In the meantime, Elke Van den Brandt has thrown in the towel as a Dutch-speaking trainer, believing that the MR wants nothing other than support from Groen without political concessions with regard to the Dutch-speaking Greens, particularly in terms of Mobility. Team Fouad Ahidar therefore has, for a certain time, the negotiating levers on the Dutch-speaking side.
Fouad Ahidar thus tries to form a majority with Vooruit and Groen, but he is the subject of several vetoes from potential partners (including the liberals, the N-VA and the Engagés).
We cannot leave Brussels completely blocked
Georges-Louis Bouchez is not impressed. “Mrs Van den Brandt should stop moaning and come back to the table“, he told Villa Politica, interviewed in the corridors of the Federal Parliament. If this is not the case, the MR will take other initiatives in Parliament in terms of mobility, he added, having already previously threatened to act in this way with regard to the Good Move mobility plan, another hobby horse of the Greens.
According to him, the French-speaking liberals do not intend to put the button on pause regarding the postponement of the LEZ. “We are not going to make a move because Mrs Van den Brandt complains“, he said.
“If the Greens want to plunge Brussels into crisis, they may need to show constitutional creativity. We cannot leave Brussels totally blocked with Mrs Van den Brandt crying on one side and Fouad Ahidar on the other (…) Necessity rules the roost at a given moment. We will not give in to pressure and we will study alternatives for as long as this lasts.“
Georges-Louis Bouchez, however, stressed that he did not want to govern Brussels without the Flemings. “We will respect the rules“, he said. “I understand that Mrs Van den Brandt does not want to return to the negotiating table before the municipal elections. I hope he comes to his senses from October 14“, he concluded.
