BGM DigestBGM Digest — Week 21 (18-24 May 2026)
Water subsidy abolition: major reallocation to municipalities
The week was marked by the announcement of the structural abolition of the regional « water » subsidy paid to Brussels's nineteen municipalities. This envelope of €15.7 million annually will not be paid in 2026 and will be repealed by ordinance to the Brussels Parliament. Funds are reallocated to Vivaqua recapitalization at €180 million.
The most affected municipalities are Brussels-City (−€2.7 million), Schaerbeek (−€1.5 million), while Anderlecht, Ixelles, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Uccle each lose more than €1 million. The PTB group described this measure as a « cold shower ».
What this means: the burden of water distribution and collection, previously compensated at the regional level, returns entirely to municipal budgets. For Vivaqua, this recapitalization materializes a long-term ambition: the public utility can now undertake the massive infrastructure investments the sector has awaited for years.
See the institutional domain →
Police zone merger: Flemish requirement met, appeals announced
The merger of six Brussels police zones has reached a decisive point. On 19 May, a major Flemish requirement was satisfied in the House of Representatives, immediately triggering an appeal announced the previous day by the mayor of Evere. The federal Interior Minister publicly acknowledged on 16 May that the dossier had taken « unfortunately a communal flavour ».
Brulocalis and four mayors have joined legal proceedings. The central argument concerns the under-representation of small municipalities in the future single structure of over 6,500 operational officers.
See the police-merger dossier →
Mobility and security: serious incidents and renovation projects
A woman was found dead in the metro tunnel between Heysel and King Baudouin in the night of 15–16 May. Traffic was interrupted for several hours. The same day, an explosion on rue de la Borne in Molenbeek damaged several windows; no injuries reported, but the bomb disposal unit (DOVO) attended for investigation.
By contrast, the 30th edition of Brussels Pride drew approximately 216,000 people to downtown Brussels on 16 May, with 29 arrests related to protests against the N-VA's presence in the parade. Three queer performers were victims of violent assault, with formal complaints filed. The FWB Health Minister announced an unprecedented action plan against violence toward LGBTQIA+ persons.
Employment: tripling of support toward Flemish periphery
Actiris and VDAB announced the tripling of their joint support scheme toward employment in the Flemish periphery: from 2,000 to 6,000 persons supported. This intensification reflects a regional strategy of cross-border cooperation for employment access.
Simultaneously, Brussels's household-services sector faces threats of mass layoffs. Two ministers (with overlapping regional and community competences) blame each other for financing responsibility. This sector predominantly employs low-skilled women and represents a structural pillar of Brussels employment.
Metro 3: major divergence over project's future
A major divergence erupted between the Region and Beliris (federal project owner) over the future of Metro 3. On 23 May, the regional Mobility Minister publicly committed to stopping the project. Yet on 21 May, Beliris's CEO stated in a Brussels Parliament commission that he had never considered halting the scheme.
Meanwhile, a study proposes premetro extension as a less risky alternative. The Toots Thielemans station project (gros œuvre completed) could serve as a basis for this reorientation.
Social housing: Foyer Anderlechtois scandal
A scandal erupted at Foyer Anderlechtois, one of the social housing societies (SISP) under SLRB oversight, following a VRT Pano documentary on 20 May exposing irregularities in housing allocation. The SISP chairman requested a hearing before the Brussels Parliament on 22 May. The regional majority split over establishing an inquiry committee; the plenary session was suspended.
COCOM budget approved, SLRB dossiers unblocked
The Brussels Parliament adopted on 22 May the COCOM 2026 budget (the bi-community body responsible for family allowances and social action) after seventeen months without an approved budget. This validation restores normal financial frameworks to entities such as Iriscare and Vivalis.
Iriscare published encouraging results on several fronts: nearly 9,000 beneficiaries of the APA (Elderly Care Allowance) in Brussels; new components of the « It Takes a Village » programme (Montessori approach, Tubbe methodology) underway.
See the seniors-a-bruxelles dossier →
Education: merger of three arts schools
The Federation Wallonia-Brussels decided to merge three Brussels Francophone arts schools (including La Cambre) and formally attach them to the Free University of Brussels (ULB) to form Atlas Brussels School of Arts, with international ambitions.
Simultaneously, the CSC teaching union called a strike in the FWB network from 18 to 27 May against planned cuts (€86.7 million in 2026) and increased teaching hours in secondary education (20 → 22 hours).
Radar: persistent budget pressures and social movements
Several active signals reveal persistent budget pressures and social tensions. Hub.brussels must achieve major savings: closure of 14 of 33 foreign offices (Milan, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Shanghai, San Francisco, Vancouver, etc.), with announced savings between €3 and 6 million. Visit.brussels lost €5.7 million in subsidies in 2026, leading to closure of its Royal Square office.
The LEZ dispute remains active: the 4 April agreement (annual pass €350, social rate €200, monthly fine €80) foresaw fines starting 7 June, but the Finance Minister postponed the schedule to 1 July for administrative reasons.
Service-sector financing continues to cause tensions between ministries. Actiris alerts to the structural fragility of Brussels employment facing budget cuts.
This content was automatically translated. The original version is in French. Read the French version.
Source: Brussels Governance Monitor — independent civic monitoring of Brussels governance.