Dutch language services in Brussels are worsening year after year

Despite sustained and increased efforts by the Huis van het Nederlands (Dutch Language House), the vast majority of Brussels municipalities do not intend to improve the knowledge of Dutch among their staff. That is clear from the response of the Flemish Minister for Brussels, Benjamin Dalle (CD&V party), to a parliamentary question from Flemish MP Annabel Tavernier. “The Dutch language services provided by the Brussels public administrations are worsening year after year. Despite this, the Huis van het Nederlands is reaching out to Brussels municipalities with an extensive offer to learn Dutch. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” says Tavernier.

The Huis van het Nederlands has an offer for the Brussels municipal authorities to improve the knowledge of Dutch among their staff. Previous figures requested by Flemish MP Annabel Tavernier showed that in the period 2015-2021, only five out of nineteen Brussels municipalities made use of that offer.

A sad record of cancelled appointments

However, the latest annual report of the Brussels Vice-Governor shows that compliance with the language legislation by Brussels local authorities has never been worse. Tavernier: “The Vice-Governor suspended 60% of recruitments in the past year because they were in violation of the language legislation. A new sad record. Surely you might expect Brussels municipalities to make extra efforts to improve their Dutch language services, but even with a new and expanded offer from the Huis van het Nederlands, this is not a priority for the majority of Brussels municipalities.”

Brussels municipalities flatly refuse to make efforts

To convince more Brussels municipalities to set up a collaboration, the Huis van het Nederlands developed a new and broader range to offer. However, that did not result in new collaborations. “Incomprehensible,” says Tavernier. “The Huis van het Nederlands nevertheless presented that new range at a consultation with the Brussels municipalities and subsequently even organised a survey to identify the needs. Only eight of the nineteen municipalities responded. I can only conclude that the majority of the Brussels municipalities and PSWCs simply refuse to make an effort.”

According to Tavernier, the ball is in the Brussels municipalities’ court: “The Huis van het Nederlands is putting in a huge amount of effort, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the municipalities to finally tackle their lack of compliance with the language legislations to the letter.”