De Beukelaer, who attempted to reboot coalition negotiations last month, is scathing. In all the months since the election, politicians haven’t even come around to talking substance, he told POLITICO.
“It’s just political posturing that’s blocking Brussels,” he said. “‘You’re my friend. You’re not. I want to work with you. But not with you.’ It’s immature.”
A capital liability
The overly complicated political architecture confuses and frustrates even Belgians themselves.
Put (relatively) simply, Brussels is one of Belgium’s three regions, together with French-speaking Wallonia in the south and Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, by which the city is surrounded. All three regions have their own governments with responsibilities for matters like housing, transport and economic policy.
With Belgium grappling to meet EU-mandated spending cuts, Brussels’ debt is a “liability for the whole country,” said Dave Sinardet, professor of political sciences at the Free University of Brussels.
Things could get worse. The region’s credit rating could be downgraded by the summer, which would make it more expensive to borrow, further adding to the region’s debt, caretaker Budget Minister Sven Gatz has warned.
