One year after the regional elections in June 2024, the Brussels Region remains without a government. This situation of political deadlock cannot justify inaction on the urgent economic and social emergencies affecting citizens, businesses, public services and employees. Given this paralysis, the social partners within Brupartners are calling on the Government and Parliament to take action.
10 urgent priorities
Brupartners has identified 10 urgent priorities that must be implemented immediately, regardless of the formation of a new Executive. These measures are designed to ensure the continuity of public policies and avoid disruption in crucial areas such as funding for the voluntary sector, employment policies, access to healthcare and energy renovation.
‘We refuse to allow the absence of a government to become an excuse for inaction. Certain decisions need to be taken now, because waiting for action would have dramatic social, economic and human consequences,' says Florence Lepoivre, Chairperson of Brupartners.
For Brupartners, these include:
- Securing funding for the voluntary sector, particularly the so-called ‘optional’ subsidies that help many projects and jobs survive.
- Setting up an Employment Task Force to anticipate the effects of the Federal Government's decision to limit unemployment benefit to one year, and mobilise all stakeholders around a reinforced employment plan.
- Bringing back the Renolution grants to support businesses and jobs linked to energy renovation, and meet the climate objectives.
- Ensuring European co-financing (ESF, ERDF) so as not to lose crucial subsidies.
- Addressing the growing insecurity in some Brussels neighbourhoods through an integrated territorial strategy.
- Adopting a growth standard in the social-health sector to meet increasing needs.
For Lisa Isnard, Vice-President of Brupartners, ‘these priorities do not claim to be a substitute for a government programme, but they do constitute a basis for minimum actions to be undertaken rapidly, in the direct interest of citizens, businesses, workers and public services’.
Brupartners reaffirms its commitment to structured social dialogue and remains available to enter into negotiations with a future government. In the meantime, however, it calls on the current Executive to take action where it is most urgently needed.
All these elements can be found in the Brupartners Memorandum.
Brupartners, the Brussels Economic and Social Council, is the main body for socio-economic consultation and consultation in the Brussels-Capital Region. Brupartners is a joint body that brings together the Brussels social partners, i.e. an equal number of employer representatives (employers' side) and worker representatives (trade union side).