Transcending Community? The SP.A and Brussels

During the recent negotiations on the sixth round of constitutional reform, the statute of Brussels became a serious bone of contention between Walloon and Flemish politicians. The discussions laid bare the opposing views on how the country should be organised: the Flemish model of a bipartite federation of communities confronting the Walloon vision of three regions with Brussels as a separate entity, un région à part entière. The current structure of Brussels is the result of earlier compromises that attempted to reconcile the two visions and reflects the balance of power at the time. If any part of these complex constructions were to be touched, the whole edifice would become unstable.
Because of its day to day work in the multicultural context of Brussels and its collaboration with the francophone Socialist Party (PS) on concrete local issues, the Brussels branch of the Flemish Socialist Party (SP.A) has adopted a more relaxed attitude towards the language question than the official party line. Caught between two lines of fire, what are the consequences for the Brussels Socialists and any proposals they might have for the city's reorganisation? This paper will consider the SP.A's position within Brussels and its attitude towards it.

Publication year:2011

Keywords:Brussels socialist party