Brussels coalition talks: David Leisterh invites six parties for new negotiation round
Formateur David Leisterh (MR) has invited negotiators from the six parties still attempting to reach an agreement on the regional budget for Brussels to a new meeting on Thursday afternoon. This announcement follows weeks of stalled talks.
The discussion will focus once again on the “best and final offer”, on which Groen, Open VLD, Vooruit, MR, PS and Les Engagés failed to reach consensus on Wednesday evening. Although no further plenary meeting had been scheduled for Thursday, Leisterh has decided to reconvene the group.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Dirk De Smedt will officially take the oath in the Brussels Parliament on Friday, succeeding Sven Gatz (Open VLD) as Brussels minister for Finance and Budget. The announcement was made by Bertin Mampaka (MR), president of the Brussels Parliament.
According to Mampaka, a broad majority of seventy MPs, spanning both language groups, have already expressed their support for Gatz’s replacement, who is stepping back for health reasons.
Friday's plenary session will also see the formal installation of the special committee on the Metro Line 3 project, which was established at the request of most parties in the extended bureau of the Brussels Parliament. Only the PTB-PVDA has called for a full parliamentary inquiry instead. The members of the special committee will be appointed during the session.
Metro Line 3, a multi-billion-euro infrastructure project, aims to create a direct underground link between Forest and Evere, cutting across Brussels. Initially scheduled for completion in 2030, the project has been plagued by escalating delays and costs. The total budget is now estimated at 4.7 billion euros, which is more than double the amount projected in 2021.
© BELPRESS