Three days of shootings in Brussels: “Home Affairs Committee must meet urgently”

Brussels has been hit by shootings on three consecutive days. This brings the total number of shooting incidents this year to more than 60, putting last year’s record at risk of being broken. Even after a police station in Anderlecht came under fire from a Kalashnikov, the political response remains woefully inadequate. “The people of Brussels deserve answers,” says Brussels MP Mathias Vanden Borre. “What are the authorities actually doing to curb this violence?”

For months, we have been told that certain crime hotspots in Brussels would receive greater attention. Yet those areas remain unsafe, while the violence is also spreading elsewhere. “At some point, you have to be willing to admit that the current approach isn’t working and change course,” says Mathias Vanden Borre.

Political hypocrisy

According to Mathias Vanden Borre, the PS’s approach is hypocritical. He argues that the party is refusing to take responsibility in Brussels, where it has been in power for decades, and is instead trying to sweep the problem under the rug.

“You can’t keep pointing the finger at the federal government whenever things go wrong when, in Brussels itself, you have failed to do enough at both local and regional level for years,” he says. “Brussels’ approach remains hopelessly fragmented and completely lacking in focus.”

Urgent action needed

Given the many recent incidents, it is clear that action must be taken, says Mathias Vanden Borre. “That is why I am calling for the Home Affairs Committee of the Brussels Parliament to meet as soon as possible. We need tough new measures now,” he concludes.