Never before have so many Brussels appointments violated the language law

On the initiative of the N-VA, the Vice-Governor of Brussels was invited to present his annual report in the Flemish Parliament. The results speak volumes: never before have so many appointments to Brussels local authorities and Public Social Welfare Centres (OCMWs) been in violation of the language law. Only 16% of all appointments are in compliance. The Vice-Governor recorded red figures in almost every municipality. One local government even managed not to make any recruitment or appointment in accordance with the language law. “Dutch speakers have become second-class citizens in their own capital,” says the N-VA.

The figures in the annual report also show that respect for the law continues to diminish, but no action whatsoever is being taken. “The Vice-Governor can suspend the appointment decisions, but ultimately, the supervisory authorities must revoke these decisions. That has not happened for years, with the silent approval of the Vooruit, Groen and Open Vld parties. The Flemish politicians in the Brussels government prefer to look away when it comes to the importance of providing services in the Dutch language,” says Brussels MP Mathias Vanden Borre.

Lack of political will and courage

“Without sanctions, local authorities in Brussels will have no way at all of improving the dramatic figures. It is clearly not about a lack of suitable staff, but a total lack of political will and courage. Flemish institutions in Brussels demonstrate daily that it is perfectly possible to recruit bilingual staff and, as this is Flanders, we also graduate bilingual students. The UZ Brussels is an example of how this can also be rolled out in healthcare,” says Vanden Borre.

Language tests

Karl Vanlouwe supports the Vice-Governor’s call for the introduction of using certifying language tests as an offer for all Brussels residents, especially in French-language education. “Only by making efforts and actively offering language tests can we also ensure that Brussels residents understand the importance of Dutch and can make efforts to improve their language knowledge, which is so important in the labour market in Brussels and the rest of the country.”

Second-class citizens

He concludes: “The language laws in Brussels have been consistently ignored for 30 years, and provision of all services in the Dutch language in the Brussels municipalities is almost unthinkable today. Dutch speakers have become second-class citizens in their own capital.”