2023-09-01 04:37:00
But where did Rudi Vervoort go? Many have asked themselves the question this summer, when the Belgian and international press described Brussels as the “European capital of insecurity” as headlined by Le Figaro on Thursday. At the time of making his political comeback in the columns of The Last Hour, the Minister-President assures him, he and his government have only fulfilled their functions “and sometimes even beyond”, although he hails Alexander De Croo for taking the reins “to put an end to political ping-pong”. Rudi Vervoort calls for structural refinancing of the police. “After the assassination of Thomas Montjoie (the policeman killed near the Gare du Nord last November, Editor’s note), the federal government made a whole series of promises, nothing was kept”.
The “non-operation” of the police organized this afternoon at the Gare du Midi deemed “frightening” by the associations on the ground
Isn’t this yet another referral of the hot potato to the federal government?
We are busy with the Gare du Midi and the Gare du Nord, where the problem is mainly due to single men. Mrs. De Moor’s decision to no longer welcome them in the Fedasil reception centers will make the situation worse. It’s mechanical. It’s true that we received federal funding to accommodate this audience, but we are doing the work of the federal government. And this funding has its limits, we fear winter and a repeat of what we saw last year. So now is the time for the federal government to take structural measures. The sovereign functions of State authority are no longer fulfilled, with a Brussels specificity each time.
Extensive police operation Gare du Midi, here is the report: “this whole operation should not displace the problems”
And your role in all of this?
What does the Sixth State Reform say? It is a response to a current that wants to bring us to the merger of police zones. We split the management of epidemics, disasters, etc. and the administrative police. On this point, legally, I have the same powers as a mayor. I only intervene when a mayor fails or when an event exceeds the scope of a mayor. On the file of the Gare du Midi, we are not in an event, we are in a phenomenon. The law is clear, but the MR has a very free reading of it. Mr. Leisterh (president of the Brussels MR, Editor’s note) wants a strong man, what is it? One man who will handle all the problems? I imagine he sees himself there. State reform can only work if there is permanent cooperation.
“The Gare du Midi is a house that has been burning for many years, and Rudi Vervoort watches it burn”Brussels – Rudy Vervoort (PS) – Minister-President of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, in charge of Territorial Development and Urban renewal, Tourism, Promotion of the Image of Brussels and Bicultural Regional Interest. In Brussels, August 31, 2023. ©JC Guillaume
Why does it work better with six different zones in Brussels?
Look at the means that the Brussels municipalities put into their police. We have created a unique mass effect, except that it is part of chronic underfunding. The federal police have been emptied of their substance to prefigure a regionalization of security policy. In Flanders, it’s their dream, they have a Minister of Justice and the Interior. Tomorrow, you entrust the management of all these areas bringing together thousands of police officers in a territory with major issues to a single person, what power are we going to give him? You will have someone who, facing the Minister of the Interior, will also claim authority over the federal police. Will this be considered a democratic advance? Will we have improved security?
Stunned tourists when they disembark at the Gare du Midi: “A very strange smell, a mixture of urine and hash”
Is it just a question of the police and their resources?
I understand the open letter from the president of SNCB. But the SNCB is one of the biggest landowners in the area. With Infrabel, we accompany them and support their real estate projects. But there is also an indirect responsibility in the development of this station. We need to make the space more user-friendly. We must also reflect on our metro stations. We have funding for securing the Stib, but it was provided by the federal government before. Our police zones took over. Today, if the local police zones are not present, we have nothing.
Brussels – Rudy Vervoort (PS) – Minister-President of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, in charge of Territorial Development and Urban Renewal, Tourism, Promotion of the Image of Brussels and Bicultural Regional Interest . In Brussels, August 31, 2023. ©JC Guillaume
The voluntary sector also does important work. However, he can no longer recruit because he is unattractive and poorly paid. What can you do ?
We will have this discussion in the budget framework. We are going to enter a complicated year, and our responsibility is to follow up on emergency situations. The human aspect is unbearable, Brussels does not deserve that. In terms of tourist numbers, we had a very good summer. What I mean is that we must preserve an important economic engine. Everything is linked, because it offers employment to a poorly qualified public. It is also necessary to give professional prospects to this public.
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