Cieltje Van Achter: “Brussels budget no surprise – it’s been a mess for years”

The newspaper De Tijd revealed that the Brussels government has for years been artificially dressing up its budget, hiding expenses and painting an overly rosy picture of its revenues. “What’s written in black and white today is something we’ve known for years,” said Cieltje Van Achter, Flemish Minister for Brussels, on Villa Politica. “We’ve been raising the alarm for a long time. None of this comes as a surprise.”

A balanced budget? Only on paper

The Brussels government had promised to present a balanced budget for 2024. But according to Van Achter, that balance exists only on paper: “Every year we asked where the savings were that were supposed to make that balance possible. And what did we find? Just a line saying: ‘money still to be found’. That’s not a budget, that’s window dressing.”

Even the Court of Audit refused to give an opinion. “That’s basically saying: we don’t believe the numbers. That’s dramatic,” Van Achter said.

With a deficit of €1.5 billion on €6.5 billion in revenue, and a debt exceeding €15 billion, Brussels is heading straight into a financial quagmire.

No confidence in the current negotiations

Six parties are currently trying to negotiate both a new Brussels government and a €1 billion austerity plan. But Van Achter remains pessimistic: “The caretaker government could already be taking measures, but clearly it isn’t.”

“As long as the Socialist Party (PS) refuses to respect the Flemish majority, there won’t be a legitimate government. And without that, it’s impossible to take any courageous political decisions,” she said.

The current proposals — in which Francophone ministers would be replaced, but not their Dutch-speaking counterparts due to a lack of majority — are, according to Van Achter, plainly unconstitutional.
“That’s simply not acceptable. Full stop. You need a government with full powers and a majority on both sides. All these tricks just show total contempt for the rules that exist today.”

“The time for extra spending is over”

“It’s time to realise that the era of extra spending is over. And apparently, that message still hasn’t sunk in — especially when I read that more investments in mobility are being planned,” Van Achter concluded.
“I have very little faith that the team currently at the table can deliver real savings.”