Brussels MPs reject proposal to take pay cut until new government is formed

Members of the Brussels parliament have voted to not cut their own salaries or those of outgoing ministers, as was proposed by the Les Engagés party as a consequence for the failure to form a new government for almost the past year.

The proposal called for almost halving the remuneration of MPs - approximately €7,000 net - resulting in an estimated savings of €7 million out of a total budget of €70 million.

Formation of the Brussels government has been at an impasse for more than 300 days. Les Engagés hoped their proposal would stimulate some sense of responsibility on the part of MPs.

The proposal only received support from Les Engagés and the left-wing PTB/PVDA and was otherwise widely rejected, with many opponents saying the measure is inappropriate because parliament remains active even when there is no government.

Team Fouad Ahidar said the measure was unfair because their party has been excluded from government negotiations in recent months.

Several parties did insist on a broader debate on the level of parliamentary allowances, but arguments continued along party lines, stalling any real progress.

Clémentine Barzin (MR) made a speech saying her party proposed numerous initiatives to break the impasse and then attacked the PS party, saying it “has never accepted that the centre-right won the elections, nor has it ever agreed to really talk about a compromise”. She was interrupted several times by PS party leader Ahmed Laaouej.

The lack of a Brussels government has meant that major budgetary decisions have not been able to be made. Several non-profit associations that help the city's most vulnerable people have condemned the lack of financial certainty.

Vice-chair Lotte Stoops (Groen) told Bruzz that if savings are being demanded from Brussels civil society – and from Belgian citizens – it would only be fair for members of parliament to make an effort.

“Groen has been insisting on transparency and good governance for a long time and is pleased that this is now being addressed,” said Stoops. Groen voted against the proposal, however.

A leaked memo drafted by Bertin Mampaka (MR), president of the Brussels parliament, aims to "keep spending under control in the current budgetary context".

One MP requesting anonymity told La Libre Belgique that “some [MPs] are particularly afraid of earning less than their Walloon colleagues.”

The proposal would reduce parliamentary allowances by 5%, including the president’s salary which currently stands at more than €225,000 gross per year – making it the highest-paid political office in all of Belgium.

It also involved cuts to benefits like phone allowances and company cars.

Some MPs say they expect the proposal will eventually disappear quietly due to delays and opposition, especially since the memorandum calls into question a number of old benefits that currently ensure that Brussels parliamentarians are treated more favourably than their colleagues at the federal or Flemish level.