Molenbeek-Saint-Jean: PS-PTB coalition, partial transparency

The fourth most populated municipality

Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is the fourth most populated municipality in Brussels with nearly 100,000 inhabitants. An unprecedented PS-PTB coalition was formed with a slim majority of 23/45 seats.

Transparency: 3 out of 6 criteria

The budget is published online (downloadable PDFs), the council is broadcast via livestream on YouTube ("I like Molenbeek" channel), and the mandate registry is accessible via the annual report. Council minutes are partially online, citizen participation is limited to occasional workshops ("A Vision for Molenbeek"), and there is no Open Data portal.

Return of the mayor (March 2026)

After 13 months' absence for medical reasons, Catherine Moureaux resumed her duties as mayor on 2 March 2026. During her absence, the first alderman served as interim. The municipality faces a significant budget deficit.

Park West: temporary use made permanent

On 5 March 2026, the office of the State Secretary for the Environment announced the permanent continuation of Park West, a former 3-hectare railway site transformed into green space by Toestand vzw since 2022. Brussels Environment and Toestand will sign a new multi-year contract following a new public tender.

The site had nearly closed in 2025 due to lack of funding during the government formation crisis (no new public tenders possible under caretaker government). In the long term, the park will be redeveloped into a tree-rich, multifunctional urban park, with a cycling path, pedestrian trail and footbridge connecting to the future Beekkant square.

Asbestos in the Machtens towers (March 2026)

The two Machtens towers (~100 units each) face a dual problem of asbestos and mould. Residents on the upper floors have been relocated for fire safety reasons, whilst those on the lower floors remain in place with instructions not to drill or sand the walls.

The towers are scheduled for demolition, but no rehousing plan has been communicated. The municipality is requesting additional resources from the Region to manage the situation.

Source: La Libre (9 March 2026).

Recovery plan: 40 jobs cut, including 20 at the CPAS (June 2026)

To balance its 2026 budget, the municipality is considering cutting 40 jobs — 20 in the municipal administration and 20 at the CPAS (municipal welfare centre) — and reducing the end-of-year bonus of the remaining staff. The municipal budget shortfall is around 4 million EUR, with the overall effort required exceeding 7 million EUR. Trade unions denounce a 'shock' for the staff.

The CPAS chair points to the paradox: since the federal unemployment reform, the number of people supported has risen from 7,300 to 8,500, while the municipal dotation (43.7 million EUR) remains below the estimated needs (51.5 million EUR). The 13 recently recruited social workers are spared, but the service fighting the digital divide will be 'drastically reduced'. He recalls that Molenbeek is 'the poorest municipality in Brussels with the highest unemployment rate' and attributes part of the difficulties to chronic federal 'defunding'. This is the first Brussels municipal recovery plan involving redundancies in a CPAS since the unemployment reform (see Social card and Brussels CPAS dossier).

Sources: BX1 (12 June 2026) ; La DH (11 June 2026). Confidence: unconfirmed (plan in preparation, statements by the CPAS chair).

Indefinite strike notice (16 June 2026). On 16 June, the joint trade-union front (the three unions) filed an indefinite strike notice at the Molenbeek CPAS against the savings plan, contesting a half-reduction of the end-of-year bonus, the removal of around forty posts and the workload placed on remaining staff, which they link to "chronic underfunding" at regional and federal level. A demonstration was planned for Wednesday at 5:30 pm outside the town hall.

Source: BRUZZ Politiek (16 June 2026). Confidence: unconfirmed.

2026 budget adopted: 40 layoffs confirmed (25 June 2026)

The municipal council adopted the 2026 budget on 25 June 2026 (25 votes for, 7 against, 0 abstentions), confirming the 40 job cuts announced in June (20 in the municipal administration, 20 at the CPAS). The municipal deficit stands at around EUR 312,000, with a combined municipality-and-CPAS deficit of around EUR 18 million. The budget also provides for the merger of two municipal libraries, closure of the tourism service, a reduction of the toy-library service, and the removal of five community warden posts.

On 25 and 26 June 2026, trade unions (the joint CSC-CGSP-SLFP front) held a symbolic protest, laying coffins at the council session to denounce the 40 layoffs. Support is planned for affected staff: letters of recommendation, exemption from work during the notice period, and a job-search assistance scheme.

Sources: BX1 (29 June 2026); RTBF (25 June 2026); BX1 (18 June 2026, 17-18 June protest).

PS-PTB coalition: a first in Molenbeek

The PS-PTB agreement is a first in Molenbeek and is being closely monitored for its impact on municipal policy. The MR, third force (17.1%), sits in opposition.

Three shootings in 48 hours (24-25 July 2026)

The Brussels-West police zone reported three shootings on communal territory over two consecutive nights:

A shooting also occurred in Anderlecht within the same night-time window as the first. The incidents were reported to the Brussels public prosecutor's office and investigations are ongoing.

Methodological note. The count of a "fourth shooting in one week", relayed by the Dutch-language press, is not attributed to any police zone statement. BGM therefore does not reproduce it as an established fact: only the incidents above, individually sourced to the Brussels-West zone, are.

Sources: BX1 (26 July 2026) ; La Libre (25 July 2026) ; BX1 (24 July 2026). Confidence: unconfirmed (facts attributed to the police zone via the press; investigations ongoing, no judicial qualification established).