2023-07-22 05:34:00
Despite four stormy years, between Covid crisis, war in Ukraine, multiplication of tensions and internal blockages (Taxi plan, Good Move, ritual slaughter, Josaphat wasteland, resignation of Pascal Smet, etc.), this Brussels government, indisputably, acted.
“The pace of government has slowed down in recent weeks, that’s clear. But it is in fact because most of the points of the regional policy declaration (DPR) have been validated”, points out an environmentalist source.
“The government’s balance sheet is negative, in the sense that the people of Brussels are in a worse situation than five years ago,” objected Christophe de Beukelaer, MP for Les Engagés, citing in particular the tripling of the debt.
Let us first underline the achievements.
Good Move, housing and property taxation
The majority has made great strides on a flagship project, but that has not convinced. The Good Move plan, led by Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) and Alain Maron (Ecolo) came up once morest a rejection of rare virulence from some Brussels residents.
Still on the ecologist side, Alain Maron (Ecolo), Brussels Minister for the Environment, validated his plan dedicated to better integration of disability into regional policies.
“Climate governance” has been launched. It has resulted in particular in the acceleration of the “Renolution” strategy (renovation of buildings), even if Christophe de Beukelaer, deputy for the Committed, observes that “the rate of renovation of housing has stagnated at 1% despite the increase in subsidies”.
The integrated health social plan, which should make health services more accessible, was also approved. And the reform of garbage collection, despite a chaotic start, is on track.
Barbara Trachte (Ecolo), Brussels State Secretary for Economic Transition, has carried out substantive work, although little media coverage, to support businesses in economic transition.
On the socialist side, we note the recent concretization by Minister-President Rudi Vervoort of the future Kanal management contract (new museum of modern art), but also the adoption of the plan for the future Mediapark-Reyers district.
The different parties often point to the voluntarism of Nawal Ben Hamou (PS), Secretary of State for Housing who, despite hiccups on the rent allowance, can boast of a good record in terms of renovation and construction of social housing. This is the absolute priority of the PS. Between 2009 and 2019, 1,600 public housing units were built. There have been 1,033 since May 2019, while 1,032 will be received before the May elections. The acceleration is therefore very clear, especially since 1,838 additional housing units are still under construction.
Nawal Ben Hamou also managed to obtain the limitation of the indexation of rents, but also to pass an order reforming the procedures for eviction (winter moratorium).
Bernard Clerfayt (Défi), Minister of Employment, should meanwhile lead to his animal welfare code by the start of the school year. The training allowance has also been increased from 1 to 2 euros per day, even if the DPR provided for 4.
Sven Gatz (Open Vld), Budget Minister, has for his part managed to complete his reform of property taxation.
The debt has tripled
But at what cost ? The consolidated debt of the Brussels Region, set at 5.1 billion euros before the start of strategic investments in 2017, will reach 13.2 billion (204% of revenue) by the end of the legislature. However, the structural deficit in Brussels, which already dates from 2016, is well before the Covid.
Before the Covid and despite the refinancing, the finances of the Brussels Region were already plunging
Several large-scale projects have also been shelved, compared to what was provided for in the government agreement at the start of the legislature.
One of the most obvious is the failure of SmartMove, the automobile tax reform wanted by the greens and the Open Vld, but blocked by the PS.
Ahmed Laaouej stifles attempts to revive the kilometer tax: “It’s totally irresponsible on the part of Elke Van den Brandt
The case of the northern metro extension between Albert and North station is the government’s other resounding fiasco. The implementation, planned by 2024, will not take place before 2033 at the earliest, and with exploding costs.
The completion of another section, the extension to Bordet scheduled for 2030, may never see the light of day.
Beliris proposes the suspension of the Metro 3 project, due to works whose cost might reach 2.4 billion euros
The major reform of urban planning rules (CoBAT, PRAS and RRU) in Brussels, which Pascal Smet (Vooruit) carried out before his resignation, also has lead in the wing.
Among the projects that have fallen into limbo or are in difficulty, let us also mention the contracting of public housing, by Nawal Ben Hamou, the optimization of the administrative and institutional functioning of the Brussels Region, or even the construction of housing on the Josaphat wasteland.
The Midi and Loi PADs (master development plans) have been abandoned.
quote
It takes 10 years for a region to recover or begin to radiate on the basis of an ambitious vision. Brussels has just lost five.”
“The government agreement has only been achieved very partially”, observes David Leisterh, president of the Brussels MR. “The major reforms that Brussels needs have not been implemented in particular in terms of training or employment. It takes 10 years for a region to recover or begin to radiate on the basis of an ambitious vision. Brussels has just lost five”.
1690010896
#Brussels #government #managed #achieve #good #part #objectives #convincing #heavily #indebting #Region
