No regional right to vote for non-Belgians in Brussels

“The right to vote is irretrievably linked to obtaining Belgian nationality as the culmination of successful integration.” Johan Van den Driessche, N-VA group leader in the Brussels Parliament, opposes the proposed resolution to allow non-Belgians living in the Brussels Capital Region the right to vote in the regional elections in Brussels. That goes for people from European countries and for people from non-European countries alike. “Just coming here to live is not sufficient to become a fully-fledged member of our democracy. That requires a successful integration via learning the language, customs, rights and obligations, standards and values of the country,” says Johan Van den Driessche.

More dialogue

“In view of the international role of Brussels and the importance of the international community, the N-VA is, however, in favour of more dialogue and consultations with that Brussels international community. Those discussions can take place via direct dialogue and consultations at regional level. Direct consultations such as this will in fact be much more effective because they can focus on the specific aspects of that international presence,” Johan Van den Driessche concludes.