Spiere-Helkijn (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 6 Flemish facilities, led by Mayor Mathias Goos, urge Ministers Hilde Crevits and Ben Weyts to provide clear bilingual rules, financial support, and staffing aid after Ronse’s 2024 court ruling.
As VRT News reported, 6 Flemish municipalities with language facilities are taking action. These are Spiere-Helkijn, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium, and Mesen in West Flanders, Ronse in East Flanders, Voeren and Herstappe in Limburg, and Bever in Flemish Brabant. They are the only municipalities in Flanders that must offer services in both Dutch and French.
Spiere-Helkijn Mayor Mathias Goos called a meeting with the other mayors. At the meeting, they decided to write an open letter to Flemish Minister of the Interior Hilde Crevits (CD&V) and Flemish Minister of Finance Ben Weyts (N-VA). The mayors think the existing rules are ambiguous and expose their municipalities to legal action. They state this creates extra pressure on local administrations.
What support will 6 Flemish facility towns receive from ministers?
The decision follows a court ruling against the city of Ronse. French-speaking residents went to court because street names, road signs, and information in the town hall were not always in both national languages. The court ruled in favour of the residents and confirmed that Ronse had not followed the Language Act.
This judgment caused concern in the other municipalities with facilities. They fear they could face the same legal action. The mayors explain that the law is difficult to apply in practice and that clear instructions are missing. In their open letter, they ask the Flemish government for legal advice and a uniform framework to prevent further legal problems.
“We feel legally abandoned,”
says Goos.
“We want to respect the language legislation, but it’s not always clear to us what is possible and permissible. At the meeting, it became clear that each municipality with language facilities applies the legislation differently. We are asking for support from the Flemish government. We want legal certainty and sound legal advice on when we should communicate in which language.”
The open letter from the 6 Flemish municipalities with facilities will also include a financial request. The mayors state that their towns face costs that other municipalities do not. They explain that translation work is required because services must be provided in both Dutch and French.
The Flemish government communicates only in Dutch, and the municipalities then pay the cost of translation themselves. In their appeal, they ask for financial support to cover these additional expenses.
The demand comes at a time when the new Flemish government agreement no longer provides an extension of the subsidy for municipalities with facilities. For Spiere-Helkijn, this subsidy makes up about 11% of the annual operating budget. The mayors warn that losing this income would affect financial stability.
They confirm that some encouraging signals have been received, but they also insist on written guarantees from the offices of Ministers Hilde Crevits and Ben Weyts. They say such guarantees are necessary to finalise multi-year plans and balance the budget.
Language facilities in Flanders were created under the federal Language Laws of 1962. These laws fixed the language border and granted special rights to French-speaking residents in certain Dutch-speaking towns. The rules allow residents to request official documents and services in French, while Dutch remains the official language.
In 2019, the Flemish government decided to phase out subsidies for municipalities with facilities, and this policy was confirmed again in the 2024 coalition agreement. A court ruling against the city of Ronse in 2024 brought the issue back into focus, as the judgment confirmed that municipalities must strictly respect bilingual obligations in all local services.
