Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels reaffirms its stand against fascism and hate, with support from all major parties. Mayor Philippe Close highlights 20 years without fascist leaders and stresses unity, democracy, and diversity.
The city of Brussels has made a public statement in which it claims it will still battle fascism and hatred. There are numerous political factions that agree with this choice, such as socialists, liberals, and Christian democrats. Officials stated that this is a reminder that Brussels battled fascism before, and it proves that they will keep battling fascism now.
Zoubida Jellab, who started this idea, said that it is important to do this because far-right ideas are becoming more common in many countries, including the United States, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands. She said that these ideas are not just old ideas; they are affecting how things are run and how people talk about things, and they are a threat to democracy and people who are easily hurt.
Is Brussels leading the fight against fascism and hate?
Brussels wants to become a city which defends democracy, human rights, and equality for all. They announced that they will combat fascism and far-right thinking, as well as certain types of hatred such as anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism. It is all part of a wider movement to educate people about the risks of totalitarian thinking, learn from the past, and engage people in the defence of democracy.
By passing this, Brussels is saying that they will not allow intolerance, and they want to be a place that stands up against ideas that try to exclude people and control everything. Many different political groups support this, they all agree that it is important to protect democracy in a time when people are becoming more divided.
“As the capital of Europe, we are in a bit of a state of resistance today.”
Philippe Close, Mayor of Brussels (PS)
Brussels Mayor Philippe Close wants the city council to vote unanimously to fight fascism and hate. He said this is important because Brussels is not just a Belgian city, but “the capital of Europe” and needs to set a good example. Close thinks that democracy is in danger right now and feels like we are “in a bit of a resistance”.
He mentioned that there are many worrying things happening in the United States, saying that “every day something is shocking coming from the US”, referring to dangerous talk and actions from far-right groups in American politics.
Mayor Close also talked about how the Brussels city council has changed over time. He said it used to be more right-wing, but now it’s different. He’s proud that “no fascists have been elected in Brussels for 20 years”. This isn’t just a number, he said, it shows that Brussels doesn’t want far-right ideas.
He’s happy that the city council is made up of people from different backgrounds and beliefs. He thinks this diversity is important, not just because it’s good, but because it protects Brussels from hateful politics. He wants to make sure that Brussels keeps being a city that is open to everyone, fights against hate, and stands together against fascism.
“Europe’s largest cosmopolitan city is once again setting a good example, because it doesn’t matter where you come from, what matters is what you build together,”
Close concludes.
