Brussels was waiting for it. Now it has it. Six hundred and fourteen days after the start of an extraordinary political period, the Region is turning the page and installing a new government.
In Brussels, Boris Dilliès is taking the helm of the new executive. As Minister-President, responsible in particular for Security, Tourism, External Relations, and Foreign Trade, he inherits a capital city that sometimes doubts itself but whose assets remain intact.
For more than 600 days, the business community called for the formation of a government capable of making decisions. Beci, as the voice of 35,000 Brussels companies, never stopped advocating for stability and clarity. Now, the question is changing in nature.
What can Brussels businesses realistically expect from your government in the coming months?
Our message is clear: Brussels is back! We want to send a strong signal to our businesses because we understand their concerns: cleanliness and safety around their shops or businesses, mobility that takes economic activity into account, and real administrative simplification. The government is already working on these issues.
More broadly, what is your vision for Brussels' economy during this legislative term?
I want Brussels' economy to recreate value and jobs by becoming attractive and competitive again. We are fortunate to be the capital of Europe. The “Brussels” brand is an asset that we must fully leverage. We welcome thousands of students every year, and I want them to want to stay in Brussels to start their own businesses! We also have strategic challenges related to the redevelopment of the Audi Forest site: this is a unique opportunity to redeploy industry, with jobs for the people of Brussels.
What message do you have for investors and entrepreneurs who are wondering about the future of the capital?
I would say that we are their partners and that they can count on this government to support them. I refuse to be part of a negative mindset. We have tremendous assets. We have strong ambitions with structuring projects, and we need investors and entrepreneurs to make them a reality.
Restoring budgetary balance depends 80% on spending and 20% on revenue. How can we guarantee visibility and stability for businesses without additional tax pressure?
Visibility is built first and foremost through a consistent trajectory and discipline in decision-making. The bulk of the effort is focused on structural control of spending: prioritizing, streamlining, limiting duplication, and better managing execution. On the revenue side, the main goal is to improve efficiency and optimize existing resources. We will not launch any new initiatives without ensuring that they are fully in line with the budgetary trajectory that has been set. There will be no additional taxes on businesses. On the contrary, the reforms aim to support the economic fabric. Moreover, the common thread running through the government agreement is to support the middle class, which is the lifeblood of any economic fabric.
In terms of administrative simplification, what will be the top priority for “giving the Brussels machine some breathing space”?
I want entrepreneurs to spend less time communicating what the administration already knows. The priority is therefore to reduce paperwork, red tape, and redundancies, clarify responsibilities between levels of government, and secure projects earlier to avoid bottlenecks. We must make procedures more fluid, faster, more predictable, and above all, more understandable. This simplification aims to achieve immediate productivity gains for businesses and for the administration itself.
Security falls directly within your remit, and you have made it one of the government's priorities. How do you intend to restore a lasting sense of security in shopping districts and around strategic hubs?
Security must first be established in the city's most densely populated and exposed areas: around major train stations, multimodal hubs, public transport, and shopping districts. These are places where thousands of people pass through every day. When these spaces deteriorate, the entire urban dynamic weakens. That is why we are focusing our efforts on these strategic areas, with a stronger presence, better coordination between services, and targeted action against nuisances that undermine quality of life and economic activity. The Train Station Plan is part of this approach: securing major transportation hubs to restore confidence and allow everyone to travel, work, and do business in a safe environment.
The quality of public spaces is also crucial to the image of a capital city. How can we guarantee visible and rapid results in terms of cleanliness?
Cleanliness is one of the first indicators of the credibility of public action. We want to modernize the organization of waste collection and improve operational efficiency rather than multiplying ineffective plans. The key is management: good frequency, good organization, rapid response capacity, and monitoring of results in the field. What will matter is that it is visible, neighborhood by neighborhood.
The government wants to prioritize low-interest loans rather than certain subsidies. How can we support this change so that SMEs continue to invest and innovate in a still fragile environment?
Many SMEs need, above all, breathing room for their cash flow and solid leverage for investment. The shift towards more effective financing instruments must therefore be carried out responsibly: serious criteria, prudent risk management, transparency for the company. We must direct resources towards what really generates activity and employment, while ensuring that we avoid measures that mainly produce windfall effects without any lasting economic impact. Above all, we must simplify the process: SMEs need to know quickly what they are entitled to, from whom, and within what timeframe.
Organizations such as Beci have called for the formation of an executive and political accountability. What role do you intend to give to socio-economic partners in the implementation of reforms?
Social dialogue is useful when it improves decision-making and speeds up implementation. I want to involve partners in a structured way on key issues, particularly employment and attractiveness, while maintaining a results-oriented approach: listening, objectifying, arbitrating, executing. It is essential to ensure implementation and strengthen support for reforms.
What do you think will be your government's “signature” to ensure that Brussels is not only a region that is recovering, but also a capital that inspires confidence once again?
Confidence cannot be decreed; it is built through concrete and tangible results. It returns when citizens and businesses see that decisions are followed up with action, that commitments are kept, and that priorities are clear. Our signature is a respected financial trajectory, a safer and cleaner public space, and an administration that makes life easier instead of adding obstacles. On the eve of Belgium's bicentennial, we have a unique opportunity to make Brussels shine. Let's be proud of our region!
Interview by the editorial staff