Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels Parliament President Bertin Mampaka (MR) proposes moving the parliament to the mostly unused Senate buildings to save money, avoid costly repairs, and sell the current premises.
As VRT News reported, Jean-Pierre Mampaka, a Brussels politician, wants the Brussels Parliament to move to the buildings where the Belgian Senate currently meets. Mampaka, who speaks French and is part of a liberal group, shared his thoughts on Bel RTL radio.
He explained that the Senate’s meeting hall and other spaces are often empty these days because the Senate doesn’t do as much lawmaking as it used to. The current buildings used by the Brussels Parliament aren’t ideal, according to Mampaka.
He mentioned that they’re in a bad spot, need expensive repairs, and the parliament has to rent extra office space. By moving, the Brussels Parliament could save money and maybe even make some money by selling its current buildings.
“So l’m going to propose to move to the Senate buildings. That way we can sell the current parliament buildings.”
Bertin Mampaka (MR), the President of the Brussels Parliament
What would a move to the empty Senate mean for Brussels?
According to officials, if the proposal happens, the Brussels Parliament would share a building with the national government for the first time. This could help the regional and federal groups work together better. But it would take a lot of planning and agreement. They mentioned that the government would need to say yes, because the building is federal.
Mampaka says the current parliament building isn’t good. It’s too small, and they have to rent extra space. He mentioned that some parts of the building need expensive repairs. Moving to the Senate buildings would give them enough space and put all the parliament’s work in one place. The Senate buildings are in a central, historic spot and have everything they need.
Mampaka said this idea is smart and looks to the future. He said it would save money and make things work better. He thinks the empty Senate buildings shouldn’t be wasted when the parliament needs space.
He mentioned that people will likely argue about this idea, especially because it means a regional parliament would move into a federal building. But Mampaka wants to change how they use buildings in Brussels.
