Cosmopolitan Brussels

Brussels is not just the capital of Belgium. It is one of the most international cities in the world, a crossroads where European institutions, international organisations, and a population of unique diversity in Europe converge.

Capital of the European Union

Brussels concentrates the main EU institutions: the European Commission (Berlaymont), the European Parliament (Leopold Quarter), the Council of the EU (Justus Lipsius/Europa). More than 30,000 European civil servants work there, alongside thousands of lobbyists, journalists, diplomats, and consultants. The European Quarter constitutes a veritable 'state within the city'.

Beyond the EU: a global hub

Brussels is also the headquarters of NATO, which employs approximately 4,000 people there. More than 4,000 NGOs, professional federations, and international organisations are established there. This concentration of international actors makes Brussels the second diplomatic city in the world after New York.

The paradoxical fiscal impact

Officials of European institutions and NATO benefit from a special tax regime: they pay an internal community tax but are exempt from Belgian income taxes. They consume Brussels public services (roads, transport, security) without contributing proportionally to regional revenues. This gap reinforces the Brussels paradox: a city rich in economic activity but structurally deficient in tax revenues.

Brussels superdiversity

Brussels is the most diverse city in Belgium and one of the most diverse in Europe. More than 180 nationalities coexist there and more than 100 languages are spoken daily. French is the dominant lingua franca, but Dutch, Arabic, Turkish, English, and Portuguese are among the most spoken languages at home.

Dutch: a protected minority

Approximately 5 to 8% of Brussels residents are native Dutch speakers, but the protection of the Dutch-speaking minority is enshrined in the Constitution through the double linguistic majority and community institutions (VGC). The Dutch linguistic group in Parliament (17 seats out of 89) holds an effective veto right on government formation — it is precisely this mechanism that is at the heart of the current crisis.

The demographic challenge

Brussels is the youngest Region in Belgium: 24% of the population is under 18 (compared to 20% in Flanders and Wallonia). The population has grown by 20% in twenty years. This growth places constant pressure on public services — schools, childcare, housing, transport — which are precisely the sectors frozen by the absence of government.

Sources: IBSA, Eurostat, Neighbourhood Monitoring, Statbel, Brussels Parliament.