The legal framework to put soldiers on the streets is ready and the draft will soon be sent to the Council of Ministers, Defense Minister Theo Francken confirmed Saturday on X. “Our capital, Brussels, is a disaster in terms of security. We need to take back control,” Francken wrote.
Their plan has already raised questions: “Could we perhaps start with the €10 million Julien Moinil (Brussels prosecutor) requested to address the insecurity in our capital? No legal framework is needed for that,” commented Frédéric De Gucht, who represents the Flemish liberal Open VLD party in Brussels.
Quintin’s proposal is part of a broader “large cities” plan, which also includes increased camera surveillance among other measures. Besides the Brussels region, that plan also comprises the cities of Antwerp, Ghent, Liège, Charleroi and Mons.
Authorities’ attempts to clamp down on drug crime in Brussels come against a backdrop of prolonged political paralysis in the capital, as the Brussels region has so far failed to establish a government following elections in June 2024.
David Leisterh, the Brussels leader of Quintin’s French-speaking liberal MR party, told La Libre on Saturday that it could become necessary to organize new elections. The national leader of his party, Georges-Louis Bouchez, repeated Friday night that Brussels will “inevitably” be placed under control of the national government.