Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – MR, together with PS and Les Engagés, Groen, Vooruit and CD&V, failed to find a solution during their talks to form a Brussels coalition government. The participating parties plan to reconvene in another meeting on Monday.
The Brussels government formation process entered its ninth month without any agreement as parties failed to reach any new progress during their latest meetings. The seven political parties, MR, PS, Les Engagés, Groen, Open VLD, Vooruit, and CD&V, continue negotiations, yet budgetary disagreements and coalition group formation stand in the way of reaching an agreement.
The political parties will gather for another meeting on Monday for budget discussions and to explore coalition possibilities. PS erects a veto which prevents N-VA coalition membership even though Open VLD contends for their inclusion.
According to the informateurs Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) and Christophe De Beukelaer (Les Engagés), the only possible coalition government must exclude N-VA. Open VLD continues to express its dissatisfaction with the stalled negotiations by requesting that the previously agreed terms be maintained.
Frédéric De Gucht, Open VLD’s negotiator, emphasised the need for budgetary discipline and a balanced budget, warning that without immediate action, Brussels faces a potential financial “catastrophe.”
On X, negotiator De Gucht goes even further.
If we do not intervene now to stabilise the financial situation of the Region, develop a resolute security policy, make Brussels cleaner and significantly increase our activity level, we are heading for a catastrophe,
he writes.
This requires support from the federal, Flemish and Walloon governments. Anyone who refuses to see that is not taking Brussels seriously.
NL: Wij stappen alleen in een regering die Brussel vooruithelpt. De komende jaren moeten cruciale knopen worden doorgehakt. Als we nu niet ingrijpen om de financiële situatie van het Gewest te stabiliseren, een kordaat veiligheidsbeleid uit te bouwen, Brussel properder te maken…
— Frederic De Gucht (@FredericDeGucht) March 19, 2025
The choice we have is either no government or a government without the N-VA,
says Dutch-speaking informant Van den Brandt (Groen).
I find vetoes incredibly regrettable, but our beloved Brussels is confronted with an enormous budget deficit. So I choose to form a competent government that can implement the necessary reforms.
Ahmed Laaouej (PS) calls the decision of Open VLD “irrational”.
Shooting the informateurs after their hard work is like shooting the pianist,
he says.
There are several possible scenarios,
said MR chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez after the meeting.
We will discuss this in bilateral talks in the coming days. There will be consultations between liberals and socialists.
Bouchez does not want to say anything more about these possible scenarios.
We will have to show some creativity, but with some goodwill will it should work.
According to Bouchez, a Brussels government must be formed by June at the latest. Then, there will be a new review of Brussels’s finances by the rating agency Standards & Poor’s.
If there is still no solution by then, then there is no other option than to place the region under guardianship. Then the federal level must intervene. That would absolutely not be a good thing for Brussels,
says Bouchez.
What is the background of the Brussels government formation crisis?
Political instability persists in Brussels as the capital region has endured government coalition discussions that lasted longer than nine months. The governmental system in this region consists of complex governance between French-speaking parties and Dutch-speaking parties that creates multiple coalition issues. The financial stability of Brussels remains at risk due to its substantial estimated budget deficit exceeding €1.5 billion.
Standard & Poor’s has warned that it could lower Brussels’ credit rating if a stable government fails to form before June because its debt-to-GDP ratio crosses 100%. Brussels has solved its diverse political and linguistic issues through multi-party coalitions throughout its historical development. Important disagreements regarding budgetary reforms and security measures, along with coalition partnership setups, have persistently blocked development in the region.
