The current attitude of parliament—meeting without taking responsibility—is a slap in the face for Brussels residents, who feel the effects of political deadlock every single day, argues Louize Hannah Knops. Her opinion piece was published in De Standaard.
Since June 2024, Brussels’ 89 regional MPs have been back in parliament. They convened, as required, on the third Tuesday after the elections. But since then, fundamental steps have been absent. There is still no government. No majority has been formed. No policy plan. No budget. And therefore: no accountability.
And yet, parliament is operating. Debates are held, committees meet. Monthly salaries are paid on time: around €7,000 net, topped up with extras for those in special roles. That financial continuity stands in stark contrast to the political vacuum. Because decisions—on energy, mobility, housing, or poverty reduction—cannot be taken without a government. And any suggestion to temporarily link salaries to attendance or actual policy output? Those proposals quietly vanish in committee. A small, legally mandated pay cut is spun in the media as a sign of responsibility, while in practice it’s negligible.
So what’s the message to Brussels citizens? That political deadlock is your problem, not theirs. That it’s entirely possible to hold meetings without governing. That deep-rooted issues can be left to fester for months without electoral or financial consequences.
In the meantime, the city is at a standstill. Major investment projects remain blocked: Metro Line 3, the redevelopment of Meiser Square, structural renovation grants—all stuck in a political void. Organisations wait in vain for subsidies. Job security in the social sector is crumbling. The administration operates on emergency credits, based on last year’s spending. New initiatives? Zero.
What makes this all the more galling is that it’s not down to a systemic failure. Yes, Belgium is institutionally complex. Yes, there are linguistic and regional sensitivities. But it’s not the system that’s failing—it's the people within it. The PS refuses to govern with the N-VA. Open VLD won’t move without the N-VA. CD&V insists on a ministerial post. Team Fouad Ahidar is excluded. The result: political stalemate, fuelled by egos and vetoes, while the city waits. Not for new structures. For leadership.
And the most cynical part? Early elections are off the table. The Brussels Parliament cannot legally be dissolved before the end of the legislature. MPs can simply remain in post until 2029, paid by the taxpayer, without fulfilling their primary duty: to form a majority and appoint a government.
A parliamentary mandate is not a status symbol—it’s a responsibility. The current attitude of parliament—meeting without accountability—is a direct slap in the face to Brussels residents, who feel the effects of this deadlock every day. The price we pay isn’t just economic or social. It’s a slow erosion of trust in democracy itself.