Dear signatories,
Brussels has been without a fully empowered government for more than 560 days, with very real consequences for the people of Brussels. Thanks to your commitment and your support for the We are Brussels manifesto, we now have more than 2,700 signatories! Our civic mobilisation is helping to highlight these essential issues for the future of our Region. This has generated significant coverage in the Belgian press (here, there, or here again), as well as in the international media (for example here).
In recent days, an important political signal has been sent through the initiative led by Yvan Verougstraete, aimed at bringing centre-left parties together around a governmental project and a budgetary agreement. The work began last weekend and is expected to continue throughout January. We hope that this momentum will finally make it possible to respond to the urgent challenges and crises facing the Brussels-Capital Region.
In this context, the We are Brussels civic platform has brought together a group of experts and civil society actors ready to make themselves available to the negotiators, in a spirit of co-construction, responsibility and complementarity with the ongoing political process. Where useful, we wish to contribute to the reflections and to support the emergence of an agreement that benefits everyone. We are convinced that a thoughtful involvement of civil society can meaningfully accompany the formation of the future government, reflecting the diversity of Brussels realities and helping to overcome the divides at the root of the current impasse.
Beyond the formation of the government, we call on the formateur and the negotiators to include in the governmental agreement the organisation of a Brussels citizens’ convention with a clear mandate. This convention would bring together citizens, experts and social partners to shape a vision for the future of Brussels and to address the main regional challenges, in particular issues related to governance and the distribution of competences. The current political crisis has highlighted the need to strengthen democratic dialogue and to adapt certain institutional balances, as the Region approaches its 40th anniversary.
While the resumption of negotiations is a positive signal, our mobilisation continues. From January onwards, Respect Brussels will once again organise gatherings in front of the Brussels Parliament to express our concerns, in a spirit we intend to keep constructive. We will continue to act to give a voice to the Brussels residents most affected by this crisis and to highlight the impact of political deadlock.
We remain convinced that it is by starting from this lived reality, and by combining civic engagement with political responsibility, that Brussels can develop a positive, unifying and meaningful project for the future. The strength of Brussels civil society is real: thanks to you, it is being heard.
Thank you for your commitment and your trust. Please do not hesitate to share these initiatives and to remain in contact with the collective if you wish to contribute to the next steps of this momentum.
Season’s greetings,
The We are Brussels collective