{
    "title": "Bouchez calls fresh talks to form Brussels government",
    "modified_at": "2026-02-08 18:18:13",
    "published_at": "2026-02-08 18:07:00",
    "url": "https://belganewsagency-eu.prezly.com/bouchez-calls-fresh-talks-to-form-brussels-government",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/vq6d",
    "culture": "en_BE",
    "language": "EN",
    "slug": "bouchez-calls-fresh-talks-to-form-brussels-government",
    "body": "<p><strong>MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez has invited six other parties to restart talks to form a new Brussels regional government, more than 600 days after the last election.</strong></p><p>The parties involved are MR, PS, Les Engages, Groen, Anders, Vooruit and CD&amp;V. Together, they hold a majority in both the French-speaking and Dutch-speaking groups.</p><p>Writing on X on Sunday, Bouchez said that if the parties agree, they will meet in one place and stay there until a deal is reached. He believes a government could be formed within days.</p><p>Previous talks collapsed after former formateur Yvan Verougstraete of Les Engages <a href=\"http://prez.ly/sc5d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">failed to secure an agreement</a>. Recent attempts to restart negotiations also made little progress, despite growing pressure from citizens and behind-the-scenes talks between MR and PS.</p><p>Bouchez now wants &ldquo;serious and demanding&rdquo; negotiations, based on earlier draft agreements. His priorities include balancing the budget by 2029, carrying out institutional reforms, and improving cleanliness and safety in Brussels.</p><p>He said MR, as the largest party, has taken responsibility by leading contacts and preparing the ground for talks.</p><div id=\"bookmark-7343fa2e-91b7-4fdb-9828-4de353b69452\"\n     class=\"release-content-bookmark release-content-bookmark--horizontal\">\n\n            <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__thumbnail\"\n           href=\"http://prez.ly/sc5d\"\n           rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n           target=\"_blank\"           style=\"background-image: url(https://prezly.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.uc.assets.prezly.com%2F20c3e395-32fc-4dec-831b-f228b62524b9%2F-%2Fpreview%2F600x600%2F?ar=1%3A1&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=cf1cb79ee9202837b91bfda742f1a332)\"\n        ></a>\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__details\">\n\n                    <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__title\"\n               href=\"http://prez.ly/sc5d\"\n               rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n               target=\"_blank\"               data-type=\"bookmark\"\n               data-track=\"Story WebBookmark Click\"\n               data-placement=\"content\"\n               data-id=\"7343fa2e-91b7-4fdb-9828-4de353b69452\"\n           >\n                Verougstraete quits as formateur in Brussels government negotiations            </a>\n        \n                    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__description\">\n                Yvan Verougstraete is stepping down from his role as formateur in negotiations to form a Brussels government. The region has been without a...            </div>\n        \n        <a href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/\"\n           target=\"_blank\"\n           rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"\n           class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider\"\n        >\n            <img class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider-icon\" src=\"https://avatars.prezly.com/favicon?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.belganewsagency.eu%2Fverougstraete-quits-as-formateur-in-brussels-government-negotiations&newsroom=6b71e247-a9ba-4732-aaa3-88be14c119db\" aria-hidden=\"true\" />\n            belganewsagency.eu        </a>\n    </div>\n</div>\n<p>The Brussels branch of the Socialist Party (PS) said it had &ldquo;taken note&rdquo; of Bouchez&rsquo;s invitation and will decide its position after an urgent meeting of its party leadership. It said it remains committed to helping form a majority able to tackle the region&rsquo;s social, environmental and economic challenges.</p><p>Verougstraete welcomed the move. He called it &ldquo;great news&rdquo; and said a new political momentum is finally emerging. He confirmed that all parties are ready to resume negotiations based on previous work.</p><p>He stressed that Brussels can no longer afford political deadlock and urged leaders to turn dialogue into real decisions.</p><p>&ldquo;Brussels faces urgent challenges,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It is time to break the blockages, accept compromises, and give the region a fully working government.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><sup>&copy; BELGA PHOTO BRUNO FAHY </sup></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>",
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    "links": [
        {
            "description": "Verougstraete quits as formateur in Brussels government negotiations",
            "url": "http://prez.ly/sc5d"
        }
    ],
    "author": {
        "first_name": "Flanders",
        "last_name": "News Service"
    },
    "format_version": 5
}