, as leader of the second-largest party, would seem the most likely candidate to become the new formateur. However, given his strained relations with the Flemish parties, convincing them to change their stance will prove extremely difficult. Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) is being floated as a potential alternative. She might be able to bridge the gap between Francophone and Dutch-speaking parties. 

An emergency government without a majority has also been proposed, but it received a lot of criticism from the Flemish parties and was ruled as inadmissible by the Brussels Parliament registry.

For now, Brussels remains more politically gridlocked than ever. 

^{Formateur David Leisterh © BELGA PHOTO ANTHONY DEHEZ}