A recent appointment, a challenging context: the new Minister for the Economy and Employment is tackling a series of well-known imbalances in Brussels’ economic fabric.
The profile is striking, though not unexpected. Laurent Hublet has not left his entrepreneurial instincts at the government’s door. Here he is today at the helm of the portfolios for Employment, the Economy and Digital Affairs, with the task of restoring a series of balances to the Brussels economy. With a budget under pressure and a labour shortage on one side, and persistent unemployment on the other, it is in this middle ground that the Brussels Minister aims to intervene by rebuilding connections where they have frayed. For now, he says, it is time to ‘make Brussels a winner’.
As Minister for the Economy, what is your top priority for the next 100 days to restore full investor confidence?
The top priority for the first 100 days has already begun: it involves total immersion. Gaining a clear understanding of all the needs and challenges facing the people of Brussels. This involves, on the one hand, field visits, listening and direct dialogue with those who drive our economy. On the other hand, it involves the drafting and presentation of the budget, which took place on 18 March in Parliament. And finally, of course, the establishment of a team that already embodies the legislature’s ambition and is preparing the first outlines of solutions. The second phase of my term will then consist of developing our collective mission, which is to restore Brussels to its rightful place: a Region that is an attractive breeding ground for investment, whether Belgian or foreign. Today, some companies are still hesitant to set up here. We must restore their enthusiasm and confidence by showing that Brussels is ready to welcome, support and accelerate their projects.
The target of a 70% employment rate is ambitious, whilst the 2026 budget is very tight. In practical terms, how can we boost employment and encourage companies to hire?
We will need to make clear choices, set priorities and focus our resources where they will have the greatest impact. In practical terms, this means that: to meet budgetary requirements and realities, we will need the courage to stop what is not working or what creates windfall effects. We must review certain partnership agreements and put an end to schemes that no longer produce the expected results.
To boost employment, we must reform the Activa scheme in particular. This tool no longer meets the realities of the labour market or the needs of jobseekers. I will therefore propose a new employment support mechanism – simpler, clearer and better targeted – to provide better support for priority groups and employers who create value by hiring Brussels talent.
To encourage businesses to hire, we will redirect public funds towards high-impact projects and initiatives that create more jobs and added value.
Brussels has high unemployment, yet our businesses are desperate to recruit.
Brussels faces a paradox: nearly 98,000 people are registered as jobseekers, whilst our businesses are struggling to recruit. In recent weeks, I have met with Actiris, the VDAB, and employers such as SPIE and Iris Cleaning. The needs are there, the opportunities are there, but we need to better connect Brussels’ talent with the available jobs.
The review of employment policy fully incorporates support for jobseekers in various situations. It is structured around five concrete priorities.
- Support to facilitate the return to work of people with long-term illnesses.
- Strengthening language skills. In Brussels, language is often the first barrier to employment. We will therefore introduce a compulsory language test and make training compulsory where necessary.
- The development of work placements and a strengthening of work-study schemes to support young people’s entry into the labour market.
- Speeding up the recognition of skills and qualifications. Today, 44% of jobseekers do not have a recognised qualification equivalent. This is a huge obstacle. Strengthening support and encouraging entrepreneurship.
Our employment policy is based primarily on removing obstacles one by one – in order to reconnect as many Brussels residents as possible with available jobs.
An additional 51,000 Brussels residents will need to enter employment to achieve an employment rate of 70%
The government is banking on ‘free zones’ to revitalise the Canal and Audi. What types of businesses do you want to attract there to avoid mere windfall effects?
The measures we are implementing at the Canal and at the Audi Forest site are not conventional tax incentives: they are structural levers designed to attract industrial activities that are truly relevant to Brussels. We do not wish to attract opportunistic companies, but rather those whose activities are consistent with a metropolis such as Brussels — urban industry, the circular economy, technology production and light logistics.
To avoid any windfall effects, there will be: a one-stop shop (administrative Fast Track) to speed up permits and simplify procedures, targeted and time-limited tax incentives, conditional on the creation of local jobs, A dedicated Actiris unit and a bespoke training programme to anticipate recruitment needs and enable Brussels residents to gain direct access to new industrial roles.
We want to attract players who create value, economic activity and sustainable jobs. Not windfall effects, but a genuine industrial revival for Brussels.
You are considering replacing certain grants with low-interest loans. Is this the end of the subsidy-based support model? How can we reassure small SMEs that are afraid of taking on debt?
In 2026, the Brussels Region will pay €500 million in interest to the banks. What we are doing today is not cutting back, but streamlining. And our objective is not purely budgetary – we want to create room for manoeuvre to reinvest more strategically. We are therefore moving towards a more rigorous approach, based on evaluation, consistency and real impact. Every euro invested must be used exactly for the purpose for which it is spent.
As for low-interest loans, they do not replace grants: they complement them. SMEs are not being abandoned; on the contrary: support is becoming more targeted, more transparent and better tailored to their needs. And to develop these tools, we are taking a bottom-up approach, through extensive consultation with the sectors. Entrepreneurs themselves identify the obstacles, and our government departments provide concrete solutions as part of the economic recovery plan
It is imperative to support SMEs that wish to invest, grow and create jobs, whilst ensuring the responsible management of public funds. This is the new culture of accountability we are establishing.
If we take stock in three years’ time, what will be the key performance indicator (KPI) that will show, in three years’ time, that your mission has been successful?
It will clearly be the increase in the employment rate among the people of Brussels. Our shared objective is to achieve an employment rate of 70%. Today, we stand at 64.3%, which means that a further 51,000 people in Brussels will need to enter the workforce to reach this target.
This indicator is central, as it encapsulates the overarching ambition of our policy: to reconnect our residents with the labour market, reduce unemployment and inactivity, strengthen our social inclusion, and make Brussels an economic powerhouse that truly benefits all its residents. The entire plan converges towards a single objective: to make Brussels a winner, together.
The context is not straightforward and the task is demanding. It requires immense responsiveness, both from me and from our entire team, to deliver concrete results quickly. But we are determined. We will do everything in our power, in the days and months ahead, to (re)establish our Region and its residents in the position they deserve.