Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels government formation is deadlocked 8 months after elections. Formator David Leisterh is holding “last-chance” talks. PS and Ecolo declined to join the proposed coalition. Leister may step down if no breakthrough is reached by Friday, February 21, 2025.
The Brussels-Capital Region has been without a government for 8 months after the regional elections. The Dutch-speaking parties have formed a coalition, but the French-speaking parties are still divided. The PS party does not want to work with N-VA because they think it does not represent Brussels well.
N-VA only got 2% of the votes in the region. Martin Cassier from PS explained this in an interview. Meanwhile, MR leader David Leisterh wrote a letter asking the French-speaking parties to take action and finish forming the government. He is frustrated with the delays.
What is the main reason for the deadlock in forming the Brussels government?
Leisterh has started a “last-chance” round of talks to solve the ongoing crisis. He is meeting with Elke Van den Brandt from Groen and Frédéric De Gucht from Open VLD to find solutions. However, there has been no progress from the PS and Ecolo parties. Some experts say that national leaders may need to help get the talks moving.
According to Leisterh, he might step aside in 2 weeks if things do not change. Meanwhile, Cieltje Van Achter from N-VA is asking PS and Ecolo to talk. With both sides blocking each other, the government formation in Brussels is stuck. This situation is affecting how the city is run and how decisions are made.
“It is very important that the Dutch-speaking listener understands why,”
Leisterh points out.
“In Brussels, the N-VA represents only 2 percent of the inhabitants. They are the big losers of the regional elections.”
PS member Martin Casier has suggested involving the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V) to help solve the deadlock in forming the Brussels government. CD&V has not always wanted to join the government, but they now seem willing to participate.
Their chairman, Sammy Mahdi, and member, Benjamin Dalle, are both ready to help find a solution. Casier believes it is important to work together. He agrees with Open VLD’s Frédéric De Gucht, who says it is better to focus on finding agreements instead of looking at past issues.
“Frédéric De Gucht (Open VLD, ed.) said it earlier this week:
“we have to look at what we can do together, instead of holding on to what we can no longer do together, he argues further. “That is what I expect from the formateur.”
David Leisterh, the formateur, has set a deadline. He will step down if a government is not formed by Friday, February 21, 2025. Despite the short time, Martin Casier is hopeful. He believes solutions can still be found in the next 2 days.
Other political leaders share this hope. They have started new talks to end the long standstill. Leisterh is meeting with different parties, including CD&V, to find ways to create a stable government. All parties are under pressure to reach an agreement before the deadline.
“I believe that. There are still solutions to be found.”
Casier said
