A 615-day deadlock has been broken, as ALDE Party members Mouvement Réformateur (MR) and Anders signed a historic Brussels coalition government agreement.
The agreement sees French-speaking liberals return to the Brussels government after 22 years in opposition. A clear majority agreed on an ambitious regional policy statement based on liberal values.
MR is now the biggest party in Brussels, after receiving over 100,000 votes back in June 2024. MR leader, Georges-Louis Bouchez, managed to strike a deal after almost two years by proposing a ‘conclave’ last week.
Negotiators from seven parties struck a coalition deal after being locked into the University Foundation building in Brussels. Once an agreement was reached, a Brussels flag was raised alongside symbolic white smoke.
The complex institutional set-up in Brussels delayed coalition negotiations, but the next Prime Minister will be agreed this week. Liberals have already been appointed take key posts in the new coalition government:
- Minister-President, Boris Dilliès (MR, BE)
- Minister Dirk De Smedt (Anders, BE)
- Secretary of State, Audrey Henry (MR, BE)
Certain priorities have been revealed such as achieving a balanced budget by 2029, ensuring better security and breaking Brussels out of its stagnation. The coalition plan includes a new mobility plan, higher housing grants and a focus on cleanliness and safety.
Party leader Bouchez expressed his delight at the deal, after proposing the conclave himself:
"Everyone realised how urgent the situation was. Brussels was truly on the brink of collapse. Although the negotiations took a long time, our agreement contains many innovations. It is also our response to the concerns of the people. We are relieved that, after more than 600 days, we once again have a government in the capital of Europe."
Clémentine Barzin (MR, BE) stated:
"A new era has dawned, and this era is one of a new project, a project embodied by the MR, for the people of Brussels. After 22 years in opposition, the liberals are once again able to exert their full influence on the Region's choices and to transform the mandate given by the voters into governmental action."
Leader of Anders, Frédéric De Gucht, said that this deal ensures Brussels will get “the real reform government it needs,” with measures planned to boost efficiency in the Brussels-Capital Region.