MR and PS step up rival plans in Brussels government talks
As French-speaking liberal party MR invites selected parties for talks to define a working method toward forming a Brussels government, the Socialist Party (PS) is simultaneously pushing to install a left-wing coalition by 21 July, Belgium’s national holiday.
Nearly a year after the June 2024 regional elections, Brussels remains without a government. On Wednesday, MR will host a plenary meeting to fine-tune its 80-page policy proposal. The party aims to form a government without PS, far-left PTB-PVDA, or Team Fouad Ahidar, citing incompatibility or lack of engagement.
Brussels MR leader David Leisterh and MR chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez said on Tuesday there was a constructive atmosphere among several potential partners and stressed the urgency of forming a government before a possible credit downgrade. Leisterh also reaffirmed his candidacy for minister-president and called on parties to shift focus from coalition tactics to policy content.
Meanwhile, PS is leading a separate initiative to form a left-leaning government before Belgium’s national holiday on 21 July. Brussels PS leader Ahmed Laaouej has brought together six parties: PS, Ecolo, PTB, Groen, Vooruit and Team Fouad Ahidar.
Their joint memo focused on fiscal discipline, housing renovation, stronger social policies and a reaffirmation of bilingualism. Talks began last Tuesday, though doubts remain about PTB’s readiness and willingness to govern. However, further discussions are expected.
With credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s set to review Brussels’ finances soon, political pressure is mounting. But in this deadlock, it may not be MR or PS, but Les Engagés that holds the key to unlocking progress. The centrist party is urging both MR and PS to end their political standoff. If that fails, it could shift support away from MR and explore alternatives. For now, though, the divide remains too wide for a breakthrough.
© BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND